What are the 12 most important events in world history after 1500?

"The Age of Exploration and the subsequent colonization of much of the world was an ongoing project for several hundred years. Islands were still being discovered in the late 1700s. Actual colonization did not end until the last few countries in Africa gained their independence from European powers in the 1960s. The significance of all this activity is that European culture and technology was suddenly spread throughout the world. Events occurring in Europe could affect events around the world and vice versa."