Thomas More was born on 7 February 1478 in London. An English lawyer, statesman and humanist, More rose to become Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII. He wrote Utopia, a work describing an imaginary island society with communal property and religious tolerance, which gave a name to a whole genre. A devout Catholic and a friend of Erasmus, he opposed the Protestant Reformation and wrote against Luther. He refused to take the oath recognizing Henry as supreme head of the Church of England after the king's break with Rome, was convicted of treason and beheaded. He was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935.
Before and after
- 1477Founding of Uppsala University
- c. 1477Eruption of Bardarbunga
- from 1478 to 1834Spanish Inquisition
- 1478Battle of Guinea
- 7 February 1478Birth of Thomas More
- from 1479 to 1700Hispanic Monarchy
- 1 June 1479Founding of University of Copenhagen
- 1480Birth of Ferdinand Magellan
- 1481Construction of Blue Mosque
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 500sRise of medieval music
- from 8th century to 9th centuryRise of Carolingian Renaissance
- c. 1010sMurasaki Shikibu writes The Tale of Genji
- from 1140 to 1530Gothic art
- 1400Rise of Renaissance music
- c. 1490sThe Last Supper
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.