World Timeline by Jaden Lee

Prince Henry the Navigator 1420

20265076 — 2025-02-11 18:20:12 UTC

Prince Henry The Navigator who was born in 1394, was one of the most important figures of the Age of Exploration in Portugal. He financed all voyages to the western coast of Africa in an extensive initiative. His work initiated in the 1420s eventually positioned Portugal as the preeminent country of maritime exploration, setting a legacy that was to culminate in Vasco da Gama's famous trip to India in 1498.

Bartolmeu Dias 1488

20265076 — 2025-02-11 18:36:42 UTC

The first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa was Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer who opened the route to the Indian Ocean in 1488. This voyage to the Cape of Good Hope was a turning point in the Age of Exploration, opening the route for Vasco da Gama a decade later to the shores of India.

Vasco de Gama's voyage 1497

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:28:43 UTC

In 1497, Vasco da Gama set off on his famous journey to India, rounding the Cape of Good Hope to reach the city of Calicut on the southwestern coast of India. The successful voyage linked Europe and Asia through direct sea routes, and hence Portugal emerged as a major maritime presence worldwide.

Atlantic Slave Trade 1501

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:32:10 UTC

Beginning in the early 15th century, the Atlantic slave trade comprised the transportation of captured Africans to Central America and the Americas, particularly Portugal and Spain, for labor in lucrative sugar plantations. For several centuries before its total abolition in the 19th century, millions of Africans were forcibly shipped from Africa across the Atlantic in slavery, its official end occurring in the United States in 1865.

Fall of the Aztecs 1519

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:35:13 UTC

The fall of the Aztec Empire started in 1519, when Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico and allied himself with indigenous groups that were enemies of the Aztecs. The brutal siege ended in 1521 with the capture of Tenochtitlán, marking the end of the Aztec Empire and the beginning of Spanish domination in Mexico.

Fall of the Incas 1532

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:37:02 UTC

The Inca Empire fell starting on 1532, when the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured the Incan Emperor Atahualpa in a surprise attack. After a series of battles and the spread of diseases, the Inca Empire fell by 1533, leading to Spanish control of much of South America.

Abolishment of the Encomienda System 1542

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:42:39 UTC

The encomienda system was officially abolished by King Charles I of Spain through the New Laws in the year 1542. This law primarily aimed at protecting the indigenous people from any form of exploitation, although the end of the system was often drawn out and repeatedly undermined by local authorities.

Manchus conquer China 1644

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:45:41 UTC

Originally from Northeast China, the Manchus began the conquest of China in 1644 when they captured Beijing and established the Qing dynasty. Within the next several decades, the dynasty expanded its control over all of China, a solidified rule that lasted until the early 20th century.

Start of the Ming Dynasty 1368

20265076 — 2025-02-13 12:48:20 UTC

The Ming Dynasty was created in 1368, following the disintegration of the Yuan Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang, a peasant leader, crowned himself as the emperor and took on the title of Hongwu. His triumph heralded the start of a new age for governance in China, lasting until 1644.

Tokugawa Shogunate 1603

20265076 — 2025-02-13 14:00:28 UTC

Established in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, following his victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa Shogunate heralded the arrival of a long 250 years of peace and stability in Japan. This era is referred to as the Edo period, which lasted until 1868 when the Meiji Restoration put an end to Tokugawa rule and restored imperial authority.