A Biblical Timeline
A BIBLICAL TIMELINE
The following chart is intended to help identify the major landmarks leading to the production of the King James Bible. It is not intended to be exhaustive, but simply to help locate some of the major events that led to the production of this work, and which affected its early reception.
1456 Johannes Gutenberg produces the first printed Bible, in Latin
1509 Henry VIII becomes king of England
1516 Erasmus publishes first printed Greek New Testament
1517 Indulgence controversy; Martin Luther posts the Ninety-Five Theses
1520 Luther publishes The Appeal to the German Nobility, demanding that lay people be allowed to read the Bible for themselves
1521 Diet of Worms; Luther works on translating the New Testament
1522 Luther publishes German translation of the New Testament
1525 William Tyndale's first attempt to publish the New Testament in English is thwarted by Cochlaeus
1526 The first complete English edition of the New Testament is published by William Tyndale in Worms
1530 Tyndale publishes his translation of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament)
1531 Tyndale publishes his translation of Jonah
1532 Thomas Cranmer appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
1534 Henry enacts Supremacy and Uniformity Acts
1535 Coverdale Bible published—first complete English Bible. Execution of Sir Thomas More (July). City of Geneva declares itself to be a Protestant republic
1536 Dissolution of the monasteries; John Calvin arrives in Geneva; William Tyndale executed (October)
1537 Matthew's Bible published
1539 Great Bible published
1540 Execution of Thomas Cromwell, advocate of Protestant ideas and champion of English translations of the Bible
1547 Death of Henry VIII; succeeded by Edward VI
1553 Death of Edward VI; succeeded by Mary Tudor. English Protestants begin to seek refuge in Europe, including Geneva
1556 Execution of Thomas Cranmer
1557 Publication of William Whittingham's Geneva New Testament
1558 Death of Mary Tudor; succeeded by Elizabeth I
1559 Elizabethan “Settlement of Religion.” Religious refugees begin to return to England from their exile in Europe
1560 Geneva Bible published
1568 Bishops' Bible published
1569 Geneva Bible published in Scotland
1571 Every cathedral ordered to set up a Bishops' Bible for regular use
1582 Douai-Rheims New Testament published
1583 John Whitgift appointed archbishop of Canterbury
1587 Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
1588 English navy defeats Spanish Armada
1603 Elizabeth I dies; succeeded by James VI of Scotland
1604 Hampton Court Conference, which took decision to publish new English translation of the Bible; death of John Whitgift, archbishop of Canterbury; succeeded by Richard Bancroft
1609 Publication begins of the Douai-Rheims Old Testament; completed 1610
1610 Final editing of new Bible translation; death of Richard Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury
1611 Publication of the King James Bible
1618 Thirty Years War breaks out
1625 Death of James I; succeeded by Charles I
1642 English civil war breaks out
1648 Charles I defeated
1649 Execution of Charles I
1653 Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England
1658 Death of Cromwell
1660 Restoration of the monarchy; return of Charles II to England
1662 Act of Uniformity; Book of Common Prayer
1675 King James Bible published by Cambridge University Press