| ca. 1350 | 1478 |
| – Petrarch develops ideas of humanism | – Establishment of the Inquisition in Spain |
| 1434–1737 | 1492 |
| – Medici family in power in Florence | – Spain conquers Granada, ending reconquista; practicing Jews expelled from Spain |
| 1440s | 1494 |
| – Invention of movable metal type | – Invasion of Italy by Charles VIII of France |
| 1447–1535 | 1508–1512 |
| – Sforza family in power in Milan | – Michelangelo paints ceiling of Sistine Chapel |
| 1455–1471 | 1513 |
| – Wars of the Roses in England | – Machiavelli writes The Prince |
| 1469 | 1563 |
| – Marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon | – Establishment of first formal academy for artistic training in Florence |
| 1477 | |
| – Louis XI conquers Burgundy | |