Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage:
- Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain with five ships on September 20, 1519, aiming to find a western route to the Spice Islands (present-day Indonesia).
- This expedition became the first to circumnavigate the globe, although Magellan himself didn't complete the journey as he was killed in the Philippines in 1521.
Spanish Conquest of Mexico:
- Hernán Cortés, leading a small group of Spanish conquistadors, arrived in Mexico in 1519.
- They forged alliances with indigenous groups discontent with the Aztec Empire and ultimately succeeded in conquering the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in 1521.
German Renaissance:
- 1519 is traditionally regarded as the starting year of the German Renaissance, during which notable cultural and intellectual developments took place, including contributions to art, literature, music, and the sciences.
The Protestant Reformation:
- Ulrich Zwingli began preaching ideas related to Protestant beliefs in Zurich, Switzerland, marking the formal beginning of the Swiss Reformation within the broader context of the wider European Protestant Reformation.