The 15th century was the

century A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...

which spans the

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

dates from 1 January

1401 Year 1401 ( MCDI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 6 – Rupert, King of Germany, is crowned King of the Romans at Cologne. * ...

( MCDI) to 31 December

1500 Year 1500 (Roman numerals, MD) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The year 1500 was not a leap year in the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. The year was seen as being especially important by many Christians in Europe, ...

( MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period. Many technological, social and cultural developments of the 15th century can in retrospect be seen as heralding the " European miracle" of the following centuries. The architectural perspective, and the modern fields which are known today as banking and

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...

were founded in Italy. The

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

ended with a decisive

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

victory over the English in the Battle of Castillon. Financial troubles in England following the conflict resulted in the Wars of the Roses, a series of dynastic wars for the throne of England. The conflicts ended with the defeat of

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

by Henry VII at the

Battle of Bosworth Field The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Augu ...

, establishing the Tudor dynasty in the later part of the century. Constantinople, known as the capital of the world and the capital of the Byzantine Empire (today's Turkey), fell to the emerging Muslim

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

, marking the end of the tremendously influential Byzantine Empire and, for some historians, the end of the Middle Ages. This led to the migration of

Greek scholars Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

and texts to Italy, while

Johannes Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and Artisan, craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable type, movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its ki ...

's invention of a mechanical movable type began the printing press. These two events played key roles in the development of the Renaissance.Encyclopædia Britannica, ''Renaissance'', 2008, O.Ed. The Roman

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

was split in two parts in Europe for decades (the so-called Western Schism), until the

Council of Constance The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the res ...

. The division of the Catholic Church and the unrest associated with the Hussite movement would become factors in the rise of the Protestant Reformation in the following century. Islamic Spain became dissolved through the Christian Reconquista, followed by the

forced conversions Forced conversion is the adoption of a different religion or the adoption of irreligion under duress. Someone who has been forced to convert to a different religion or irreligion may continue, covertly, to adhere to the beliefs and practices which ...

and the

Muslim rebellion Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraham ...

, ending over seven centuries of

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

rule and returning southern Spain to Christian rulers. The search for the wealth and prosperity of India's

Bengal Sultanate The Sultanate of Bengal ( Middle Bengali: শাহী বাঙ্গালা ''Shahī Baṅgala'', Classical Persian: ''Saltanat-e-Bangālah'') was an empire based in Bengal for much of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was the dominan ...

led to the colonization of the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and the Portuguese voyages by

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...

, which linked Europe with the Indian subcontinent, ushering the period of Iberian empires. In Asia, the Timurid Empire collapsed and the Afghan Pashtun Lodi dynasty took control of the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

. Under the rule of the Yongle Emperor, who built the Forbidden City and commanded Zheng He to explore the world overseas, the Ming dynasty's territory reached its pinnacle. In Africa, the spread of Islam led to the destruction of the Christian kingdoms of Nubia, by the end of the century, leaving only Alodia (which was to collapse in 1504). The formerly vast

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...

teetered on the brink of collapse, under pressure from the rising

Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...

. In the

, both the

Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire or the Triple Alliance ( nci, Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ was an alliance of three Nahua peoples, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states ruled ...

and the Inca Empire reached the peak of their influence, but the European colonization of the Americas changed the course of modern history.

Events

1401–1409

: Dilawar Khan establishes the Malwa Sultanate in present-day central India. *

1402 Year 1402 ( MCDII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 29 – King Jogaila of the Poland–Lithuania Union answers the rumblings a ...

: Ottoman and Timurid Empires fight at the Battle of Ankara resulting in the capture of Bayezid I by Timur. *

: Sultanate of Malacca founded by Parameswara. *

: The settlement of the Canary Islands signals the beginning of the Spanish Empire. *

1403 Year 1403 ( MCDIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January / February – Treaty of Gallipoli: Süleyman Çelebi makes wide-ranging c ...

–

1413 Year 1413 ( MCDXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 21 – Henry V becomes King of England following the death of his father Henry ...

: Ottoman Interregnum, a civil war between the four sons of Bayezid I. *

: The Yongle Emperor moves the capital of China from Nanjing to Beijing. *

1404 Year 1404 (Roman numerals, MCDIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * April or May – Battle of Blackpool Sands: Local English forces defea ...

–

1406 Year 1406 ( MCDVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * April 4 – James I becomes King of Scotland, after having been captured by Henry IV ...

: Regreg War,

Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...

civil war of secession between Wikramawardhana against Wirabhumi. *

1405 Year 1405 ( MCDV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1405th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 405th year of the 2nd millennium, the 5th year ...

: The Sultanate of Sulu is established by Sharif ul-Hāshim. *

–

1433 Year 1433 ( MCDXXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * May 31 – Sigismund is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. There has been no ...

: During the Ming treasure voyages, Admiral Zheng He of China sails through the Indian Ocean to Malacca, India, Ceylon, Persia, Arabia, and East Africa to spread China's influence and sovereignty. The first voyage, a massive Ming dynasty naval expedition ending in 1407, visited Java, Palembang, Malacca, Aru, Samudera and Lambri. *

1408 Year 1408 ( MCDVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 19 – Battle of Bramham Moor: A royalist army defeats the last remnants of ...

: The last recorded event to occur in the Norse settlements of Greenland was a wedding in Hvalsey in the Eastern Settlement in 1408.

1410s The 1410s decade ran from January 1, 1410, to December 31, 1419. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1410s ...

1410 Year 1410 ( MCDX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 25 – The first of the Yongle Emperor's campaigns against the Mongols is ...

: The Battle of Grunwald is the decisive battle of the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War leading to the downfall of the Teutonic Knights. *

–

: Foundation of St Andrews University in Scotland. *

1415 Year 1415 ( MCDXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * April 30 – Frederick I becomes Elector of Brandenburg. * June 5 – The Coun ...

: The last Welsh war of independence, led by

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

. *

1414 Year 1414 ( MCDXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 7 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will ...

: Khizr Khan, deputised by Timur to be the governor of Multan, takes over Delhi founding the Sayyid dynasty. *

Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...

leads the

conquest of Ceuta The conquest of Ceuta by the Portuguese on 21 August 1415 marks an important step in the beginning of the Portuguese Empire in Africa. History In 711, shortly after the Arab conquest of North Africa, the city of Ceuta was used as a stagin ...

from the Moors marking the beginning of the Portuguese Empire. *

Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...

fought between the Kingdom of England and France. *

: Jan Hus is burned at the stake as a heretic at the

. *

1417 Year 1417 ( MCDXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * June 29 – An English fleet, led by the Earl of Huntingdon, defeats a fleet of Ge ...

: A large goodwill mission led by three kings of Sulu, the ''Eastern King''

Paduka Pahala Paduka Pahala (died 1417) was East King of Sulu, most famous for being the first king from the area of the modern day Philippines to be buried in China. He ruled one of the three Kingdoms on Sulu during his time. Journey to China and Demise of ...

, the ''Western king'' Maharaja Kolamating and ''Cave king'' Paduka Prabhu as well as 340 members of their delegation, in what is now the southern Philippines, ploughed through the Pacific Ocean to China to pay tribute to the Yongle emperor of the Ming Dynasty. *

: The East king of Sulu,

, on their way home, suddenly died in Dezhou, a city in east China's Shandong province. The Yongle Emperor Zhu Di commissioned artisans to build a tomb for the king. *

1419 Year 1419 ( MCDXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 19 – Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, which br ...

–

: The

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

1420s The 1420s decade ran from January 1, 1420, to December 31, 1429. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1420s ...

1420 Year 1420 ( MCDXX) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March – The Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Mosque in Didymoteicho is inaugurated. * May 21 &nd ...

: Construction of the Chinese Forbidden City is completed in Beijing. *

1424 Year 1424 ( MCDXXIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * June 2 – Battle of L'Aquila: Jacopo Caldora and Micheletto Attendolo, for the Ki ...

: James I returns to Scotland after being held hostage under three Kings of England since

. *

: Deva Raya II succeeds his father

Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya ( Bukka Raya IV, Vijaya Raya) (1371–1426 CE) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire of the Sangama Dynasty. Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya was the son of Deva Raya I and succeeded his brother, Ramachandra Raya, in 1422 as t ...

as monarch of the Vijayanagara Empire. *

1425 Year 1425 ( MCDXXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events * November 9 – Kale Kye-Taung Nyo becomes King of Ava by having his lover, Queen Shin Bo-Me, assassinate h ...

: Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) founded by

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...

. *

1427 Year 1427 ( MCDXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January – Spring – Radu II of Wallachia resumes the throne for the four ...

: Reign of Itzcoatl begins as the fourth '' tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan and the first emperor of the

. *

1429 Year 1429 ( MCDXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 12 – Battle of Rouvray (or "of the Herrings"): English forces under ...

: Joan of Arc ends the

Siege of Orléans The siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) was the watershed of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war. The city held strategic and ...

and turns the tide of the

. *

: Queen

Suhita Suhita or Soheeta (died 1447), was a Javanese queen regnant and the sixth monarch of the Majapahit empire, ruling from 1429 to 1447. She was the daughter of Wikramawardhana, her predecessor, by a concubine who was the daughter of Wirabhumi, who ...

succeeds her father Wikramawardhana as ruler of

.Ricklefs (1991), page 18.

1430s The 1430s decade ran from January 1, 1430, to December 31, 1439. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1430s 1430s ...

1430 Year 1430 ( MCDXXX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 7 – Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, marries Isabella of Portugal. * Ja ...

Rajah Lontok Rajah Lontok (Baybayin: ᜎᜓᜈ᜔ᜆᜓᜃ᜔) (r. 1430–1450) was the husband and co-regent of Dayang Kalangitan of the indianized Kingdom of Tondo and Namayan. See also *History of the Philippines *Kingdom of Tondo *Kingdom of Maynila ...

and Dayang Kalangitan become co-regent rulers of the ancient kingdom of Tondo. *

1431 Year 1431 ( MCDXXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 9 – Pretrial investigations for Joan of Arc begin at Rouen in France, ...

9 January Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. *1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the J ...

– Pretrial investigations for Joan of Arc begin in

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

, France under English occupation. **

3 March Events Pre-1600 * 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Emperor Shōmu, Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japa ...

– Pope Eugene IV succeeds

, to become the 207th pope. **

26 March Events Pre-1600 * 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. * 1021 – On the feast of Eid al-Adha, the death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret for six weeks, is ...

– The

trial of Joan of Arc Joan of Arc was a young French woman who said she had been sent to help Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War, which led to her capture by the English-allied Burgundians during the siege of Compiègne in 1430. She was sold to the English ...

begins. **

30 May Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...

– Nineteen-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake. **

16 June Events Pre-1600 * 363 – Emperor Julian marches back up the Tigris and burns his fleet of supply ships. During the withdrawal, Roman forces suffer several attacks from the Persians. * 632 – Yazdegerd III ascends the throne as king ...

– the Teutonic Knights and Švitrigaila sign the Treaty of Christmemel, creating anti-Polish alliance ** September – Battle of Inverlochy: Donald Balloch defeats the Royalists. **

30 October Events Pre-1600 * 637 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Antioch surrenders to the Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of the Iron Bridge. * 758 – Guangzhou is sacked by Arab and Persian pirates. *1137 – Ranulf of Apulia defeats Roger ...

– Treaty of Medina del Campo, consolidating peace between Portugal and Castille. **

16 December Events Pre-1600 * 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. * 75 ...

–

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English thron ...

is crowned King of France. *

1438 Year 1438 ( MCDXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 1 – Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Hungary. * January 9 &nd ...

Pachacuti Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui ( qu, Pachakutiq Inka Yupanki) was the ninth Sapa Inca (1418–1471/1472) of the Kingdom of Cusco which he transformed into the Inca Empire ( qu, Tawantinsuyu). Most archaeologists now believe that the famous Inca si ...

founds the Inca Empire.

1440s The 1440s decade ran from January 1, 1440, to December 31, 1449. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1440s ...

Detail of The Emperor's Approach, Xuande period

1440 Events January–December * February 21 – The Prussian Confederation is formed. * April 9 – Christopher of Bavaria is elected King of Denmark. * April – Murad II lays siege to Belgrade. The city is heavily damaged, but the defende ...

: Eton College founded by Henry VI. *

1440s The 1440s decade ran from January 1, 1440, to December 31, 1449. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1440s ...

: The Golden Horde breaks up into the Siberia Khanate, the Khanate of Kazan, the Astrakhan Khanate, the Crimean Khanate, and the Great Horde. *

–

1469 Year 1469 ( MCDLXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 4 – Battle of Qarabagh: Uzun Hasan decisively defeats the Timurids of ...

: Under Moctezuma I, the Aztecs become the dominant power in Mesoamerica. *

Oba Ewuare Ewuare (also Ewuare the Great or Ewuare I) was the Oba (king) of the Benin Empire from 1440 until 1473. Ewuare became king in a violent coup against his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed much of Benin City. After the war, Ewuare rebuilt much ...

comes to power in the West African city of Benin, and turns it into an empire. *

: Reign of Moctezuma I begins as the fifth '' tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan and emperor of the

. *

1441 Events January–December * February – The Republic of Venice annexes the seigniory of Ravenna, ending the da Polenta Dynasty. * February 12 – King's College, Cambridge, is founded by King Henry VI of England. * March 1 – Battle o ...

Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. Ac ...

, Flemish painter, dies. *

: Portuguese navigators cruise West Africa and reestablish the

European slave trade Slavery in Europe may refer to: * Atlantic slave trade (involving Europe) * Slavery in medieval Europe * Slavery in modern Europe Human trafficking in Europe is a regional phenomenon of the wider practice of trade in humans for the purposes of vari ...

with a shipment of

African slaves Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were common in parts of Africa in ancient times, as they were in much of the rest of the ancient world. When the trans-Saharan slave trade, Indian Ocean sl ...

sent directly from Africa to Portugal. *

: A civil war between the

Tutul Xiues Tutul-Xiu, also Tutul Xiues or Mani, was the name of a Mayan chiefdom of the central Yucatán Peninsula with capital in Maní, before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century. Earlier history In later accounts the C ...

and Cocom breaks out in the League of Mayapan. As a consequence, the league begins to disintegrate. *

1442 Year 1442 ( MCDXLII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 18– 25 – Battle of Hermannstadt: John Hunyadi defeats an army of the ...

: Leonardo Bruni defines Middle Ages and Modern times. *

1443 Year 1443 ( MCDXLIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * July 22 – Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl (Old Zürich War): The forces of the ...

: Abdur Razzaq visits India. *

: King Sejong the Great publishes the hangul, the native phonetic alphabet system for the Korean language. *

1444 Year 1444 ( MCDXLIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+(-100(C)+500(D))+(-10(X)+50(L))+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1444. ...

: The

Albanian league The League of Prizren ( sq, Besëlidhja e Prizrenit), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation ( sq, Lidhja për mbrojtjen e të drejtave te kombit Shqiptar), was an Albanian political organization which was offic ...

is established in Lezha, Skanderbeg is elected leader. A war begins against the Ottoman Empire. An Albanian state is set up and lasts until

1479 Year 1479 ( MCDLXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). Events January–December * January 20 – Ferdinand II ascends the throne of Aragon, and rules together wit ...

. *

: Ottoman Empire under

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

Murad II defeats the

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

and Hungarian armies under Władysław III of Poland and János Hunyadi at the Battle of Varna. *

1445 Year 1445 ( MCDXLV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * October 10 – Battle of Mokra: The Albanian forces under Skanderbeg defeat the Ott ...

: The Kazan Khanate defeats the

Grand Duchy of Moscow The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...

at the Battle of Suzdal. *

1446 Year 1446 (Roman numerals, MCDXLVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+(-100(C)+500(D))+(-10(X)+50(L))+5( ...

Mallikarjuna Raya Mallikarjuna Raya (or Deva Raya III) (born 1420, r. 1446–1465 CE) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty. Mallikarjuna Raya succeeded his father Deva Raya II, who had brought prosperity throughout the Vijayanagara e ...

succeeds his father Deva Raya II as monarch of the Vijayanagara Empire. *

1447 Year 1447 (Roman numerals, MCDXLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 6 – Pope Nicholas V succeeds Pope Eugene IV, to become the 2 ...

: Wijaya Parakrama Wardhana, succeeds

as ruler of Majapahit. *

1449 Year 1449 (Roman numerals, MCDXLIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 6 – Constantine XI Palaiologos is crowned Byzantine Emp ...

: Saint Srimanta Sankardeva was born. *

: Esen Tayisi leads an Oirat Mongol invasion of China which culminate in the capture of the

Zhengtong Emperor Emperor Yingzong of Ming (; 29 November 1427 – 23 February 1464), personal name Zhu Qizhen (), was the sixth and eighth Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He ascended the throne as the Zhengtong Emperor () in 1435, but was forced to abdicate in 1 ...

Battle of Tumu Fortress The Crisis of the Tumu Fortress (), also known as the Tumu Crisis (; mn, Тумугийн тулалдаан), or the Jisi Incident (), was a frontier conflict between the Northern Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Oirat ruler of the Northern Yuan, ...

1450s The 1450s decade ran from January 1, 1450, to December 31, 1459. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1450s ...

1450s The 1450s decade ran from January 1, 1450, to December 31, 1459. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1450s ...

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...

constructed. *

1450 Year 1450 ( MCDL) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 7 – John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, marries Lady Margaret Beaufort ...

: Dayang Kalangitan became the Queen regnant of the ancient kingdom of Tondo that started Tondo's political dominance over Luzon. *

1451 Year 1451 ( MCDLI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 7 – Pope Nicholas V issues a Papal Bull to establish The University of Gla ...

: Bahlul Khan Lodhi ascends the throne of the

Delhi sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

starting the

Lodhi dynasty The Lodi dynasty ( ps, لودي سلسله; fa, سلسله لودی) was an Afghan dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi when h ...

: Rajasawardhana, born Bhre Pamotan, styled Brawijaya II succeeds Wijayaparakramawardhana as ruler of Majapahit. *

1453 Year 1453 ( MCDLIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar, the 1453rd year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 453rd year of the 2nd millennium, the 53rd year of the 15th century, and the 4 ...

: The

Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...

marks the end of the Byzantine Empire and the death of the last Roman Emperor Constantine XI and the beginning of the Classical Age of the Ottoman Empire. *

: The Battle of Castillon is the last engagement of the

and the first battle in European history where cannons were a major factor in deciding the battle. *

: Reign of Rajasawardhana ends. *

1454 Year 1454 ( MCDLIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 4 – Thirteen Years' War: The Secret Council of the Prussian Confederatio ...

–

1466 Year 1466 (Roman numerals, MCDLXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+(-100(C)+500(D))+50(L)+10(X)+5(V) ...

: After defeating the Teutonic Knights in the Thirteen Years' War, Poland annexes Royal Prussia. *

1455 Year 1455 (Roman numerals, MCDLV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 8 – Pope Nicholas V publishes ''Romanus Pontifex'', an e ...

–

1485 Year 1485 ( MCDLXXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * Spring – Multiple earthquakes occur near Taishan, China. * March 16 – A ...

: Wars of the Roses – English civil war between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. *

1456 Year 1456 ( MCDLVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * May 18 – Second Battle of Oronichea (1456): Ottoman Forces of 15,000 are sent t ...

: Joan of Arc is posthumously acquitted of heresy by the Catholic Church, redeeming her status as the heroine of France. *

: The Siege of Belgrade halts the Ottomans' advance into Europe. *

: Girishawardhana, styled Brawijaya III, becomes ruler of Majapahit. *

1457 Year 1457 ( MCDLVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 11 – After years of captivity and absence from the Ming throne, the ...

: Construction of

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

begins.

1460s The 1460s decade ran from January 1, 1460, to December 31, 1469. Significant people * Charles I (the Bold) (1433–1477), Duke of Burgundy, r. 1467–1477 * Jean Fouquet of France (1420–1481), painter * Francis II (1433–1488), Duke of Brit ...

1461 Year 1461 ( MCDLXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 2 – Battle of Mortimer's Cross: Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of Y ...

: The League of Mayapan disintegrates. The league is replaced by seventeen Kuchkabal. *

: The city of Sarajevo is founded by the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

. *

: **

2 February Events Pre-1600 * 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law". * 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...

– Battle of Mortimer's Cross: Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son

Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford (November 143121/26 December 1495), was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and a leading architect of his nephew's successful accession to the throne in 1485. He was from the noble Tudor family of Penmynydd i ...

in Wales. **

17 February Events Pre-1600 *1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau. *1411 – Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of B ...

–

Second Battle of St Albans The Second Battle of St Albans was fought on 17 February 1461 during the Wars of the Roses in England. It took place at St Albans in Hertfordshire, the first battle having been fought in 1455. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of W ...

, England: The Earl of Warwick's army is defeated by a Lancastrian force under Queen Margaret, who recovers control of her husband. **

4 March Events Pre-1600 *AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title ''princeps iuventutis'' (head of the youth). * 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. * 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a statute, ...

– The Duke of York seizes London and proclaims himself King

Edward IV of England Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

. **

5 March Events Pre-1600 * 363 – Roman emperor Julian leaves Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sasanian Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death. * 1046 – Nasir Khusraw begins the seven-year Middle Eastern ...

–

is deposed by the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

during

war of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...

. **

29 March Events Pre-1600 * 845 – Paris is Siege of Paris (845), sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving. *1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II Siege of Thessalonica (14 ...

– Battle of Towton: Edward IV defeats Queen Margaret to make good his claim to the English throne (thought to be the bloodiest battle ever fought in England). **

28 June Events Pre-1600 * 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch. * 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II. * 1461 – ...

– Edward, Richard of York's son, is crowned as

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

, King of England (reigns until

1483 Year 1483 ( MCDLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 1 – The Jews are expelled from Andalusia. * February 11 – Th ...

). ** July – Byzantine general

Graitzas Palaiologos Konstantinos Graitzas Palaiologos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Γραίτζας Παλαιολόγος) was the commander of the Byzantine garrison at Salmeniko Castle near Patras during the invasion of the Despotate of Morea by the forces of Mehm ...

honourably surrenders

Salmeniko Castle The Salmeniko Castle ( el, Κάστρο του Σαλμενίκου, ''Kastro tou Salmenikou'') or Orgia or Oria Castle (Κάστρο Οργιάς/Ωριάς, cf. '' Kastro tis Orias'') was a castle at the foot of Panachaiko mountain, in the mode ...

, last garrison of the Despotate of the Morea, to invading forces of the Ottoman Empire after a year-long siege. **

22 July Events Pre-1600 * 838 – Battle of Anzen: The Byzantine emperor Theophilos suffers a heavy defeat by the Abbasids. * 1099 – First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of ...

–

Louis XI of France Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revo ...

succeeds

Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...

as king (reigns until

). *

1462 Year 1462 ( MCDLXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 27 – Ivan III of Russia becomes the ruler of Russia, following the death ...

Sonni Ali Ber Sunni Ali, also known as Si Ali, Sunni Ali Ber (Ber meaning "the Great"), was born in Ali Kolon. He reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first king of the Songhai Empire, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty. ...

, the ruler of the Songhai (or Songhay) Empire, along the Niger River, conquers Mali in the central

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

by defeating the Tuareg contingent at Tombouctou (or Timbuktu) and capturing the city. He develops both his own capital,

Gao Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley. For much of its history Gao was an impor ...

, and the main centres of Mali, Timbuktu and

Djenné Djenné ( Bambara: ߘߖߋߣߣߋ tr. Djenne; also known as Djénné, Jenné and Jenne) is a Songhai people town and an urban commune in the Inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. The town is the administrative centre of the Djenné Cercle, on ...

, into major cities. Ali Ber controls trade along the Niger River with a navy of war vessels. *

: Mehmed the Conqueror is driven back by Wallachian prince Vlad III Dracula at

The Night Attack ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

. *

1464 Year 1464 (Roman numerals, MCDLXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+(-100(C)+500(D))+50(L)+10(X)+(-1(I)+5(V ...

secretly marries

Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...

. *

1465 Year 1465 ( MCDLXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 24 – Chilia is conquered by Stephen the Great of Moldavia, following a s ...

: The

1465 Moroccan revolt The 1465 Moroccan revolution was a popular uprising in the city of Fez—then capital of Morocco—against Sultan Abd al-Haqq II, the last ruler of the Marinid dynasty, and his Jewish vizier Harun ibn Batash. Morocco was in severe crisis in the ...

ends in the murder of the last Marinid Sultan of Morocco

Abd al-Haqq II Abd al-Haqq II () (Abd al-Haqq ibn Uthman Abu Muhammad; 1419 – 14 August 1465) was Marinid Sultan of Morocco from 1420 to 1465. Life Abd al-Haqq II was made sultan in 1420 under the regency of a Wattasid ''vizier'', and later was nominal ...

. *

: Singhawikramawardhana, succeeds Girishawardhana as ruler of Majapahit. *

1467 Year 1467 ( MCDLXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * June 15 – Philip the Good is succeeded as Duke of Burgundy, by Charles the Bo ...

: Uzun Hasan defeats the

Black Sheep Turkoman The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu ( az, Qaraqoyunlular , fa, قره قویونلو), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate society, Persianate, Muslims, Muslim Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also ...

leader Jahān Shāh. *

–1615: The Sengoku period is one of civil war in Japan. *

: The marriage of

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...

and

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as List of Aragonese royal consorts, Queen consort ...

leads to the unification of Spain.

: Matthias Corvinus of Hungary conquers some parts of

. *

: Birth of Guru Nanak Dev. Beside followers of Sikhism, Guru Nanak is revered by Hindus and

Muslim Sufis Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

across the Indian subcontinent. *

: Reign of Axayacatl begins in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan as the sixth '' tlatoani'' and emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance.

1470s The 1470s decade ran from January 1, 1470, to December 31, 1479. Significant people References {{DEFAULTSORT:1470s ...

1470 Year 1470 ( MCDLXX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 12 – Wars of the Roses in England – Battle of Losecoat Field: The Ho ...

: The Moldavian forces under

Stephen the Great Stephen III of Moldavia, most commonly known as Stephen the Great ( ro, Ștefan cel Mare; ; died on 2 July 1504), was Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 ...

defeat the Tatars of the Golden Horde at the

Battle of Lipnic The Battle of Lipnic (or Lipnica, or Lipniţi) was a battle between the Moldavian forces under Stephen the Great, and the Volga Tatars of the Golden Horde led by Ahmed Khan, and which took place on the August 20, 1470. The battle In the summ ...

. *

1471 Year 1471 ( MCDLXXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January – Portuguese navigators João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar reach the g ...

: The kingdom of

Champa Champa (Cham: ꨌꩌꨛꨩ; km, ចាម្ប៉ា; vi, Chiêm Thành or ) were a collection of independent Cham polities that extended across the coast of what is contemporary central and southern Vietnam from approximately the 2nd cen ...

suffers a massive defeat by the Vietnamese king

Lê Thánh Tông Lê Thánh Tông (黎聖宗; 25 August 1442 – 3 March 1497), personal name Lê Hạo, temple name Thánh Tông, courtesy name Tư Thành, was an emperor of Đại Việt, reigning from 1460 to 1497, the fifth and the longest-reigning empe ...

. *

1472 Year 1472 ( MCDLXXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 20 – Orkney and Shetland are returned by Norway to Scotland, as a resul ...

Abu Abd Allah al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya Abu Abd Allah al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya () (also known as Abu Abdellah al-Shaykh Muhammad ben Yehya, Abu Abdallah Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya or Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sheikh) was the first Wattasid Sultan of Morocco and King of Fez between 1472 ...

becomes the first

Wattasid The Wattasid dynasty ( ber, Iweṭṭasen; ar, الوطاسيون, ''al-waṭṭāsīyūn'') was a ruling dynasty of Morocco. Like the Marinid dynasty, its rulers were of Zenata Berber descent. The two families were related, and the Marinids ...

Sultan of Morocco. *

1474 Year 1474 ( MCDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February – The Treaty of Utrecht puts an end to the Anglo-Hanseatic War. * Mar ...

–

1477 Year 1477 (Roman numerals, MCDLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 5 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold of Duchy of Burg ...

: Burgundy Wars of France,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, Lorraine and Sigismund II of Habsburg against the Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. *

1478 Year 1478 (Roman numerals, MCDLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 14 – Novgorod surrenders to Ivan III of Russia, Ivan ...

Muscovy Muscovy is an alternative name for the Grand Duchy of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721). It may also refer to: *Muscovy Company, an English trading company chartered in 1555 * Muscovy duck (''Cairina moschata'') and Domes ...

conquers

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...

. *

: Reign of Singhawikramawardhana ends. *

: The Great Mosque of Demak is the oldest mosque in Java, built by the

Wali Songo The Wali Songo (also transcribed as Wali Sanga) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word ''wali'' is Arabic for "trusted one" ("gua ...

during the reign of Sultan

Raden Patah Raden Patah, also known as Jin Bun ( jv, ꦫꦢꦺꦤ꧀ꦦꦠꦃ; zh, t=靳文, s=, p=Jìn wén)(1455 in Jepara – 1518 in Demak) is the first sultan of Demak Sultanate. He became sultan in 1475, but the sultanate remained a vassal of Maja ...

. *

Battle of Breadfield A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, Matthias Corvinus of Hungary defeated the Turks.

1480s The 1480s decade ran from January 1, 1480, to December 31, 1489. Significant people * Robert Henryson Robert Henryson (Middle Scots: Robert Henrysoun) was a poet who flourished in Scotland in the period c. 1460–1500. Counted among the Sc ...

1480 Year 1480 ( MCDLXXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 6 – Treaty of Toledo: Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain recognize the African ...

: After the

Great standing on the Ugra river The Great Stand on the Ugra River (russian: Великое cтояние на реке Угре, also russian: Угорщина, translit=Ugorshchina, derived from " Ugra") was a standoff between the forces of Akhmat Khan of the Great Horde, an ...

gained independence from the Great Horde. *

1481 Year 1481 ( MCDLXXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). Events January–December * May 3 ** The 1481 Rhodes earthquake, the largest of a series, strikes the island of R ...

: Spanish Inquisition begins in practice with the first '' auto-da-fé''. *

: Reign of Tizoc begins as the seventh '' tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan and the emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance. *

1482 Year 1482 ( MCDLXXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 19 – A Portuguese fleet, commanded by Diogo de Azambuja, arrives at th ...

: Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão becomes the first

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

to enter the

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

. *

: The Jews are expelled from Andalusia. *

: Pluto moves inside

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...

's orbit until July 23,

1503 __NOTOC__ Year 1503 ( MDIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 20 – Seville in Castile is awarded exclusive rights to trade wit ...

, according to modern orbital calculations. *

1484 Year 1484 ( MCDLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1484th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 484th year of the 2nd millennium, the 84th ye ...

: William Caxton, the first printer of books in English, prints his translation of '' Aesop's Fables'' in London. *

: Matthias Corvinus of Hungary captured Vienna,

Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III (German: ''Friedrich III,'' 21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 until his death. He was the fourth king and first emperor of the House of Habsburg. He was the penultimate emperor to be crown ...

ran away. *

: Henry VII defeats

at the Battle of Bosworth and becomes King of England. *

: Ivan III of Russia conquered Tver. *

Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya (or Saluva Narasimha, Saluva Narasimha I; 1431–1491 CE) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Saluva Dynasty. A patron of the Madhwa saint Sripadaraya, he authored the Sanskrit work ''Rama Bhyudayam''. He ...

drives out

Praudha Raya Praudha Raya (also known as Praudha Deva Raya IV) was a king of Vijayanagara Empire who ruled for a very short period of time but was overpowered and the control of the empire was taken over by his able commander Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya Sal ...

ending the Sangama Dynasty. *

1486 Year 1486 ( MCDLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full Julian calendar for the year). Events January–December * January 18 – King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York are married, uniting ...

: Sher Shah Suri, is born in Sasaram, Bihar. *

: Reign of

Ahuitzotl Ahuitzotl ( nah, āhuitzotl, ) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the '' Huey Tlatoani'' of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. His name literally means "Water Thorny" and was also applied to the otter. It is also theorized that mo ...

begins as the eighth '' tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan and emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance. *

1487 Year 1487 ( MCDLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 29 – Richard Foxe becomes Bishop of Exeter. * March – Sigismund ...

: Hongzhi Emperor ascends the throne, bringing Confucian ideology under his administration. *

1488 __NOTOC__ Year 1488 ( MCDLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 8 – The Royal Netherlands Navy is formed, by the decree of Maximillian of Austria. * February ...

: Portuguese Navigator

Bartolomeu Dias Bartolomeu Dias ( 1450 – 29 May 1500) was a Portuguese mariner and explorer. In 1488, he became the first European navigator to round the southern tip of Africa and to demonstrate that the most effective southward route for ships lay in the o ...

sails around the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

1490–1500

1492 Year 1492 ( MCDXCII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. 1492 is considered to be a significant year in the history of the West, Europe, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Spain, and the Ne ...

: The death of

Sunni Ali Ber Sunni Ali, also known as Si Ali, Sunni Ali Ber (Ber meaning "the Great"), was born in Ali Kolon. He reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first king of the Songhai Empire, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty. ...

left a leadership void in the

, and his son was soon dethroned by

Mamadou Toure Mamadou is a common given name in West Africa among predominantly Muslim ethnic groups such as the Mandé and Wolof people. It is a variant of the Arabic name Muhammad. Academics *Mamadou Diouf (historian), Senegalese professor of West African his ...

who ascended the throne in 1493 under the name

Askia Askia Muhammad I (b. 1443 – d. 1538), born Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Turi or Muhammad Ture, was the first ruler of the Askia dynasty of the Songhai Empire, reigning from 1493 to 1528. He is also known as Askia the Great, and his name in modern ...

(meaning "general") Muhammad. Askia Muhammad made Songhai the largest empire in the history of West Africa. The empire went into decline, however, after 1528, when the now-blind Askia Muhammad was dethroned by his son, Askia Musa. *

: Boabdil's surrender of

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

marks the end of the Spanish Reconquista and Al-Andalus. *

: Ferdinand and

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpora ...

sign the

Alhambra Decree The Alhambra Decree (also known as the Edict of Expulsion; Spanish: ''Decreto de la Alhambra'', ''Edicto de Granada'') was an edict issued on 31 March 1492, by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ( Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Arag ...

, expelling all Jews from Spain unless they convert to Catholicism; 40,000–200,000 leave. *

: Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas from Spain. *

1494 Year 1494 ( MCDXCIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 4 – The Cetinje Octoechos (Цетињски октоих, an Eastern O ...

: Spain and Portugal sign the

Treaty of Tordesillas The Treaty of Tordesillas, ; pt, Tratado de Tordesilhas . signed in Tordesillas, Spain on 7 June 1494, and authenticated in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Emp ...

and agree to divide the World outside of Europe between themselves. *

–1559: The Italian Wars lead to the downfall of the

Italian city-states The Italian city-states were numerous political and independent territorial entities that existed in the Italian Peninsula from the beginning of the Middle Ages until the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, which took place in 1861. After the ...

. *

1497 Year 1497 ( MCDXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 7 (Shrove Tuesday) – Followers of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of ...

–

1499 Year 1499 ( MCDXCIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 8 – Louis XII of France marries Anne of Brittany, in accordance with a l ...

's first voyage from Europe to India and back. *

: Ottoman fleet defeats Venetians at the

Battle of Zonchio The naval Battle of Zonchio ( tr, Sapienza Deniz Muharebesi, also known as the Battle of Sapienza or the First Battle of Lepanto) took place on four separate days: 12, 20, 22, and 25 August 1499. It was a part of the Ottoman–Venetian War of ...

. *

: University "Alcalá de Henares" in Madrid, Spain is built. *

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica is made in Rome *

: Islam becomes the dominant religion across the Indonesian archipelago. *

: Around late 15th century Bujangga Manik manuscript was composed, tell the story of Jaya Pakuan Bujangga Manik, a

Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...

Hindu hermit journeys throughout Java and Bali. *

Charles of Ghent Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fro ...

(future Lord of the Netherlands,

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

, Archduke of Austria, and

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

) was born. *

: Guru Nanak begins the spreading of Sikhism, the fifth-largest religion in the world. *

: Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón encounters Brazil but is prevented from claiming it by the

. *

: Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal. *

: The Ottoman fleet of Kemal Reis defeats the Venetians at the

Second Battle of Lepanto The Battle of Modon took place in August 1500 during the war of 1499–1503 between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. The Ottomans, who had won the Battle of Zonchio (First Battle of Lepanto / Battle of Sapienza) the previous year ...

Gallery

File:Masaccio, cappella brancacci, san pietro in cattedra. ritratto di filippo brunelleschi.jpg,

Filippo Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi ( , , also known as Pippo; 1377 – 15 April 1446), considered to be a founding father of Renaissance architecture, was an Italian architect, designer, and sculptor, and is now recognized to be the first modern engineer, p ...

(1377–1446), regarded as one of the greatest engineers and architects of all time File:Anonymous portrait of Johannes Gutenberg dated 1440, Gutenberg Museum.JPG,

(1400–1468), German inventor who introduced printing to Europe with his mechanical movable-type printing press File:Skanderbeg by Antonio Maria Crespi.jpg, Skanderbeg (1405–1468), who led the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman Empire File:Ivan III of Russia.jpg, Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Grand Prince of Moscow who ended the dominance of the Tatars in the lands of the Rus File:King Richard III from NPG.jpg,

Richard III of England Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

(1452–1485), the last king of the

House of York The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, ...

and the last of the

Plantagenet dynasty The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in batt ...

File:Henry Seven England.jpg,

King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufo ...

(1457–1509), the founder of the royal house of Tudor

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

* Renaissance affects

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

, science and art. * Rise of Modern English language from Middle English. * Introduction of the noon bell in the Catholic world. * Public banks. * Yongle Encyclopedia—over 22,000 volumes. * Hangul alphabet in Korea. *

Scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...

. * Psychiatric hospitals. * Development of the woodcut for printing between

1400 Year 1400 ( MCD) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The year 1400 was not a leap year in the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. Events January–December * Henry IV of England ...

–

. * Movable type first used by King Taejong of Joseon—

. (Movable type, which allowed individual characters to be arranged to form words, was invented in China by

Bi Sheng Bi Sheng (; 972–1051 AD) was a Chinese artisan, engineer, and inventor of the world's first movable type technology, with printing being one of the Four Great Inventions. Bi Sheng's system was made of Chinese porcelain and was invented betwee ...

between 1041 and 1048.) * Although pioneered earlier in Korea and by the Chinese official Wang Zhen (with tin),

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

metal movable type printing is created in China by Hua Sui in

1490 Year 1490 ( MCDXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 4 – Anne of Brittany announces that all those who ally themselves with the ...

. *

advances the printing press in Europe () * Linear perspective drawing perfected by

–

* Invention of the

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

* Arrival of Christopher Columbus to the

References

Sources

* Langer, William. ''An Encyclopedia of World History'' (5th ed. 1973); highly detailed outline of event
online free
* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:15th Century 2nd millennium Centuries