ca. 50,000- First Asian penetration of the Americas: initial human

25,000 B.P settlement of the two continents

ca. 1300 Rise of the Aztec empire: in present-day Mexico

1271-1295 Marco Polo travels to China from Italy

1347 First outbreak of the Black Death: Europe’s population declines drastically

1420s Portuguese settlements in the Atlantic Islands: western Europe first penetrates its ocean frontier

1492 Columbus discovers America

1497 John Cabot discovers Newfoundland

1498 Da Gama reaches India: Europe opens a direct trade with the Far East

1517 Luther posts his 95 theses: Protestant Reformation begins

1519-1522 Magellan circumnavigates the globe

1521 Tenochtitlán surrenders to Cortes: Aztec empire falls

1540 Discovery of silver in Mexico and Peru: Spain vastly enriched by its overseas empire

1558 Elizabeth I becomes queen of England

1565 England begins its conquest of Ireland: the first effort at colonization by England

1584-1590 Roanoke voyages: England makes its first effort at colonization in North America