During the Renaissance, this German priest published his "96 Theses," which detailed a list of problems within the Catholic Church. This lead to the birth of the Protestant Reformation

The largest literary figure of the English Renaissance. He introduced over 1,700 words to the English language that are still used today and is known for his poems and plays such as Macbeth and Hamlet.

Probably one the most powerful men in Italy during the Renaissance, he was a politician, businessman, and de facto ruler of Florence. He was a patron of many of the great artists and scholars of the era including Botticelli and Michelangelo

Astronomer, physicist and engineer, this man is known as "the father of observational astronomy." After developing an advanced telescope he wrote a book about his discoveries and stating that the Sun is the center of the solar system.

This Italian man was an architecture, painter, and sculptor. A rival of Leonardo da Vinci he is best known for the Sistine Chapel and David.

One of the most important inventions of the Renaissance was this device that allowed for mass communication and an explosion in written books. It was created by Johannes Guttenberg in 1440.

This man was a polymath, engineer and painter among other things. Some of his works include the Vitruvian man, a flying machine and The Last Supper.

This Italian was a diplomat, historian, but most notably a political philosopher. After the Medici family retook Florence, he was tortured and banished by them, but then dedicated his greatest work, the Prince, to Lorenzo de Medici.

With Michelangelo and Da Vinci, this painter and architect is part of "The Trinity" of great Renaissance masters. He was a patron of the Catholic church. Some of his greatest works include the Sistine Madonna and the School of Athens.

Born in Prussia, in what is now modern day Poland, he was interested in math and physics. His works and astronomical observations led him to believe the sun was at the center of the solar system, which he published in a book while dying.

This Frenchman was a mathematician, scientist and philosopher. He was one of the founders of rationalism, believed in a mind-body connection, and famously stated "I think therefore I am."

Probably one of the best known people of the "Age of Exploration." This man set sail to look for a route to India, but ended up finding the Bahamas and the New World