Webb Family Tree

1450 AD Printing Press Invented- In 1450, Johannes Guttenberg invented the printing press. The invention of the press revolutionized communication and education, allowing the development of newspapers, as well as reasonably priced books. The first product of the press was the Guttenberg Bible.

1453 AD Battle of Castillon-Charles VI became the first king to maintain a standing army, when he created a small French standing army. Knowing that the English were divided Charles decided to attack and reclaim Normandy. His attacks met little resistance. The English sent a fresh army led by Talbot against Charles, but at the battle of Chatillon the English were decisively defeated and the Hundred Years War came to an end.

1453 AD Constantinople Falls to Forces of Muhammad II- The Byzantine Empire came to an end when the forces of Muhammad II captured Constantinople. Muhammad's forces had been kept at bay by an iron chain that kept his ship away. He brought 70 small ships overland. In addition Muhammad had 250,000 troops and a 1,200 pound cannon that breached the wall of Constantinople. When the walls were breached on May 29th the city fell and over a thousand years of Byzantine rule ended.

1454 AD Treaty of Lodi -Under the term of the Treaty of Lodi hostilities ended between Venice, Milan and Florence. The peace treaty was reached due to the efforts of Pope Nicholas V.

1455 AD War of the Roses Begun - The War of the Roses began in 1455. The war was a civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York. The war was limited to English nobility and involved few of the populace. The first battle of the war was the Battle of St Albans which took place near London. At that battle the Yorkist defeated the Royalist forces.

1456 AD Cape Verde Islands Discovered - Cape Verde Islands off the African coast near Dakar was discovered by Alivse da Cadamosto who was employed in the service of Henry the Navigator. The islands were soon settled by the Portuguese who began to use it for the slave trade.

1461 AD Battle of Towton Moors-War of Roses- The Royalist who wore red roses to battle were defeated by the Yorkist wearing white roses at the Battle of Towton Moors. The battle which was the bloodiest of the war, resulted in Edward being crowned Edward IV King of England.

1471 AD Battle of Tewkesbury- The War of the Roses continued to wage. Edward married Elizabeth Woodville who had no money or rank. Edward handed out titles and money liberally so much so that he aroused the jealousy of the Earl of Warwick. Warwick arranged the ouster of Edward and the return of King Henry. When Warwick was killed in the battle of Barnet Henry was returned to jail, where he was killed immediately. Margaret, Henry's wife, continued the struggle, but at the Battle of Tewkesbury Margaret's son was killed and she was captured.

1471 AD Kingdom of Anman Founded- Le Thanh-ton leading the Kingdom of Annam captured Vijaya the capital of the Cham, in present day Vietnam.

1472 AD Ivan III the Great - In 1472 Ivan III- The Great, married the neice of the last Byzantine Emperor. The marriage, which took place ten years into his rule, increased Ivans prestige and helped him unify the various Russian principalities.

1475 AD Treaty of Picquinty England's Edward IV invaded France in support of the Burgundians. Edward was bought off by a payment and the promise of an annual allowance by Louus XI under the terms of the Treaty of Picquinty.

1477 AD Charles the Bald Killed - The Battle of Nancy is won by Swiss pikement fighting for Louis XI. Charles the Bald, the last of the Burgundy claimants to the throne, is killed in the battle. This effectively ended the incessant battles for the French crown.

1479 AD Treaty of Alcacovas Under the treaty of Alcacovas Portugal abandoned its claim to the Castillian throne as well as its claim to the Canary Islands. The Spanish recognized the Portuguese primacy in Azores islands as well the North and West African coasts.

1480 AD Treaty of Constantinople - The 15 year war between the Ottomans and Venice ended with the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople. Under the terms of the treaty Venice was forced to cede cities along the Albanian coast to the Ottomans. Furthermore the Venetians were forced to pay for the right to trade in the Black Sea.

1485 AD Botticielli Paints The Birth of Venus -In 1485 The Birth of Venus was painted by Sandor Botticielli in Florence. It was Botticeilli’s most famous work. Botticielli also illustrated Dante’s Divana Commedia and worked on the Sistine Chapel

1487 AD Dias Circles South Africa - Bartholomeu Dias the Portuguese explorer was blown off course and around the Cape of Good Hope. He became the first European explorer to circle Southern Africa.

1491 AD Portuguese in Angola Portuguese explorers establish an embassy at Mbanza the capital of the Bantu State in the present Angola. The Kongo ruler converts to Catholicism.

1492 AD Columbus Sets Sails For New World - Isabella, Queen of Spain financed the voyage of Christopher Columbus. His goal was to find a sea route to the Orient by sailing westward. He set sail on August 3, 1492 in his flagship the Santa Maria with 52 men aboard. Also sailing was the smaller Pinta and Nina. On October 12th land is sighted.

1492 AD Jews Driven From Spain -The Jews of Spain were ordered out of Spain by July 31, 1492. Some Jews accept the cross and stayed, while over 100,000 left Spain, many traveling to the Ottoman Empire, while some settled in Portugal.

1492 AD Moors Driven out of Spain -On January 2, 1492 Granada surrendered to Isabella and Ferdinand. Granada was the last Muslim Kingdom in Spain and this marked the final expulsion of the Moors from Spain.

1492 AD Columbus Discovers America -In 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to discover a westward passage to the Orient. His trip was financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. On October 12th, after several fearful weeks at sea, Columbus finally set foot on dry land. He landed at San Salvador.

1493 AD Columbus' Second Voyage - After Columbus returns to Spain with strange animals, a live Indian and other unsusual items Queen Isabella grants Columbus enormous priviledges. He is sent back with 1,500 men and a fleet of 17 ships as the governor of the new land.

1494 AD Treaty of Tordesillas - The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed which divided the world between Portuguese and Spanish lands. The Spanish received all of the land to the West and the Portuguese to the East. This gave Portugal Africa while Spain received all of the new world with the exception of Brazil.

1497 AD John Cabot Discovers NewFoundland- John Cabot together with his son Sebastian discovered Newfoundland. He claims it for England.

1498 AD Christopher Columbus Sets Sail for Third Voyage -In 1498 Christopher Columbus set sail for his third voyage to the New World. In the course of the voyage he discovered Trinidad. In addition he apparently landed in South America.

1498 AD Da Vinci paints The Last Supper- In 1498 Leonardo Da Vinci painted his most famous mural, The Last Supper. The mural depicts the last meal of Christ before being incarcerated

1498 AD Vasco de Gama Sails to India -Vasco De Gama, the Portuguese explorer, arrived in India. He established a trading post, thus creating a new trade route between Europe and the East.

1498 AD Vasco De Gama lands in India -Following up on the discovery by Dias of the Cape of Good Hope, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama sets sail for India. In 1498, da Gama reached India.

1498 AD Cabot Claims North America For Great Britain -On June 24th, John Cabot, sailing on behalf of King Henry of England, sighted the coast of New Foundland. He claimed lands for England.

1501 AD Battle of Shurer -The Safawod Dynasty was founded in 1501 when Ismail I of Arabadil defeated the leader of the White Sheep dynasty at the battle of Shurer. This consolidated Shite rule of Iran.

1501 AD Louis XII Conquers Northern Italy - 1501- Loius XII conquers Northern Italy and is declared by Pope Alexander VI King of Naples. Under the terms of the Peace of Trent the German king Maximilian I recognizes the French conquest of Northern Italy.

1502 AD Vasco de Gama Founds Chochin - The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama built a factory and trading post at Chochin in Southwestern India. It was the first European settlement in India.

1503 AD Da Vinci paints Mona Lisa -In 1503- Leonardo Da Vinci completed his painting the Mona Lisa.

1504 AD Ferdinand of Argon Conquers Naples On January 1, Ferdinand of Aragon completed the conquest of Naples when French forces at Gaeta surrendered. Under the terms of the treaty of Lyon France maintained control of Northern Italy while Spain maintained control of Southern Italy.

1508 AD Muscat Captured by Portugal - Muscat in Southern Arabia was conquered by the Portuguese. They established it as their base of operation in Arabia.

1508 AD Michelangelo Begins Painting The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo spent four years painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He worked unassisted.

1509 AD Battle of Diu - The Portuguese established their predominance over the spice trade by defeating a Muslim fleet at the battle of Diu,. The battle took place on February 2, 1509 in the Indian Ocean.

1512 AD Ponce De Leon Claims Florida for Spain - In a quest for the fabled “fountain of youth,” Juan Ponce de Leon, explored Florida. He claimed the land for Spain.

1513 AD Battle of the Spurs - The Battle of the Spurs, which took its name from the flight of French troops, took place in August 1513. The battle which took place at Guinegate pitted the French against the forces of England's Henry VIII,and the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian troops. The French defeat forced them to give up Milan, and Loius XII, the invasion of Italy.

1514 AD Battle of Ridanya - The Ottomans led by Selim defeated Tumay Bey the sultan of Egypt at the battle of Ridanya near Cairo. The Ottomans had previously defeated a combined Egyptian Syrian army at the battle of Marj Dabiq in Syria. The Ottomans went on to sack Cairo. The Egyptians as well as the Arabs of Arabia pledge their allegiance to the Ottomans.

1514 AD War Between Ottomans and Shiites - The Ottomans, who were Sunni Muslims, attacked the Shite Persian. The Ottoman Selim who had already massacred 40,000 Shite subjects, defeated the Persian army at the battle of Chaldiran on August 23, 1513. Selim went on to occupy Tabriz and slaughtered 80,000 of its citizens.

1517 AD Martin Luther Nail Thesis to Church -The Protestant Reformation was launched when Martin Luther nailed his criticism of the Catholic Church on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. The heart of Luthers complaints were the sale of indulgences by Catholic clergy.

1517 AD Cortes Completes The Conquest of Mexico - Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of Techotchitlan. Thus completing his brutal conquest of the Aztec Indians and all of Mexico.

1517 AD Sebastian Cabot Discovers Hudson Bay -Sebastian Cabot discovered the entrance to Hudson Bay in 1517. He traveled as far south as South Carolina.

1519 AD Ferdinand Magellan Sets Sail Around the World - On August 10, 1519 Portuguese navigator Magellan left Seville with a fleet of five ships on a journey of exploration. He found a route around South America throught the Straits that now bear his name. Magellan died in the Pacific, but his lieutenant and 18 of his men returned to Seville in 1522, after circumnavigating the globe.

1520 AD Suleiman the Magnificent Selim the Ottoman sultan died, he was succeeded by his son Suleiman I. Suleiman became known as Suleiman the Magnificent.

1521 AD Magellan Dies - Ferdinand Magellan, who had circumnavigated South America and reached the Pacific, discovered the Philippine Islands which he claimed for Spain. Magellan is killed in a skirmish with Mactan Indians. Magellan's lieutenant and his remaining men returned to Seville Spain in 1522 after circling the globe.

1522 AD Battle of Bicocca -Charles V of Germany defeated the French forces in the first Valios- Hapsburg War at the battle of Biocca- outside of Milan. As a result the French were once again ousted from Italy.

1524 AD German Peasant's Rebel - Peasants in Southern Germany took heed of Luthers call for religious reform and extended it to include a call for social reform as well. The peasants overthrew the local government in Muhlhausen and demand an end to serfdom, feudal dues and tithes. The uprising was violent and between 100 and 150 thousand peasants are killed inlcuding 5,000 killed by an army of Philip, Landgrave of Hesse who finally end the rebellion on May 14, 1525. Its leader Thomas Muntzer is beheaded.

1524 AD Verazzano Discovers New York Bay -Sailing under a French flag, Giovanni da Verrazano discovered New York Bay, on April 17, 1524. Verrazano first sighted land on March 1st– it was the coast of North Carolina. Verrazano, thus, found New York Bay in the course of his long search for a passage to the Pacific.

1525 AD Battle of Pavia- On February 24 the French are decisively defeated at the Battle of Pavia. Facing the French and their Swiss mercenaries are Spanish and German armies. 6,000 French soldiers are killed in the battle and Francois, the King of France, is taken prisoner. He is forced to sign the Treaty of Madrid renouncing all claims to Burgundy, Flanders, Artois, Tournia and Italy.