15th century

===[[1440s]]===
[[File:Detail of The Emperor's Approach, Xuande period.jpg|thumb|Detail of ''The Emperor's Approach'' showing the [[Xuande Emperor]]'s royal carriage. [[Ming dynasty]] of China.]]
* [[1440]]: [[Eton College]] founded by Henry VI.
* [[1440s]]: The [[Golden Horde]] breaks up into the [[Siberia Khanate]], the [[Khanate of Kazan]], the [[Astrakhan Khanate]], the [[Crimean Khanate]], and the [[Great Horde]].
* [[1440]]–[[1469]]: Under [[Moctezuma I]], the [[Aztec]]s become the dominant power in [[Mesoamerica]].
* [[1440]]: [[Oba Ewuare]] comes to power in the [[West African]] city of [[Benin Empire|Benin]], and turns it into an empire.
* [[1440]]: Reign of [[Moctezuma I]] begins as the fifth ''[[tlatoani]]'' of [[Tenochtitlan]] and emperor of the [[Aztec Empire]].
* [[1441]]: [[Jan van Eyck]], Flemish painter, dies.
* [[1441]]: Portuguese navigators cruise [[West Africa]] and reestablish the [[Atlantic Slave Trade|European slave trade]] with a shipment of [[Slavery in Africa|African slaves]] sent directly from [[Africa]] to [[Portugal]].
* [[1441]]: A civil war between the [[Tutul-Xiu|Tutul Xiues]] and [[Cocom]] breaks out in the [[League of Mayapan]]. As a consequence, the league begins to disintegrate.
* [[1442]]: [[Leonardo Bruni]] defines [[Middle Ages]] and Modern times.
* [[1443]]: [[Abdur Razzaq (traveller)|Abdur Razzaq]] visits India.
* [[1443]]: [[Sejong the Great of Joseon|King Sejong the Great]] publishes the [[hangul]], the native phonetic alphabet system for the [[Korean language]].
* [[1444]]: The [[Albania|Albanian league]] is established in Lezha, [[Skanderbeg]] is elected leader. A war begins against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. An Albanian [[Sovereign state|state]] is set up and lasts until [[1479]].
* [[1444]]: [[Ottoman Empire]] under [[Sultan]] [[Murad II]] defeats the [[Poland|Polish]] and [[Hungary|Hungarian]] armies under [[Władysław III of Poland]] and [[John Hunyadi|János Hunyadi]] at the [[Battle of Varna]].
* [[1445]]: The [[Kazan Khanate]] defeats the [[Grand Duchy of Moscow]] at the [[Battle of Suzdal]].
* [[1446]]: [[Mallikarjuna Raya]] succeeds his father [[Deva Raya II]] as monarch of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]].
* [[1447]]: Wijaya Parakrama Wardhana, succeeds [[Suhita]] as ruler of Majapahit.<ref name="RICKLEFSp18" />
* [[1449]]: [[Sankardeva|Saint Srimanta Sankardeva]] was born.
* [[1449]]: [[Esen Tayisi]] leads an [[Oirats|Oirat Mongol]] invasion of China which culminate in the capture of the [[Zhengtong Emperor]] at [[Battle of Tumu Fortress]].