2. Fall of Constantinople Year: 1453 Description: the Ottoman Turks finally conquered the Byzantine Empire. This brought a final end to the Roman Empire and brought a new power into Europe. This was also the first time gunpowder was used in battle

3. Christianity becomes the official religion in Roman Empire Year: 370 Description: Since Constantine had legalized Christianity in 314, Christianity had enjoyed much success, having many of the leading members of government converting to the religion, but when Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, this destined Christianity to become the dominant religion of Europe.

4. Fall of Western Empire Year: 475 Description: When Odoacer overthrew the Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, meant the end of the Classical Era, ushering in the Middle or Dark Ages for Europe.

5. Great Schism Year: 1054 Description: There had been a rift growing between the Christian Churches in the West based in Rome (Roman Catholic) ruled by the Pope and the Church in the East (Eastern Orthodox) ruled by the Byzantine Emperor. But in 1054 the two churches officially split from each other

6. Clovis, King of the Franks, converts to Christianity Year: 496 Description: There is much speculation on why Clovis actually converted, whether it was because he truly believed in Christianity or if it was for political reasons. There is one thing for sure, this cemented the power of the Catholic Church and allowed a path for other German tribes to convert, thus allowing Christianity to remain dominant in Europe.

7. Muhammad is born Year: 577 Description: This year marks the birth of the founder of the latest world religion. Islam today has a population of 1.5 billion followers.

8. Islamic Empire spreads from Spain to Persia Year: 710 Description: After the death of Muhammad, Arabic converts to Islam exploded outside of the Arabian Peninsula and conquered many territories. (638- Palestine and Syria, 755- Persia, 710- Spain

9. Battle of Tours Year: 711 Description: This battle spelled the end of Islamic expansion into Europe. A Frankish army led by Charles Martel (“the Hammer”) defeated a Moorish (Spanish Muslim) army.

10. 1 st Crusade Year: 1099 Description: Begun as an attempt to help the Byzantine Empire stop Islamic expansion, led to 200 years of conflict between the Islamic and Christian worlds.

11. Spanish Armada Year: 1588 Description: King Phillip of Spain decided in to invade Spain for several reasons. He wanted to have revenge on England for carrying out attacks on Spanish treasure ships. He also wanted to bring England back to Catholicism. The failure of this attack signified the end of Spanish supremacy in Western Europe, opening up the doors to Enlgish colonialism

12. Mansa Musa goes on a Pilgrimage Year: 1324 Description: Mansa Musa, the king of Mali in Africa, led a large Empire stretching across Western Africa. He was also a devout Muslim who made a Pilgrimage to Mecca to fulfill his obligation of the 5 Pillars. It was also to signify the fabulous wealth of Western Africa and to bring Africa into the realms of Europe and the Middle East.

13. Siege of Vienna Year: 1683 Description: The Ottoman Empire decided to continue its expansion into Eastern Europe by conquering its greatest city. Vienna was considered the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and of the great Austrian Empire. The failed siege spelled the end of Ottoman land expansion into Europe and the beginning of the end for Ottoman power.

14. Ogedai Khan conquers Russia and Eastern Europe Year: 1237 Description: After Genghis Khan had conquered Northern China and many kingdoms in Central Asia, Ogedai, Genghis’s son, decided to head further West. He conquered the Kievan Rus and other principalities and even made it as far west as Hungary. People even saw Mongol raiders in France and Italy. Before he could finish conquering however, Ogedai died, leaving the conquest of the rest of Europe incomplete.

15. Battle of Lepanto Year: 1571 Description: Sea battle between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (Venice, Spain, Papal States). The win of the Holy League stopped the spread of the Ottoman Empire along the Mediterranean and prevented it from becoming a Maritime Empire.

16. Hulagu Khan conquers Persia Year: 1258 Description: The conquest of Persia by Hulagu Khan in 1258 led the Mongol Empire to become the largest land empire in human history. The sack of the Abassid Capital, Baghdad, was considered one of the worst blows in history, which was considered the most culturally advanced city in the world. So many libraries were destroyed, it was said that the Tigris and Euphrates rivers ran black with ink.

17. Acre, last Crusader state falls Year: 1291 Description: After the fall of Acre, there were no Catholic (Western) Christians in the Middle East that were not either in chains or in hiding. This pushed Europeans out of the Holy Land and forced them to find other ways to find God, Gold and Glory.

18. Johanne Gutenberg invents the Printing Press Year: 1450 Description: After inventing a movable type, this made books much cheaper to manufacture and own, thus making literacy a more attainable goal for middle class people.

19. Martin Luther posts 95 Theses Year: 1517 Description: Martin Luther was a monk who had become disillusioned with the Catholic Church. He decided to write the issues he had (95 problems) nailed his issues to a Church door in Wittenburg (Germany). This caused a rift forever in Christianity.

20. Discovery of the Americas (by Colombus) Year: 1492 Description: After the Portuguese discovered the path to India by going around the tip of Africa, the Spanish decided to take a gamble on Christopher Columbus, who believed that by sailing West could reach China over the Atlantic. He did not succeed in this, but did discover the Americas, even if by accident…..

21. Columbus discovers America Year: 1492 Description: In an attempt to find a trade route to India and China, Columbus tried to sail west. This would have worked…. If the Americas were not in the way. This did, however, open up the Columbian Exchange, which changed the whole world as we know it.

22. Russians kick out Mongols Year: 1480 Description: After nearly 200 years of Mongol rule, the Russians under the leadership of Ivan III of Moscow finally overthrows the Golden Horde (Khanate of Russia) and establish the Empire of Russia, crowning himself Czar (Caesar) thus paving the way for one of the great world superpowers

23. Cortez conquers the Aztec Empire Year: 1519-1521 Description: Upon hearing of fabled “cities of gold”, Cortez decided to make his own adventures by embarking on the mainland of the Americas and discovering the mighty Aztec Empire and subsequently conquering it using several advantages including: Guns and gunpowder, horses/cavalry (native people did not even know what a horse was), steel weapons and armor, and alliances with other native tribes that were enemies of the Aztecs.

24. Diet of Worms Year: 1521 Description: After Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the wall of a Church in Wittenburg, the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor made a decision of what to do with Martin Luther, calling his beliefs heretical to the Church

25. Peace of Augsburg Year: 1555 Description: After years of strife between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire, a peace accord was given where German princes in the Holy Roman Empire were allowed to choose which branch of Christianity they wished to follow, whether it was Lutheranism or Catholicism.

26. Magellan sails around the world Year: 1522 Description: Though he died in the Philippines, we still credit Magellan with embarking on a trip that took him around the tip of South America, across the Pacific to the Philippines (which he claimed for Spain and was later killed) Sailing around Africa and back to Spain. Being the first man to sail around the world.

27. 30 Years War Year(s): 1618-1648 Description: After the Peace of Augsburg, there was a crisis where one of the Lutheran Princes of the Holy Roman Empire was up for election to be Emperor. This led to one of the most destructive wars in European history.

28. Pizarro conquers the Incan Empire Year: 1523 Description: Using many of the tactics and advantages used by Cortez in Mexico, Francisco Pizarro successfully took the Incan Empire in South America, allowing the Spanish Empire to stretch from North to South America, making it one of the largest empires on earth.

29. Henry VIII becomes head of English Church Year: 1533 Description: After an attempt to get an annulment from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. When the Pope refused, King Henry decided to split from the Catholic Church and form his own Church, known as the Anglican Church.

30. War of Spanish Succession Year: 1710-1713 Description: When Charles II of Spain died, King Louis XIV claimed the crown of France as his own. A Grand Alliance of Britain, Holland, Prussia (Germany), and Austria to prevent this from happening. This was considered one of the first modern wars, taking place in Europe and many of the colonies in the Americas and Asia.

31. Kublai Khan establishes the Yuan Dynasty Year: 1294 Description: Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson, eventually defeated the Song Dynasty. After conquering China, the Mongol Empire reached its height, stretching across Russia, Persia, and now China. Kublai Khan represents the last ruler to control the Mongol Empire as a whole, and the legitimate historical dynasty of the Yuan Dynasty of China

32. Seven Years War (French and Indian War) Year: 1755-1764 Description: This war was caused by French colonists in Canada and English colonists in the 13 colonies. It later encompassed a war on the European continent and stretched onto trading posts in Asia. This was considered one of the first world wars. This is also considered to be one of the causes for the American Revolutionary war.

33. Ming Dynasty reclaims China Year: 1368 Description: After 97 years of living under Mongol rule, the Chinese finally kick the Mongols out and establish a new dynasty, the Ming. While this is considered the cultural golden age of China, where we get Chinese porcelain, known as China, this is also the last native dynasty to rule China