AP

 European  History  Important  Dates  to  Know  

*Those  that  are  bolded  indicated  major  turning  points  in  European  history  and  are  essential  to  know.  
Date   Why  it  was  a  turning  point  
1348-­‐51   Black  Death  
 
1453   End  of  the  Hundred  Years’  War  

1455   Printing  Press  invented  

1492   Columbus’  Discover  of  the  New  World  

1517   Protestant  Reformation  Begins-­‐  Luther  posts  the  95  Thesis  

1555   Peace  of  Augsburg  ends  religious  wars  in  Germany  (cuius  region,  eius  
religio-­‐  whose  region,  his  religion)  
1588   Defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada  (by  Queen  Elizabeth)  

1598   Edict  of  Nantes  in  France-­‐  religious  toleration  and  end  to  French  Wars  of  
Religion  
1600   Dutch  East  India  Company  founded  

1643-­‐ Reign  of  Louis  XIV  in  France-­‐  Absolutism  

1715  
1648   Treaty  of  Westphalia  (ending  the  Thirty  Years’  War)  

1651   Hobbes’  Leviathan  published  

1687   Newton  publishes  the  Principia  Mathematica  

1688   Glorious  Revolution  and  English  Bill  of  Rights  

Peter  the  Great  rule  of  Russia  
1689   Locke’s  Two  Treaties  on  Government  published  

1763   Treaty  of  Paris  ends  the  Seven  Years’  War  

1776   Adam  Smith’s  Wealth  of  Nations  published  

American  Revolutionary  War  
1789-­‐ French  Revolution  
1799  
1799   Napoleon  comes  to  power  

1815   Congress  of  Vienna  

Age  of  Metternich/  Concert  of  Europe  
1830   Revolutions  in  France,  Belgium  and  Greece  

1848   Liberal  Revolutions  (except  in  France  and  England)  

Karl  Marx’s  Communist  Manifesto  published  
   
©  Ms.  Milkovich  
Holy  Family  High  School  College  Preparatory  2016;  may  be  used  for  classroom  only  
 Date   Why  it  was  a  turning  point  
1861   Italian  Unification  

1871   Unification  of  Germany  

1884   Berlin  Conference  (carving  of  Africa)  

1900   Freud’s  Interpretation  of  Dreams  published  

1914-­‐ WWI  
1918  
1917   Russian  Revolution  

1918   Treaty  of  Versailles  ends  WWI  

1929   The  Great  Depression  hits  Europe  

1939-­‐ WWII  
1945  
1945   WWII  Ends,  Est.  of  the  UN;  beginning  of  the  Cold  War  

1949   NATO  formed  

1951   European  Coal  and  Steel  Community  (ECSC)  formed  

1957   Treaty  of  Rome  creates  European  Economic  Community  (EEC)  

Sputnik  launched  
1962   Second  Vatican  Council  

1968   “Prague  Spring”-­‐  student  revolts  in  Czech  

1989   Collapse  of  communism  and  the  Berlin  Wall  

1991   Breakup  of  Soviet  Union/  end  of  Cold  War  

1992   Maastricht  Treaty  creates  the  European  Union  (EU)  

1999   European  Currency  (The  Euro)  Introduced  

2001   Terrorist  Attacks  on  US  (growing  concern  over  Islamism)  

©  Ms.  Milkovich  
Holy  Family  High  School  College  Preparatory  2016;  may  be  used  for  classroom  only