Directory

1507 CE

A year defined by the publication of the Waldseemuller map naming the New World 'America,' the growing power of the Safavid and Ottoman empires, and the continuing expansion of European maritime exploration and trade.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Afonso de Albuquerque arrived in the Indian Ocean with a Portuguese fleet, beginning a career that would transform Portuguese strategy from trade to territorial conquest.
  • The Mamluk Sultanate prepared a naval response to Portuguese encroachments in the Indian Ocean, assembling a fleet at Suez to challenge Portuguese dominance.

Conflict & Security

  • Afonso de Albuquerque conducted military operations along the coast of Oman and the Persian Gulf, attacking Hormuz and asserting Portuguese control over the strategic strait.
  • The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt commissioned a fleet to be built at Suez, planning a naval expedition to challenge Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean.
  • Maximilian I's attempted march on Rome was halted by Venetian forces at the passes of the Alps, preventing the emperor from reaching Italy to receive his crown.
  • Cesare Borgia was killed in March while fighting in a siege at Viana in Navarre, ending the life of one of the most notorious military and political figures of the era.

Economy & Finance

  • The construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome continued to require massive funding, with the papacy increasingly relying on the sale of indulgences to finance the project.
  • Sugar cultivation in the Portuguese Atlantic islands and the emerging Brazilian settlements attracted investment, with the commodity becoming increasingly important in European markets.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Martin Waldseemuller published his 'Universalis Cosmographia' map in April, a landmark work that for the first time used the name 'America' to describe the New World.
  • Bramante continued work on the design of the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, employing innovative engineering solutions for the massive domed structure.

Science & Discovery

  • Martin Waldseemuller and Matthias Ringmann published their map and accompanying book 'Cosmographiae Introductio,' which applied the name 'America' to the newly discovered continent based on Amerigo Vespucci's accounts.
  • Portuguese navigators continued to explore the islands and coastlines of Southeast Asia, charting the Spice Islands and expanding European knowledge of the region.
  • Nicolaus Copernicus continued his astronomical work in Frombork, developing the observations and calculations that would inform his heliocentric theory.

Climate & Environment

  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 273 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.

Culture & Society

  • The publication of the Waldseemuller map, naming the New World 'America' after Amerigo Vespucci, represented a landmark moment in European understanding of global geography.
  • Cesare Borgia's death in March at Viana ended a controversial career that had embodied the ruthless political ambition and military adventurism of Renaissance Italy.
  • The High Renaissance in Italy reached its peak, with Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael all active and producing works of enduring significance.
  • The estimated global population was approximately 486 million people, with the largest concentrations in China, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe.