Special Sub-Topic: European History, 16th century Click Here To Play: European History, 16th century

When did Martin Luther nail his "Ninety-Five Theses" on to the door of the main church in Wittenberg?

1517. The "theses" were essentially a list a propositions (including grievances) for public debate. This action of his sparked off what was to become the Reformation.

When did Elizabeth I reign in England?

1558-1603. Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, succeeded her half-sister, Mary Tudor (known as Bloody Mary for her sweeping persecution of Protestants), and was in turn succeeded by her cousin Mary Stuart's son, James (I of England, VI of Scotland), whose accession to the English throne was the stepping stone to the unification of England and Scotland.

Sri Lanka, discovered by Westerners in the 16th century, has been under all but one of these countries' rule. Choose the country that has not ruled Sri Lanka.

Spain. Sri Lanka was first colonized by the Portuguese, whose interest in the country derived from its value in the spice {trade;} Sri Lanka was made a crown colony of Britain in 1798, and renamed Ceylon until a new constitution in 1972 (some 24 years after the island's independence) changed the name.

Who succeeded Henry VIII to the throne of England?

Edward VI. Edward was a sickly youth when he ascended to the throne, and he died in 1553.

To whom was Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary) married?

Philip II of Spain. Mary was married to Philip, a Catholic monarch like herself, by proxy, from 1554 to 1558, but only met him briefly in all that time.

What nationality was the astrologer Nostradamus?

French. Few of Nostradamus's predictions have verifiably come true, but there have been some remarkable coincidences culled from among his writings.

What is a two-dimensional world map giving longitude and latitude measurements called?

Mercator projection. Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594), a Flemish geographer, mathematician and cartographer, developed this map, which simplified navigation immensely.

Where was the first English colony established, in the New World?

Roanoke Island. Sir Walter Raleigh established the first English colony, on Roanoke Island, naming the territory Virginia, after Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.

Who first published the 'theory' that the planets revolve around the sun, rather than the universe centering around the Earth?

Nikolaus Copernicus. Copernicus only published his theory at his deathbed, fearing excommunication or charges of heresy earlier in his life. He was Galileo's greatest inspiration.

Whose was the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe?

Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan himself never made it around the world, as he was killed by natives in the Philippines while trying to convert them to Christianity. It was at the conclusion of his expedition in Spain, however, that time zones were discovered, when the ship's log was a day ahead of the calendars checked upon arrival at court.