1492	Granada conquered from the Moors. Columbus reaches the New World.
1494	Charles VIII of France invades Italy.
	Sixteenth Century
1517	Luther posts 95 Theses.
1519	Charles V elected Holy Roman Emperor.
1520	Luther excommunicated by Leo X. Revolt of the Communeros in Castile.
1521	Luther condemned by Diet of Worms.
1522	Turks capture Rhodes from Knights of St John.
1523	Union of Kalmar betwen Denmark and Sweden dissolves. Gustav Vasa becomes King of Sweden.
1524	Start of German Peasant's War.
1525	Deafeat of Peasants. Francis I of France defeated and captured by Charles V at Battle of Pavia.
1527	Sack of Rome by Imperial troops. Henry VIII begins to seek divroce from Katherine of Aragon.
1529	Turks (unsuccessfully) besige Vienna. Peace of Cambrai confirms Imperial dominance in Italy. Luther and Zwingli fail to resolve differences over eucharist at Marburg. Diet of Speyer gives birth to the word 'Protestants'.
1530	Statement of Lutheran belief in Confession of Augsburg. League of Schmalkalden formed against Charles V.
1531	Death of Zwingli. Ferdinand elected King of the Romans (heir to Emperor).
1533	Act of Appeals in England marks Break with Rome.
1535	Defeat of Anabaptist rule in Münster.
1536	Publication of Calvin's Institutes. Reformation in Geneva.
1540	Foundation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
1542	Re-establishment of Roman Inquisition.
1545	Opening of the Council of Trent.
1546	Death of Luther. War between Charles V and Schmalkaldic League.
1547	Charles defeats Schmalkaldic League at Battle of Mühlberg. Death of Henry VIII. Accession of Edward VI and radical phase of English Reformation.
1548	Charles imposes Interim of Augsburg.
1551	German Lutheran Princes (League of Torgau) joined by Maurice of Saxony and Henry II of France against Charles V. Second Session of Trent.
1553	Death of Edward VI and accession of Mary I. Catholic restoration in England.
1555	Peace of Augsburg between Charles V and Lutherans in Germany.
1556	Abdication of Charles V: succeeded by son Philip in Spain an Netherlands, and by Ferdinand as Emperor, Franco-Papal war against Philip II.
1558	French take Calais. Death of Mary I and accession of Elizabeth I.
1559	Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis ends Italian Wars. Death of Henry II. Protestant settlement in England.
1562	Outbreak of French Wars of Religion. Last session of Trent.
1563	End of Council of Trent.
1564	Death of Calvin.
1566	'Iconoclastic fury' in the Netherlands. Death of Suleyman the Magnificent.
1567	Outbreak of Dutch Revolt.
1571	Turkish fleet defeated at Lepanto by Holy League (Papacy, Venice, Spain).
1572	Massacre of St. Bartholomew.
1580	Spanish invasion of Portugal.
1581	States General in Netherlands renounces sovereignty of Philip II.
1584	Assassination of William of Orange.
1585	English intervention in Dutch Revolt.
1587	Execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
1588	Spanish Armada against England.
1589	Assassination of Henry III of France. Accession of (Protestant) Henry IV.
1593	Henry IV converts to Catholicism.
1598	Edict of Nantes ends the Wars of Religion in France.
	Seventeenth Century
1602	Dutch East India Company formed.
1603	Death of Elizabeth I and accession of James IV of Scotland as James I.
1604	Peace between England and Spain.
1609	Twelve Years Truce between Spain and United Provinces ends the Dutch Revolt.
1610	Assassination of Henry IV of France and accession of (minor) Louis XIII.
1618	Outbreak of Bohemian rebellion against Ferdinand - start of Thirty Years War.
1619	Bohemian estates depose Ferdinand as King and elect (Protestant) Frederick of the Palatinate.
1620	Bohemian rebellion crushed by Imperialist victory at Battle of the White Mountain.
1621	Renewed war between Spain and Dutch.
1622	Olivares becomes chief minister to Philip IV of Spain.
1624	Richelieu becomes chief minister to Louis XIII.
1625	Death of James I and accession of Charles I in England.
1630	Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden invades Germany.
1632	Gustavus killed at Battle of Lützen.
1633	Galileo's views condemned by Catholic Church.
1634	Defeat of Swedish army at Nördlingen by Spanish-Imperial army.
1635	France declares war on Spain.
1637	Charles I attempts to impose Prayer Book on Scotland - Bishops Wars are the result.
1640	Catalonia and Portugal rebel against Spain. Parliament called by Charles I.
1642	Death of Richelieu. Outbreak of Civil War in England.
1643	Dismissal of Olivares. French victory over Spanish at Rocroi. Death of Louis XIII and minority of Louis XIV.
1648	Peace of Münster between Spain and Dutch. Treaty of Westphalia ends Thirty Years War. OUtbreak of the Fronde in France against rule of Mazarin.
1649	Execution of Charles I. England declared a Commonwealth. The Diggers gather at St. George's Hill.
1651	Majority of Louis XIV. Hobbes' Leviathan published.
1653	End of the Fronde. Cromwell becomes Lord Protector.
1658	Death of Cromwell.
1659	Peace of the Pyrenees between France and Spain.
1660	Restoration of monarchy in England under Charles II.
1661	Death of Mazarin. Colbert becomes leading minister.
1672	Franco-Dutch war.
1678	'Popish Plot' in England.
1679	Exclusion Crisis in England.
1682	Accession of Peter I (the Great) in Russia. French court moves to Versailles.
1683	Turkish seige of Vienna (unsuccessful).
1685	Death of Charles II and accession of James II. Monmouth Rebellion against James. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in France.
1686	Formation of League of Augsburg against Louis XIV.
1688	James II deposed by William of Orange in 'Glorious Revolution'. Frederick III becomes Elector of Brandenburg-Prussia.
1689	Peter the Great takes power in Russia. England joins war on France. Locke publishes Two Treatise.
1690	James II defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.
1697	Treaty of Rijswick ends war against Louis XIV. Charles XII becomes king of Sweden. Peter the Great's Grand Embassy to the West.
1698	Partition Treaty divides the Spanish Empire.
	Eighteenth Century
1700	Outbreak of Great Northern War.
1701	Outbreaks of War of Spanish Succession.
1707	Act of Union between England and Scotland.
1709	Russian victory over Swedes at Poltava.
1714	House of Hanover succeeds to British throne.
1715	Death of Louis XIV and accession of Louix XV.
1721	Treaty of Nystad ends Great Northern War.
1725	Death of Peter the Great.
1733	Outbreak of War of Polish Succession.
1740	Outbreak of War of Austrian Sucession. Maria Theresa ascends the throne. Frederick II 'the Great' becomes king of Brandenburg-Prussia.
1748	Publication of Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu.
1751	First publication of the Encyclopédie.
1755	Lisbon earthquake.
1756	Outbreak of Seven Years War.