The most important moments in history

16/01/2021

16/12/2020

The Gutenberg Printing Press

One of the greatest inventions of the Renaissance was The Gutenberg Printing Press. Gutenberg took the idea of printing from Asia but made it much easier and more efficient with his press. The first books he printed were Bibles, and they were all sold before he even finished them. The printing press fanned the flames of reading, education, and knowledge with the new capability of mass printing books that would have previously been copied by hand.

16/12/2020

The Renaissance

During the time of the Middle Ages and the Black Death, education and knowledge were relatively stagnant. But starting in the 15th century, there was a rebirth of knowledge, art, and culture that started in Italy and spread across Europe. This Renaissance (rebirth) brought with it new technologies and advancements, which created more prosperity and wealth.

16/12/2020

The Fall of Constantinople

Built by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 330 CE, Constantinople served as the Byzantine Empire’s capital for centuries. Famous for its impervious walls, few thought it could actually be conquered. However, with the rise and spread of Islam, the capital eventually fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. With the Ottoman Turks now having a foothold in Europe, the balance of power suddenly changed. Many Greeks converted to Islam or fled west. The conquest symbolized a victory for Islam as they saw Constantinople as an affront to them.

16/12/2020

The Black Death

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, earned its name by spreading across Europe and leaving thousands of dead bodies in its wake. By the end, 75 million people are estimated to have died. Afterward, with a human shortage in Europe, serfs could now have their pick of who to work for, resulting in better conditions for them and their families. People were much more bitter towards the Catholic Church, and anti-Semitism grew with many claiming the Jews started it in the first place.

14/12/2020

Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire

Let’s hop over to Asia now and look at Genghis Khan, the ruler of one of the largest empires in human history. Few would actually point to Khan as someone who radically changed history, but his Mongol Empire had sweeping effects in their time and beyond. First, the Mongolian army was a terror, conquering, slaughtering, and pillaging wherever they went. But they were also good at being pragmatic and including and adopting all cultures to please the masses and maintain control. By almost uniting Eurasia, they were able to spread technologies like paper, gunpowder, the compass, and even trousers.

14/12/2020

The Life of Muhammad

Born in 570 CE, Muhammad was born in Mecca, and at the age of 40, he claimed to receive a vision from the angel Gabriel. He continued to receive these revelations, which became the Quran. His teachings and message drew crowds but also swift opposition. He took his followers out of Mecca to Medina but eventually would gather so many followers, he’d return to conquer Mecca. As we know today, his impact on Middle Eastern culture and the world grew with the religion of Islam, becoming the second most popular religion in the world.

14/12/2020

The Life of Jesus

The life of Jesus was a major historical event which came about during the reign of Caesar Augustus and Pax Romana. Regardless if you believe Jesus’s teachings, few deny how big an impact he left on human history and the massive religion that would soon follow. Christianity has impacted many elements throughout Western culture, shaping it for thousands of years to the modern day. With millions around the world worshiping Jesus as God, his influence has lasted far longer than most.

08/12/2020

Pax Romana

Pax Romana, which means “Roman Peace,” was a period of peace and stability over the Roman Empire. It started at the reign of Caesar Augustus when Rome had ruled Europe, North Africa, and Palestine and lasted for two hundred years afterward. This stability allowed for further advances in art, culture, and technology and established much of what would become modern-day Germany, France, and England.

08/12/2020

Alexander the Great

Speaking of Alexander the Great, when the Greek city-states were growing in their power, he rose up as a Macedonian Ruler that would use his charm, cunning, and ruthlessness to conquer Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and some parts of India. Not only did he build a massive empire, but his influence on culture ushered in the Hellenistic Period, a heavy mixture of Greek and Asian culture that would dominate the world for centuries.

08/12/2020

Greco-Persian Wars
It might not seem like it, but the Greco-Persian Wars were a huge turning point in human history. If the Greeks had fallen and lost against the Persian Empire, like everyone else in the known world, the Western World would likely not have the democratic politics, art, literature, and science it does today. The Greeks not only won against the Persians, but they thrived thereafter all the way up to Alexander the Great.