John Calvin was born on 10 July 1509 in Noyon. A French theologian and reformer, Calvin was trained in law and humanist studies before breaking with the Catholic Church and leaving France. In 1536 he published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a systematic account of Protestant doctrine, which he revised for the rest of his life. He settled in Geneva, where he built a church and civil order based on strict discipline and founded the Geneva Academy. His teachings, which emphasize the sovereignty of God and predestination, formed the basis of the Reformed tradition and shaped Protestantism in Scotland, the Netherlands and parts of Germany, France and later North America. His role in the execution of Michael Servetus remains controversial.
Before and after
- 25 April 1507The name 'America' appears on a map
- from February 1508 to December 1516War of the League of Cambrai
- March 1508Battle of Chaul
- 30 November 1508Birth of Andrea Palladio
- 10 July 1509Birth of John Calvin
- 17 May 1510Death of Sandro Botticelli
- from 1511 to 1920Khanate of Khiva
- 1511The Creation of Adam
- 30 July 1511Birth of Giorgio Vasari
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1602Publication of Hamlet
- 1652Origins of Quakers
- c. 1653The Taj Mahal is completed
- 1661Construction of Palace of Versailles
- from c. 1730s to 1780sRise of Rococo
- 1759Construction of British Museum
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.