| 1492 | Columbus reaches the Americas |
| 1494 | Italian Wars begin; Treaty of Tordesillas divides Atlantic world between Portugal and Spain |
| 1516 | Erasmus publishes Greek edition of the New Testament |
| 1517 | Luther composes ninety-five theses to challenge Catholic church |
| 1519 | Cortés captures Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán |
| 1520 | Luther publishes three treatises; Zwingli breaks from Rome |
| 1525 | German Peasants' War |
| 1527 | Charles V's imperial troops sack Rome |
| 1529 | Colloquy of Marburg addresses disagreements between German and Swiss church reformers |
| 1534 | Henry VIII breaks with Rome; Affair of the Placards in France |
| 1536 | Calvin publishes Institutes of the Christian Religion |
| 1540 | Jesuits established as new Catholic order |
| 1545–1563 | Catholic Council of Trent condemns Protestant beliefs, confirms Catholic doctrine |
| 1547 | Charles V defeats Protestants at Mühlberg |
| 1555 | Peace of Augsburg ends religious wars and recognizes Lutheran church in German states |
| 1559 | Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis ends wars between Habsburg and Valois rulers |