1500 – 1800
The Age of Exploration
Global contact, revolutions of thought, and new empires.
ArtPainting of the Mona Lisac. 1503 CE · Florence, ItalyLeonardo da Vinci creates the most famous portrait using sfumato technique.
ArtCompletion of Sistine Chapel CeilingOctober 31, 1512 CE · Vatican City, ItalyMichelangelo finishes frescoes depicting Genesis scenes transforming Renaissance art.
ArtMichelangelo Completes the Sistine Chapel CeilingOctober 31, 1512 · Vatican City, RomeMichelangelo finishes the monumental fresco cycle depicting Genesis.
ReligionLuther Posts Ninety-Five ThesesOctober 31, 1517 CE · Wittenberg, GermanyMartin Luther challenges Catholic Church practices sparking the Protestant Reformation.
TechnologyIntroduction of the Tomato to Europec. 1520 CE · Rome, ItalyTomatoes arrive in Europe from the Americas, revolutionizing global cuisine.
ExplorationMagellan's Circumnavigation CompletedSeptember 6, 1522 CE · Seville, SpainFirst expedition sails around the globe proving Earth is round and vast.
WarBabur's Victory at Panipat and Founding of Mughalsc. 1526 CE · Panipat (modern Haryana/India)Babur defeats the Lodi Sultanate at the First Battle of Panipat, establishing the Mughal Empire in India.
WarSack of RomeMay 6, 1527 · Rome, ItalyMutinous troops of Charles V brutally loot Rome, ending the High Renaissance.
WarBabur's Victory at Khanwac. 1527 CE · Khanwa, Rajasthan, IndiaBabur defeats the Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga, consolidating Mughal rule over North India.
ArtMichelangelo Paints the Last JudgmentNovember 1541 · Vatican City, RomeMichelangelo completes the massive fresco on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.
DisasterBurning of Maya Codices by Bishop LandaJuly 1562 CE · Mani, Yucatan, MexicoSpanish Bishop Diego de Landa orders the destruction of most surviving Maya written records in a campaign against idolatry.
DisasterDestruction of Maya Codices by Bishop LandaJuly 12, 1562 · Maní, Yucatán, MexicoSpanish friars burn nearly all surviving Maya books in a purge of idolatry.
WarBattle of Talikota and Fall of Vijayanagarac. 1565 CE · Talikota, Karnataka, IndiaThe Deccan Sultanates defeat the Vijayanagara Empire in a decisive battle, leading to the sack of Hampi and the empire's collapse.
PoliticsFounding of Fatehpur Sikric. 1571 CE · Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaAkbar establishes Fatehpur Sikri as the new capital of the Mughal Empire to honor his spiritual guide and centralize administration.
WarDefeat of the Spanish ArmadaAugust 8, 1588 · English Channel, near Plymouth, UKEnglish fleet and storms destroy the Spanish Armada, shifting naval dominance.
ArtConstruction of the Taj Mahal Beginsc. 1632 CE · Agra, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaShah Jahan commissions the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, initiating one of history's greatest architectural projects.
PoliticsPeace of WestphaliaOctober 24, 1648 · Münster and Osnabrück, GermanyTreaties end the Thirty Years' War, establishing state sovereignty.
DisasterGreat Fire of LondonSeptember 2, 1666 · London, EnglandCatastrophic fire destroys medieval London, leading to major urban reconstruction.
PoliticsShivaji Maharaj Coronation and Maratha Empirec. 1674 CE · Raigad Fort (modern Maharashtra/India)Chhatrapati Shivaji is crowned as the sovereign ruler of the Marathas, establishing an independent Hindu kingdom against Mughal dominance.
ReligionBirth of Bulleh Shahc. 1680 CE · Uch (modern Pakistan)The birth of Bulleh Shah, a pivotal Sufi poet who challenged religious orthodoxy and promoted universal love.
WarAurangzeb's Decades-Long Deccan Campaignc. 1681 CE · Deccan Plateau, IndiaEmperor Aurangzeb moves his court to the Deccan for a prolonged military campaign against the Marathas and Sultanates.
SciencePublication of Newton's PrincipiaJuly 5, 1687 CE · Cambridge, EnglandIsaac Newton defines laws of motion and universal gravitation revolutionizing physics.
PoliticsThe Glorious RevolutionNovember 5, 1688 · London, EnglandParliament invites William of Orange to depose James II, establishing constitutional monarchy.
WarNader Shah Sacks Delhi and Takes Peacock Thronec. 1739 CE · Delhi, IndiaPersian ruler Nader Shah invades the Mughal Empire, defeating the army at Karnal and looting Delhi, taking the Peacock Throne.
DisasterLisbon Earthquake and TsunamiNovember 1, 1755 CE · Lisbon, PortugalMassive quake and fire destroy capital city challenging Enlightenment optimism.
PoliticsAdoption of US Declaration of IndependenceJuly 4, 1776 CE · Philadelphia, USAThirteen colonies declare independence from Britain asserting natural rights.
PoliticsStorming of the BastilleJuly 14, 1789 · Paris, FranceRevolutionaries storm the Bastille prison, symbolizing the start of the French Revolution.
PoliticsHaitian Revolution BeginsAugust 22, 1791 · Saint-Domingue (Haiti)Enslaved people revolt in Saint-Domingue, leading to the first black republic.
PoliticsAdoption of Marianne as French Symbolc. 1792 CE · Paris, FranceThe Republic adopts a female allegory representing Liberty and Reason.
TechnologyExpansion of Transatlantic Cotton Tradec. 1793 CE · Savannah, Georgia, USAEli Whitney's cotton gin revolutionizes production and fuels global textile manufacturing.