The 16th Century

The century when Western Civilization grew into maturity. Here is a list of 45 key events that I compiled that are worth noting.

1. The Spanish Armada
2. Battle of Lepanto
3. Sulamein the Magnificent’s conquest of Hungary
4. The Voyage of Magellan
5. Henry VIII defeats Scots at Flodden Field
6. Cortes defeats the Aztecs
7. Pizzaro conquers the Incas
8. Galileo falls foul of the Inquistion
9. Henry VIII and Francis I negotiate at the Cloth of Gold
10. Henry VIII breaks from the Catholic Church
11. Martin Luther pins 95 Theses to church door at Wittenberg
12. War of the Three Henry’s in France
13. Charles V becomes Holy Roman Emperor
14. Meeting of the Council of Trent: Beginning of the Counter reformation
15. Formation of the Jesuits
16. Birth of Calvinism
17. Clashes in Switzerland between Pro-Catholic and Anti-Catholic Cantons. Death of Zwingli.
18. Michelangelo completes Sistine Chapel
19. Luther called before Diet of Worms
20. Abdication of Charles V in favour of his brother and son
21. Cartier and Champlain explore Canada
22. Discovery of Florida
23. Wars between Venice and Turks
24. Peace of Augsburg
25. Anabaptist revolt
26. Reign of Bloody Mary
27. Irish Revolts against Elizabeth I
28. English Pirates terrorize Spanish Main
29. Invention of the Telescope
30. Tycho Brahe documents changing heavens
31. St. Bartholomew Days Massacre of Hugenots
32. Edict of Nantes offrers religious freedom in France
33. Foundation of the House of Bourbon
34. Pope divides South America between Spanish and Portuguese
35. Spain annexes Portugal
36. Dutch revolt against Spanish
37. Rise of Presbyterians in Scotland. John Knox et al.
38. Henry VIII develops the Royal Navy
39. Italian Wars end. French are driven from Peninsula.
40. Kepler advances Laws of Planetary Motion
41. Search begins for Northwest and Northeast passages
42. Francis Bacon champions the Scientific Method
43. Shakespeare begins writing plays
44. Maltese pirates harass Turkish shipping.
45. Balboa discovers the Pacific