15th century

{{Short description|One hundred years, from 1401 to 1500}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Centurybox|15}}
[[File:Zonaro_GatesofConst.jpg|thumb|[[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Sultan]] [[Mehmed II]], victorious at the [[Fall of Constantinople|Ottoman conquest of Constantinople]] and the fall of the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Various historians describe it as the end of the [[Middle Ages]].]]
[[File:La Rendición de Granada - Pradilla.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|''[[The Surrender of Granada]]'' by [[Francisco Pradilla Ortiz]], 1882: [[Muhammad XII of Granada|Muhammad XII]] surrenders to [[Catholic Monarchs of Spain|Ferdinand and Isabella]]]]
[[File:Columbus Taking Possession.jpg|thumb|250px|Gergio Deluci, ''[[Christopher Columbus]] arrives in [[America]] in 1492,'' 1893 painting.]]
The '''15th century''' was the [[century]] which spans the [[Julian calendar|Julian]] dates from 1 January [[1401]] (represented by the [[Roman numerals]] MCDI) to 31 December [[1500]] (MD).  

In [[History of Europe|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 [[Perspective (graphical)|architectural perspective]], and the modern fields which are known today as [[banking]] and [[accounting]] were founded in [[Italy]].

The [[Hundred Years' War]] ended with a decisive [[Kingdom of France|French]] victory over the [[Kingdom of England|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]] by [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]], establishing the [[House of Tudor|Tudor dynasty]] in the later part of the century.

[[Constantinople]], known as the [[Caput Mundi|capital of the world]] and the capital of the [[Byzantine Empire]], [[Fall of Constantinople|fell]] to the emerging Muslim [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]], marking the end of the tremendously influential Byzantine Empire and, for some historians, the end of the Middle Ages.<ref>{{cite book |first=Roger |last=Crowley |author-link=Roger Crowley |title=Constantinople: The Last Great Siege, 1453 |publisher=Faber |year=2006 |isbn=0-571-22185-8 }} (reviewed by {{Cite web |title=The Conquestof Constantinople and the end of empire |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-155920054.html |last=Foster |first=Charles |date=22 September 2006 |website=Contemporary Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822080420/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-155920054.html |archive-date=22 August 2009 |quote=It is the end of the Middle Ages}}</ref> This led to the migration of [[Greek scholars in the Renaissance|Greek scholars]] and texts to Italy, while [[Johannes Gutenberg]]'s invention of a mechanical [[movable type]] began the [[printing press]]. These two events played key roles in the development of the [[Renaissance]].<ref name="Britannica1">Encyclopædia Britannica, ''Renaissance'', 2008, O.Ed.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|McLuhan|1962}}; {{harvnb|Eisenstein|1980}}; {{harvnb|Febvre|Martin|1997}}; {{harvnb|Man|2002}}</ref> The Roman [[Pope|papacy]] was split in two parts in Europe for decades (the so-called [[Western Schism]]), until the [[Council of Constance]]. 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 of Muslims in Spain|forced conversions]] and the [[Rebellion of the Alpujarras (1499–1501)|Muslim rebellion]],{{sfn|Harvey|2005|p=14}} ending over seven centuries of [[Islamic]] rule and returning southern Spain to Christian rulers.

The spices, wines and precious metals of the [[Bengal Sultanate|Bengal sultanate]]<ref>Nanda, J. N (2005). {{Cite book |title=Bengal: the unique state |publisher=Concept Publishing Company. p. 10. |year=2005 |isbn=978-81-8069-149-2 |quote=Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton. Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with.}}</ref> had attracted European traders to trade with Bengal, but the trade was subsequently lower, due to the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which introduced new taxes and tariffs against European traders. This had led to explorers like [[Christopher Columbus]] finding a route to reach India, which eventually reached the Americas. Explorers like [[Vasco da Gama]], a Portuguese traveller, also found a route to reach to India from the African coast.

In [[History of Asia|Asia]], the [[Timurid Empire]] collapsed and the Afghan Pashtun [[Lodi dynasty]] took control of the [[Delhi Sultanate]]. Under the rule of the [[Yongle Emperor]], who built the [[Forbidden City]] and commanded [[Zheng He]] to [[Treasure voyages|explore the world overseas]], the [[Ming dynasty]]'s territory reached its pinnacle.

In [[History of Africa|Africa]], the [[Muslim conquest of the Sudan|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]] teetered on the brink of collapse, under pressure from the rising [[Songhai Empire]].

In the [[Pre-Columbian era|Americas]], both the [[Aztec Empire]] and the [[Inca Empire]] reached the peak of their influence, but the [[voyages of Christopher Columbus]] and other European voyages of discovery in the Americas, beginning the [[European colonization of the Americas]], changed the course of modern history.

==Events==

=== 1401–1409 ===
[[File:Pacioli.jpg|250px|thumb|upright|''[[Portrait of Luca Pacioli|Portrait of the founder of accounting, Luca Pacioli]]'', by [[Jacopo de' Barbari]] ([[Museo di Capodimonte]]).]]
* [[1401]]: [[Dilawar Khan]] establishes the [[Malwa Sultanate]] in present-day central India.
* [[1402]]: [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] and [[Timurid Empire]]s fight at the [[Battle of Ankara]] resulting in the capture of [[Bayezid I]] by [[Timur]].
* [[1402]]: [[Sultanate of Malacca]] founded by [[Parameswara (sultan)|Parameswara]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Winstedt |first=R. O. |author-link=R. O. Winstedt |year=1948 |title=The Malay Founder of Medieval Malacca |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cuaMNAAACAAJ |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] on behalf of [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] |volume=12 |issue=3/4 |pages=726–729 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00083312 |jstor=608731}}</ref>
* [[1402]]: The [[Conquest of the Canary Islands|settlement of the Canary Islands]] signals the beginning of the [[Spanish Empire]].
* [[1403]]–[[1413]]: [[Ottoman Interregnum]], a civil war between the four sons of [[Bayezid I]].
* [[1403]]: The [[Yongle Emperor]] moves the capital of China from [[Nanjing]] to [[Beijing]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=An introduction to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) |url=https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/imperial-china/ming-dynasty/a/an-introduction-to-the-ming-dynasty-13681644 |website=[[Khan Academy]] |publisher=[[Asian Art Museum (San Francisco)|Asian Art Museum]] |access-date=29 September 2018}}</ref>
* [[1404]]–[[1406]]: [[Regreg War]], [[Majapahit]] civil war of secession between [[Wikramawardhana]] against Wirabhumi.
* [[1405]]: The [[Sultanate of Sulu]] is established by [[Sharif ul-Hāshim of Sulu|Sharif ul-Hāshim]].
* [[1405]]–[[1433]]: 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.<ref>Modern interpretation of the place names recorded by Chinese chronicles can be found e.g. in [http://www.epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/polities.html Some Southeast Asian Polities Mentioned in the MSL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712191241/http://www.epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/polities.html |date=12 July 2012 }} by Geoffrey Wade</ref>
* [[1408]]: The last recorded event to occur in the [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlements of [[Greenland]] was a wedding in [[Hvalsey]] in the [[Eastern Settlement]] in 1408.

===[[1410s]]===
[[File:Northern Yuan and Golden Horde.svg|thumb|250px|The [[Northern Yuan dynasty]] and [[Turco-Mongol tradition|Turco-Mongol]] residual states and domains by the 15th century]]
* [[1410]]: The [[Battle of Grunwald]] is the decisive battle of the [[Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War]] leading to the downfall of the [[Teutonic Knights]].
* [[1410]]-[[1415]]: [[Glyndŵr Rising|The last Welsh war of independence]], led by [[Owain Glyndŵr]].
* [[1414]]: [[Khizr Khan]], deputised by [[Timur]] to be the governor of [[Multan]], takes over Delhi founding the [[Sayyid dynasty]].
* [[1415]]: [[Henry the Navigator]] leads the [[conquest of Ceuta]] from the [[Moors]] marking the beginning of the [[Portuguese Empire]].
* [[1415]]: [[Battle of Agincourt]] fought between the [[Kingdom of England]] and [[France]].
* [[1415]]: [[Jan Hus]] is burned at the stake as a heretic at the [[Council of Constance]].
* [[1417]]: A large goodwill mission led by three kings of Sulu, the ''Eastern King'' [[Paduka Pahala]], 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://filipiknow.net/paduka-pahala-ancient-sulu-king-buried-in-china/|title=Thousands in China are descendants of an ancient Filipino king. Here’s how it happened.|website=Filipiknow}}</ref>
* [[1417]]: The East king of Sulu, [[Paduka Pahala]], 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2018-11/09/c_137595006.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816052052/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2018-11/09/c_137595006.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 August 2021|title=New Sulu King research book by Chinese author debuts in Philippines|website=Xinhuanet}}</ref>
* [[1419]]–[[1433]]: The [[Hussite Wars]] in [[Bohemia]].

===[[1420s]]===
[[File:Joan of Arc miniature graded.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Joan of Arc]], a [[French people|French]] peasant girl, directly influenced the result of the [[Hundred Years' War]].]]
* [[1420]]: Construction of the Chinese [[Forbidden City]] is completed in Beijing.
* [[1424]]: [[James I of Scotland|James I]] returns to [[Scotland]] after being held hostage under three [[Kings of England]] since [[1406]].
* [[1424]]: [[Deva Raya II]] succeeds his father [[Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya]] as monarch of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]].
* [[1425]]: Catholic [[Old University of Leuven|University of Leuven]] (Belgium) founded by [[Pope Martin V]].
* [[1427]]: Reign of [[Itzcoatl]] begins as the fourth ''[[tlatoani]]'' of [[Tenochtitlan]] and the first emperor of the [[Aztec Empire]].
* [[1429]]: [[Joan of Arc]] ends the [[Siege of Orléans]] and turns the tide of the [[Hundred Years' War]].
* [[1429]]: Queen [[Suhita]] succeeds her father [[Wikramawardhana]] as ruler of [[Majapahit]].<ref name="RICKLEFSp18">Ricklefs (1991), page 18.</ref>

===[[1430s]]===
* [[1430]]: [[Rajah Lontok]] and [[Dayang Kalangitan]] become co-regent rulers of the ancient kingdom of [[Tondo (historical polity)|Tondo]].
* [[1431]]
** [[9 January]] – Pretrial investigations for [[Joan of Arc]] begin in [[Rouen]], [[France]] under [[England|English]] occupation.
** [[3 March]] – [[Pope Eugene IV]] succeeds [[Pope Martin V]], to become the 207th [[pope]].
** [[26 March]] – The [[trial of Joan of Arc]] begins.
** [[30 May]] – Nineteen-year-old Joan of Arc is [[burned at the stake]]. 
** [[16 June]] – the [[Teutonic Knights]] and [[Švitrigaila]] sign the [[Treaty of Christmemel]], creating anti-Polish alliance
** September – [[Battle of Inverlochy (1431)|Battle of Inverlochy]]: Donald Balloch defeats the Royalists.
** [[30 October]] – [[Treaty of Medina del Campo (1431)|Treaty of Medina del Campo]], consolidating peace between [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]] and [[Crown of Castile|Castille]]. 
** [[16 December]] – [[Henry VI of England]] is crowned King of France.
* [[1438]]: [[Pachacuti]] founds the [[Inca Empire]].

===[[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]].

===[[1450s]]===
[[File:Conquest_of_Constantinople,_Zonaro.jpg|thumb|Modern painting of [[Mehmed II]] marching on [[Fall of Constantinople|Constantinople in 1453]]]]
* [[1450s]]: [[Machu Picchu]] constructed.
* [[1450]]: [[Dayang Kalangitan]] became the [[Queen regnant]] of the ancient kingdom of [[Tondo (historical polity)|Tondo]] that started Tondo's political dominance over [[Luzon]].
* [[1451]]: [[Bahlul Khan Lodhi]] ascends the throne of the [[Delhi sultanate]] starting the [[Lodhi dynasty]]
* [[1451]]: Rajasawardhana, born Bhre Pamotan, styled Brawijaya II succeeds Wijayaparakramawardhana as ruler of Majapahit.<ref name="RICKLEFSp18" />
* [[1453]]: The [[Fall of Constantinople]] 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]].
* [[1453]]: The [[Battle of Castillon]] is the last engagement of the [[Hundred Years' War]] and the first battle in European history where cannons were a major factor in deciding the battle.
* [[1453]]: Reign of Rajasawardhana ends.<ref name="RICKLEFSp18" />
* [[1454]]–[[1466]]: After defeating the Teutonic Knights in the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]], Poland annexes [[Royal Prussia]].
* [[1455]]–[[1485]]: [[Wars of the Roses]] – English civil war between the House of York and the House of Lancaster.
* [[1456]]: [[Joan of Arc]] is [[Retrial of Joan of Arc|posthumously acquitted]] of [[heresy]] by the [[Catholic Church]], redeeming her status as the heroine of [[France]].
* [[1456]]: The [[Siege of Belgrade (1456)|Siege of Belgrade]] halts the Ottomans' advance into Europe.
* [[1456]]: Girishawardhana, styled Brawijaya III, becomes ruler of Majapahit.<ref name="RICKLEFSp18" />
* [[1457]]: Construction of [[Edo Castle]] begins.

===[[1460s]]===
[[File:Cacicazgos mayas - es.svg|thumbnail|The seventeen Kuchkabals of Yucatán after The League of Mayapan in 1461.]]
*[[1461]]: The [[League of Mayapan]] disintegrates. The league is replaced by seventeen [[Kuchkabal]].
* [[1461]]: The city of [[Sarajevo]] is founded by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]].
* [[1461]]:
** [[2 February]] – [[Battle of Mortimer's Cross]]: Yorkist troops led by [[Edward IV of England|Edward, Duke of York]] defeat Lancastrians under [[Owen Tudor]] and his son [[Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke]] in [[Wales]].
** [[17 February]] – [[Second Battle of St Albans]], [[England]]: The [[Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick|Earl of Warwick]]'s army is defeated by a Lancastrian force under [[Margaret of Anjou|Queen Margaret]], who recovers control of her husband.
** [[4 March]] – The Duke of York seizes London and proclaims himself King [[Edward IV of England]].
** [[5 March]] – [[Henry VI of England]] is deposed by the [[Duke of York]] during [[war of the Roses]].
** [[29 March]] – [[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]] – Edward, Richard of York's son, is crowned as [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]], King of England (reigns until [[1483]]).
** July – [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] general [[Graitzas Palaiologos]] honourably surrenders [[Salmeniko Castle]], last garrison of the [[Despotate of the Morea]], to invading forces of the [[Ottoman Empire]] after a year-long siege.[[File:Europe in 1470.PNG|thumb|Political map of Europe in 1470]]
** [[22 July]] – [[Louis XI of France]] succeeds [[Charles VII of France]] as king (reigns until [[1483]]).
* [[1462]]: [[Sonni Ali|Sonni Ali Ber]], the ruler of the [[Songhai Empire|Songhai (or Songhay) Empire]], along the [[Niger River]], conquers [[Mali Empire|Mali]] in the central [[Sudan]] by defeating the [[Tuareg people|Tuareg]] contingent at [[Timbuktu|Tombouctou]] (or [[Timbuktu]]) and capturing the city. He develops both his own capital, [[Gao]], and the main centres of Mali, Timbuktu and [[Djenné]], into major cities. Ali Ber controls trade along the Niger River with a navy of war vessels.
* [[1462]]: [[Mehmed the Conqueror]] is driven back by [[Wallachia]]n prince [[Vlad III Dracula]] at [[The Night Attack]].
* [[1464]]: [[Edward IV of England]] secretly marries [[Elizabeth Woodville]].
* [[1465]]: The [[1465 Moroccan revolt]] ends in the murder of the last [[Marinid]] Sultan of Morocco [[Abd al-Haqq II]].
* [[1466]]: Singhawikramawardhana, succeeds Girishawardhana as ruler of Majapahit.<ref name="RICKLEFSp18" />
* [[1467]]: [[Uzun Hasan]] defeats the [[Kara Koyunlu|Black Sheep Turkoman]] leader [[Jahan Shah|Jahān Shāh]].
* [[1467]]–1615: The [[Sengoku period]] is one of civil war in Japan.
* [[1469]]: The marriage of [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] and [[Isabella I of Castile]] leads to the unification of [[Spain]].[[File:Matthias Corvinus.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[renaissance]] king [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]]. His mercenary standing army (the [[Black Army of Hungary|Black Army]]) had the strongest military potential of its era.]]
* [[1469]]: [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]] conquers some parts of [[Bohemia]].
* [[1469]]: Birth of [[Guru Nanak Dev]]. Beside followers of [[Sikhism]], Guru Nanak is revered by [[Hindus]] and [[Muslim Sufis]] across the [[Indian subcontinent]].
* [[1469]]: Reign of [[Axayacatl]] begins in the [[Aztec]] capital of [[Tenochtitlan]] as the sixth ''[[tlatoani]]'' and emperor of the [[Aztec Triple Alliance]].

===[[1470s]]===
* [[1470]]: The [[Moldavia]]n forces under [[Stephen the Great]] defeat the Tatars of the [[Golden Horde]] at the [[Battle of Lipnic]].
* [[1471]]: The kingdom of [[Champa]] suffers a massive defeat by the Vietnamese king [[Lê Thánh Tông]].
* [[1472]]: [[Abu Abd Allah al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya]] becomes the first [[Wattasid dynasty|Wattasid]] Sultan of Morocco.
* [[1474]]–[[1477]]: [[Burgundy Wars]] of France, [[Switzerland]], [[Lorraine (province)|Lorraine]] and [[Sigismund, Archduke of Austria|Sigismund II of Habsburg]] against the [[Charles the Bold]], [[Duchy of Burgundy|Duke of Burgundy]].
* [[1478]]: [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Muscovy]] conquers [[Novgorod]].
* [[1478]]: Reign of Singhawikramawardhana ends.<ref name="RICKLEFSp18" />
* [[1478]]: [[Demak Great Mosque|The Great Mosque of Demak]] is the oldest mosque in Java, built by the [[Wali Songo]] during the reign of Sultan [[Raden Patah]].
* [[1479]]: [[Battle of Breadfield]], [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]] defeated the Turks.
* [[1479]]: [[Vallabha|JagatGuru Vallabhacharya Ji Mahaprabhu]] was born<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shri Mahaprabhuji Shri Vallabhacharyaji Biography {{!}} Pushti Sanskar |url=https://pushtisanskar.org/about_shri_mahaprabhuji.php |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=pushtisanskar.org}}</ref>

=== [[1480s]] ===
[[File:SiegeOfRhodes1480.jpg|thumb|upright|[[1480s|The]] [[Siege of Rhodes (1480)|Siege of Rhodes]] ([[1480]]). Ships of the [[Hospitaliers]] in the forefront, and Turkish camp in the background.]]
* [[1480]]: After the [[Great standing on the Ugra river]], [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Muscovy]] gained independence from the [[Great Horde]].
* [[1481]]: [[Spanish Inquisition]] begins in practice with the first ''[[auto-da-fé]]''.
* [[1481]]: Reign of [[Tizoc]] begins as the seventh ''[[tlatoani]]'' of [[Tenochtitlan]] and the emperor of the [[Aztec Triple Alliance]].
* [[1482]]: [[Portugal|Portuguese]] navigator [[Diogo Cão]] becomes the first [[Europe|European]] to enter the [[Congo (river)|Congo]].
* [[1483]]: [[Expulsion_of_Jews_from_Spain#The_expulsion_of_the_Jews_from_Andalusia_(1483)|The Jews are expelled from Andalusia]].
* [[1483]]: [[Pluto]] moves inside [[Neptune]]'s orbit until [[July 23]], [[1503]], according to modern [[Orbit|orbital]] calculations.
* [[1484]]: [[William Caxton]], the first [[Printer (publishing)|printer]] of books in [[English language|English]], prints his translation of ''[[Aesop's Fables]]'' in London.
* [[1485]]: [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]] captured [[Vienna]], [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor]] ran away.
* [[1485]]: [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] defeats [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth]] and becomes King of England.
* [[1485]]: [[Ivan III of Russia]] conquered [[Prince of Tver|Tver]].
* [[1485]]: [[Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya]] drives out [[Praudha Raya]] ending the [[Sangama Dynasty]].
* [[1486]]: [[Sher Shah Suri]], is born in [[Sasaram]], [[Bihar]].
* [[1486]]: Reign of [[Ahuitzotl]] begins as the eighth ''[[tlatoani]]'' of [[Tenochtitlan]] and emperor of the [[Aztec Triple Alliance]].
* [[1487]]: [[Hongzhi Emperor]] ascends the throne, bringing Confucian ideology under his administration.
* [[1488]]: Portuguese Navigator [[Bartolomeu Dias]] sails around the [[Cape of Good Hope]].

=== 1490–1500 ===
[[File:SiegeOfRhodes1480.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Siege of Rhodes (1480)|Siege of Rhodes]] ([[1480]]). Ships of the [[Hospitaliers]] in the forefront, and Turkish camp in the background.]]
* [[1492]]: The death of [[Sonni Ali|Sunni Ali Ber]] left a leadership void in the [[Songhai Empire]], and his son was soon dethroned by [[Askia Muhammad I|Mamadou Toure]] who ascended the throne in 1493 under the name [[Askia Mohammad I|Askia]] (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]].
* [[1492]]: [[Boabdil]]'s surrender of [[Granada]] marks the end of the Spanish [[Reconquista]] and [[Al-Andalus]].
* [[1492]]: [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferdinand]] and [[Isabella I of Castile|Isabella]] sign the [[Alhambra Decree]], expelling all [[Jews]] from Spain unless they convert to [[Catholicism]]; 40,000–200,000 leave.
* [[1492]]: [[Christopher Columbus]] landed in the Americas from [[Spain]].
* [[1493]]: [[Christopher Columbus]] landed on modern-day [[Puerto Rico]].
* [[1493]]: [[Leonardo da Vinci]] creates the first known design for a [[helicopter]].
* [[1494]]: Spain and Portugal sign the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]] and agree to divide the World outside of Europe between themselves.
* [[1494]]–1559: The [[Italian Wars]] lead to the downfall of the [[Italian city-states]].
* [[1495]]: [[Manuel I of Portugal]] was succeeded as the king of [[Portugal]] (reigns until [[1521]]).
* [[1497]]–[[1499]]: [[Vasco da Gama]]'s first voyage from [[Europe]] to [[India]] and back.
* [[1499]]: [[Ottoman Navy|Ottoman fleet]] defeats [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] at the [[Battle of Zonchio]].
* [[1499]]: University "Alcalá de Henares" in Madrid, Spain is built.
* [[1499]]: [[Michelangelo]]'s [[Pietà]] in St. Peter's Basilica is made in Rome
* [[1500]]: Islam becomes the dominant religion across the Indonesian archipelago.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Religions |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Indonesia/Religions |last=Leinbach |first=Thomas R. |date=20 February 2019 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=23 February 2019}}</ref>
* [[1500]]: The [[List of sultans of Brunei|Bruneian Sultan]], [[Bolkiah]] arrives in Luzon and establishes the city of [[Selurong]]—later named [[Maynila (historical polity)|Maynila]] shortly after taking over Tundun (Luzon) from its monarch,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017 |title=Kingdom of Tondo |url=https://borneohistory57.blogspot.com/2017/03/kingdom-of-tondo.html |url-status=live |website=historylearning.com}}</ref> Lakan Gambang.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carating |first=Rodelio B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sY7EBAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA31&dq=Brunei+%C2%A0Tondo&hl=en |title=The Soils of the Philippines |last2=Galanta |first2=Raymundo G. |last3=Bacatio |first3=Clarita D. |date=2014-04-23 |publisher=Springer Science & Business |isbn=978-94-017-8682-9 |pages=31 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[1500]]: Around late 15th century [[Bujangga Manik]] manuscript was composed, tell the story of Jaya Pakuan Bujangga Manik, a [[Sunda kingdom|Sundanese]] Hindu hermit journeys throughout Java and Bali.<ref name="Noorduyn 2006 437">{{Cite book |last=Noorduyn |first=J. |title=Three Old Sundanese poems |publisher=KITLV Press |year=2006 |page=437}}</ref>
* [[1500]]: [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles of Ghent]] (future [[Lord of the Netherlands]], [[King of Spain]], [[Archduke of Austria]], and [[Holy Roman Emperor]]) was born.
* [[1500]]: [[Guru Nanak]] begins the spreading of [[Sikhism]], the fifth-largest religion in the world.
* [[1500]]: [[Spain|Spanish]] navigator [[Vicente Yáñez Pinzón]] encounters [[Brazil]] but is prevented from claiming it by the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]].
* [[1500]]: [[Portugal|Portuguese]] navigator [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]] claims Brazil for Portugal.
* [[1500]]: The [[Ottoman Navy|Ottoman fleet]] of [[Kemal Reis]] defeats the [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] at the [[Battle of Lepanto (1500)|Second Battle of Lepanto]].{{Gallery}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="150" heights="150">
File:Masaccio, cappella brancacci, san pietro in cattedra. ritratto di filippo brunelleschi.jpg|[[Filippo Brunelleschi]] (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|[[Johannes Gutenberg]] (1400–1468), German inventor who introduced [[printing]] to Europe with his mechanical [[Movable type|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]] (1452–1485), the last king of the [[House of York]] and the last of the [[Plantagenet dynasty]]
File:Henry Seven England.jpg|[[Henry VII of England|King Henry VII]] (1457–1509), the founder of the royal house of [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor]] 
</gallery>

==Inventions, discoveries, introductions==
{{see also|Science and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci}}{{See also|Timeline of historic inventions#15th century}}
* [[Renaissance]] affects [[philosophy]], [[History of Science and Technology|science]] and [[art]].
* Rise of [[Modern English]] language from [[Middle English]].
* Introduction of the [[noon bell]] in the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] world.
* Public [[History of banking|banks]].
* [[Yongle Encyclopedia]]—over 22,000 volumes.
* [[Hangul]] alphabet in [[Korea]].
* [[Scotch whisky]].
* [[Psychiatric hospital]]s{{clarify|date=June 2015}}.
* Development of the [[woodcut]] for printing between [[1400]]–[[1450]].
* [[Movable type]] first used by King [[Taejong of Joseon]]—[[1403]]. (Movable type, which allowed individual characters to be arranged to form words, was invented in China by [[Bi Sheng]] between 1041 and 1048.)
* Although pioneered earlier in Korea and by the Chinese official [[Wang Zhen (official)|Wang Zhen]] (with [[tin]]), [[bronze]] metal [[movable type]] [[printing]] is created in China by [[Hua Sui]] in [[1490]].
* [[Johannes Gutenberg]] advances the [[printing press]] in Europe ({{circa|lk=no|[[1455]]}})
* [[Linear perspective]] drawing perfected by [[Filippo Brunelleschi]] [[1410]]–[[1415]]
* Invention of the [[harpsichord]] {{circa|lk=no|[[1450]]}}
* Arrival of [[Christopher Columbus]] to the [[Americas]] in [[1492]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Langer, William. ''An Encyclopedia of World History'' (5th ed. 1973); highly detailed outline of events [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofwo00lang online free]
*{{Citation
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 | last2 = Martin
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 | title = The Coming of the Book: The Impact of Printing 1450–1800
 | publisher = Verso
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 | year = 1997
 | isbn = 1-85984-108-2
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*{{Citation
 | last = Eisenstein
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 | title = The Printing Press as an Agent of Change
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* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2001 |title=Eyck, Barthélemy d' |encyclopedia=The Oxford Companion to Western Art |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_r1z5 |last=Tolley |first=Thomas |editor-last=Hugh Brigstocke |isbn=0-19-866203-3 |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Harvey|first=L. P.|title=Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614|url=https://archive.org/details/muslimsinspain1500lple|url-access=registration|date=16 May 2005|publisher=University of Chicago Press|place=Chicago|isbn=978-0-226-31963-6}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Man
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 | title = The Gutenberg Revolution: The Story of a Genius and an Invention that Changed the World
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 | place = London
 | year = 2002
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*{{Citation
 | last = McLuhan
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 | title = The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man
 | publisher = University of Toronto Press 
 | edition = 1st
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}}

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