Defeat of the Invincible Armada by the English Shakespeare writes Richard III Cervantes writes Don Quixote Galileo invents the telescope Start of the reign of Louis XIV Denis Papin constructs the first steam engine Daniel Defoe writes Robinson Crusoe Seven Years’ War The Second Continental Congress declares the independence of the USA Outbreak of the French Revolution Battles of Trafalgar and Austerlitz Battle of Austerlitz Argentina achieves independence Greece achieves independence Death of Napoleon Bonaparte Champollion deciphers hieroglyphics Victoria is crowned Queen of England Alexandre Dumas publishes The Three Musketeers Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto Darwin - On the Origin of Species Outbreak of the American Civil War Tolstoy begins publication of War and Peace Abolition of slavery in the USA Verdi's opera Aida is staged in Cairo Bell invents the telephone Construction of the first electric locomotive by Siemens Wagner writes Parsifal Construction of the first skyscraper in Chicago Karl Benz invents the first petrol-powered vehicle Lumiére Brothers – 1st cinema projection Bayer invents aspirin Einstein - Theory of Relativity Proclamation of the Republic of China Sinking of the Titanic First World War Russian Revolution Women granted the right to vote in the USA Hitler becomes the leader of the Nazi Party First broadcasting of images by television Chang-Kai-Check reunifies China The start of sound film Walt Disney creates Mickey Mouse Black Thursday on Wall Street Soviet Union – Stalin becomes undisputed leader Creation of the electronic microscope Hitler becomes leader of German Reich Start of the Spanish Civil War Second World War First computer – ENIAC Establishment of the People’s Republic of China Death of Stalin Signing of the Treaty of Rome - creation of the EEC Construction of the Berlin Wall The USA intervenes in Vietnam Fall of the Berlin Wall Outbreak of the Gulf War 2001 11 September Economic crisis