Year 1492 (
MCDXCII) was a
leap year starting on Sunday
A leap year starting on Sunday is any year with 366 days (i.e. it includes 29 February) that begins on Sunday, 1 January, and ends on Monday, 31 December. Its dominical letters hence are AG. The most recent year of such kind was 2012, and the next ...
of the
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...
.
1492 is considered to be a significant year in the history of
the West,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
,
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
,
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
,
Judaism
Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, and the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
, among others, because of the number of significant events that took place.
The events which propelled the year into Western consciousness, listed below, include the completion of the
Reconquista
The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
of Spain, Europe's (Spain) discovery of the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
, and the
expulsion of Jews from Spain
The Expulsion of Jews from Spain was the expulsion of practicing Jews following the Alhambra Decree in 1492, which was enacted to eliminate their influence on Spain's large ''converso'' population and to ensure its members did not revert to Judais ...
.
Events
Known dates
* January 2
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.
* 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Emp ...
– Fall of Granada: Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of the Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...
(Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...
and Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon ...
) after a lengthy siege, ending the ten-year Granada War
The Granada War was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada. It ended with the defeat o ...
and the centuries-long Reconquista
The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
, and bringing an end to 780 years of Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
control in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...
.
* January 6
Events Pre-1600
* 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will ...
– Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada
Granada ( ; ) 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 foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
.
* January 15
Events Pre-1600
*AD 69, 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Roman emperor, Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
*1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to set ...
– Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
meets Ferdinand and Isabella at the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos in Córdoba, Andalusia, and persuades them to support his Atlantic voyage intended to find a new route to the East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...
.
* January 16
Events Pre-1600
* 1458 BC – Hatshepsut dies at the age of 50 and is buried in the Valley of the Kings.
* 27 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the R ...
– Antonio de Nebrija
Antonio de Nebrija (14445 July 1522) was the most influential Spanish humanist of his era. He wrote poetry, commented on literary works, and encouraged the study of classical languages and literature, but his most important contributions were i ...
publishes ''Gramática de la lengua castellana
() is a book written by Antonio de Nebrija and published in 1492. It was the first work dedicated to the Spanish language and its rules, and the first grammar of a modern Languages of Europe, European language to be published. When it was pre ...
'', the first grammar text for the Castilian Spanish language
Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
, in Salamanca
Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
, which he introduces to the Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...
, Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon ...
and Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...
, newly restored to power in Andalusia
Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...
, as "a tool of empire".
* January 23
Events Pre-1600
* 393 – Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor.
* 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao.
* 1229 ...
– The ''Pentateuch
The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () o ...
'' is first printed.
* February 1 – Discovery of the Titulus Crucis relic during renovation of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Church in Rome.
* March 31
Events Pre-1600
* 307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman emperor Maximian.
* 1146 – Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging ...
– Ferdinand and Isabella sign the Alhambra Decree
The Alhambra Decree (also known as the Edict of Expulsion; Spanish language, 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 Ferdi ...
, expelling all Jews from Spain unless they convert to Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.
* April 17
Events Pre-1600
* 1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized.
* 1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of H ...
– The Capitulations of Santa Fe
The Capitulations of Santa Fe between Christopher Columbus and the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, were signed in Santa Fe, Granada on April 17, 1492. They granted Columbus the titles of admiral of t ...
are signed between Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
and the Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...
, agreeing on arrangements for his forthcoming voyage.
* June 7
Events Pre-1600
* 421 – Emperor Theodosius II marries Aelia Eudocia at Constantinople (Byzantine Empire).
* 879 – Pope John VIII recognises the Duchy of Croatia under Duke Branimir as an independent state.
* 1002 – He ...
– Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV (Casimir Andrew Jagiellon; ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447 until his death in 1492. He was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers; under ...
, of the Jagiellon Royal House, dies, ending his reign over Poland and Lithuania.
* June 8 – Elizabeth Woodville, the last living Yorkist
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, th ...
queen consort, dies in England.
* August 2
** The Jews are expelled from Spain; 40,000–200,000 leave. Sultan Bayezid II
Bayezid II (; ; 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, Bayezid consolidated the Ottoman Empire, thwarted a pro-Safavid dynasty, Safavid rebellion and finally abdicated his throne ...
of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, learning of this, dispatches the Ottoman Navy
The Ottoman Navy () or the Imperial Navy (), also known as the Ottoman Fleet, was the naval warfare arm of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Ottomans first reached the sea in 1323 by capturing Praenetos (later called Karamürsel ...
to bring the Jews safely to Ottoman lands, mainly to the cities of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
(in modern-day Greece) and İzmir
İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...
(in modern-day Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
); others settle in Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
.
** The Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
sails with three ships from Palos de la Frontera
Palos de la Frontera () is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the southwestern Spain, Spanish province of Huelva (province), Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is situated some from the provincial capi ...
, in the service of the Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...
, on his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, intending to reach Asia.
* August 11
Events Pre-1600
* 3114 BC – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins.
* 2492 BC – Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and foun ...
– Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.
Born into t ...
succeeds Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...
as the 214th pope, after the 1492 papal conclave, the first held in the Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...
.
* September 6 – Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
sails from La Gomera
La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third-smallest of the archipelago's eight main islands. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. La Gomer ...
in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, his final port of call before crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.
* October 3 – English army besieges Boulogne.
* October 12 – Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
' expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean and lands on Guanahani
Guanahaní (meaning "small upper waters land") was the Taíno language, Taíno name of an island in the Bahamas that was the first land in the New World sighted and visited by Christopher Columbus' Voyages of Christopher Columbus#First voyage (14 ...
, which he calls San Salvador, believing he has reached the East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...
.
* October 28 – Christopher Columbus lands in Holguín, Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
.
* November 3 – The Peace of Étaples is signed between England and France, ending French support for Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck ( – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called "Princes in the Tower". Richard, were he alive, would ...
, the pretender to the English throne
The Throne of England is the throne of the Monarch of England. "Throne of England" also refers metonymically to the office of monarch, and monarchy itself.Gordon, Delahay. (1760) ''A General History of the Lives, Trials, and Executions of All t ...
. All English-held territory in France (with the exception of Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
) is returned to France.
* November 7
Events Pre-1600
* 335 – Athanasius, 20th pope of Alexandria, is banished to Trier on the charge that he prevented a grain fleet from sailing to Constantinople.
* 680 – The Sixth Ecumenical Council commences in Constantinople. ...
– The Ensisheim meteorite, a meteorite
A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...
, lands in a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim in Alsace
Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
.
* December 5 – Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...
.
* December 25
Events Pre-1600
* 36 – Forces of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han, under the command of Wu Han, conquer the separatist Chengjia empire, reuniting China.
* 274 – A temple to Sol Invictus is dedicated in Rome by Emperor Aurelian. ...
– Columbus' ship '' Santa María'' runs aground off Cap-Haïtien, and is lost.
Unknown dates
* Martin Behaim
Martin Behaim (6 October 1459 – 29 July 1507), also known as and by various forms of , was a German textile merchant and cartographer. He served John II of Portugal as an adviser in matters of navigation and participated in a voyage to Wes ...
constructs the first surviving globe of Earth, the Erdapfel. As Columbus would only return from his voyage in 1493, this globe does not show the New World yet.
* The first arboretum
An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
to be designed and planted is the Arboretum Trsteno, near Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
in current-day Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
.
* Russians build the Ivangorod Fortress, on the eastern banks of the Narva River
The Narva, formerly also Narwa or Narova, flows north into the Baltic Sea and is the largest Estonian river by discharge. A similar length of land far to the south, together with it and a much longer intermediate lake, Lake Peipus, all togeth ...
.
* In Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
China, the commercial transportation of grain to the northern border, in exchange for salt certificates, is monetized.
* Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton
Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Aire and the Leeds ...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
, is founded.
* Marsilio Ficino
Marsilio Ficino (; Latin name: ; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of Neo ...
publishes his translation and commentary of Plotinus
Plotinus (; , ''Plōtînos''; – 270 CE) was a Greek Platonist philosopher, born and raised in Roman Egypt. Plotinus is regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of Neoplatonism. His teacher was the self-taught philosopher Ammonius ...
.
* Stiegl brewery first recorded in Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
.
Births

*
January 22
Events Pre-1600
* 613 – Eight-month-old Heraclius Constantine is crowned as co-emperor ('' Caesar'') by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
* 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated b ...
–
Beatrix of Baden, Margravine of Baden, Countess Palatine consort of Simmern (d.
1535)
*
March 4
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.
* 581 – Yang Jian declares himself Emperor ...
–
Francesco de Layolle, Italian composer (d. c.
1540
Year 1540 ( MDXL) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 6 – King Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort; the marriage lasts six months.
* February 1 ...
)
*
March 21
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the '' Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas ...
–
John II, Count Palatine of Simmern, Count Palatine of Simmern (1509-1557) (d.
1557)
*
March 27
Events Pre-1600
* 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
* 1329 – Pope John XXII ...
–
Adam Ries, German mathematician (d.
1559)
*
April 4
Events Pre-1600
* 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
* 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground.
* 611 &nd ...
–
Ambrosius Blarer, influential reformer in southern Germany and north-eastern Switzerland (d.
1564)
*
April 6
Events Pre–1600
*46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus.
* 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia.
* ...
–
Maud Green
Maud Green, Lady Parr (6 April 1490/92 – 1 December 1531) was an English courtier. She was the mother of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. She was ...
, English noble (d.
1531)
*
April 11
Events Pre-1600
* 491 – Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine emperor, with the name of Anastasius I.
* 1241 – Batu Khan defeats Béla IV of Hungary at the Battle of Mohi.
*1512 – War of the League of Cambrai: Franco-Ferra ...
–
Marguerite de Navarre, queen of
Henry II of Navarre (d.
1549)
*
April 20
Events Pre-1600
* 1303 – The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII.
1601–1900
* 1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament.
* 1657 – English Admiral Robert Blake destroy ...
–
Pietro Aretino
Pietro Aretino (, ; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satire, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his ti ...
, Italian author (d.
1556)
*
April 24
Events Pre-1600
* 1479 BC – Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th dynasty).
* 1183 BC – Traditional reckoning of the Fall of Troy ...
– Duchess
Sabina of Bavaria (d.
1564)
*
May 8
Events Pre-1600
* 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin.
* 413 – Emperor Honorius signs a ...
–
Andrea Alciato, Italian jurist and writer (d.
1550)
*
June 4 –
Hirate Masahide, Japanese retainer and tutor of
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
(d.
1553)
*
August 1
Events Pre-1600
* 30 BC – Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic.
*AD 69 – Batavian rebellion: The Batavians in Germania Inferior (Netherlands) revolt u ...
–
Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen
Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (1 August 1492, in Köthen – 23 March 1566, in Zerbst), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. He was one of the earliest Protestant rulers in the Holy Ro ...
, German prince (d.
1566
__NOTOC__
Year 1566 (Roman numerals, MDLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 7 – Cardinal Michele Ghislieri is 1565–1566 papal conclave, elected as the new Pope ...
)
*
August 8 –
Matteo Tafuri, Italian alchemist (d.
1582)
*
September 12 –
Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino
Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 12 September 1492 – 4 May 1519) was the ruler of Florence from 1516 until his death in 1519. He was also Duke of Urbino during the same period. A scion of the Medici, his wealth and power saw his daughter ...
(d.
1519)
*
September 29 –
Chamaraja Wodeyar III
Chamaraja Wodeyar III (29 September 1492 – 17 February 1553) was fifth raja of the Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of My ...
, King of Mysore (d.
1553)
*
October 1 –
Georg Rörer, German theologian (d.
1557)
*
October 11 –
Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France, French noble (d.
1495)
*
October 30 –
Anne d'Alençon
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in ...
, French noblewoman (d.
1562
__NOTOC__
Year 1562 ( MDLXII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 6 – Shane O'Neill of Tír Eoghain pleads his cause at the Palace of Whitehall in London, before Qu ...
)
*
November 12 –
Johan Rantzau, German general (d.
1565)
*
November 27
Events Pre-1600
* AD 25 – Luoyang is declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han.
* 176 – Emperor Marcus Aurelius grants his son Commodus the rank of " Imperator" and makes him Supreme Commander of th ...
–
Donato Giannotti, Italian writer (d.
1573
Year 1573 (Roman numerals, MDLXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 25 (22nd day of 12th month of Genki (era), Genki 3 – At the Battle of Mikatagahara in Japan, ...
)
* ''date unknown''
**
Argula von Grumbach
Argula von Grumbach (; 1492 – c. 1554) was a Duchy of Bavaria, Bavarian writer and noblewoman who, starting in the early 1520s, became involved in the Protestant Reformation debates going on in Germany. She became the first Protestant woman wri ...
, German Protestant reformer (d.
1554)
**
Berchtold Haller
Berchtold Haller (c. 149225 February 1536) was a German Protestant reformer. He was the reformer of the city of Bern, Switzerland, where the Reformation received little to none opposition.
Haller was born at Aldingen in Württemberg. After schooli ...
, Swiss reformer (d.
1536
Year 1536 ( MDXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
*January 6 – The Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, the oldest European school of higher learning in the Americas, is ...
)
**
Amago Kunihisa, Japanese nobleman (d.
1554)
**
Giacomo Aconcio, Italian pioneer of religious tolerance (d.
1566
__NOTOC__
Year 1566 (Roman numerals, MDLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 7 – Cardinal Michele Ghislieri is 1565–1566 papal conclave, elected as the new Pope ...
)
**
Edward Wotton, English physician and zoologist (d.
1555)
* ''probable''
**
Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland (d.
1543)
**
Fernán Pérez de Oliva, Spanish man of letters (d.
1531)
**
Polidoro da Caravaggio, Italian painter (d.
1543)
**
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Spanish historian (d.
1584)
Deaths

*
January 25
Events Pre-1600
* 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate.
* 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dyn ...
–
Ygo Gales Galama, Frisian warlord and freedom-fighting rebel (murdered) (b.
1443)
*
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
* 1139 – ...
–
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (), known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (; 1 January 1449 – 9 April 1492), was an Italian statesman, the ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic, and the most powerful patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Lore ...
, ruler of Florence (b.
1449)
*
March 19
Events Pre-1600
* 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
* 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen en ...
–
Philip II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg (1429–1492) (b.
1418)
* c.
May 21
Events Pre-1600
* 293 – Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appoint Galerius as '' Caesar'' to Diocletian, beginning the period of four rulers known as the Tetrarchy.
* 878 – Syracuse, Sicily, is captured by the Muslim Aghlab ...
–
John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (b.
1442)
*
June 7
Events Pre-1600
* 421 – Emperor Theodosius II marries Aelia Eudocia at Constantinople (Byzantine Empire).
* 879 – Pope John VIII recognises the Duchy of Croatia under Duke Branimir as an independent state.
* 1002 – He ...
–
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV (Casimir Andrew Jagiellon; ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447 until his death in 1492. He was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers; under ...
, King of Poland (b.
1427
Year 1427 ( MCDXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 16 – The papacy of Pope Gabriel V of Alexandria, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, ends after a r ...
)
*
June 8 –
Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of
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 ...
(b.
1437)
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and ...
–
Henry the Younger of Poděbrady, Bohemian nobleman (b.
1452)
*
July 25 –
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...
(b.
1432)
*
August 9 –
Beatrice of Silva, Spanish
Dominican and
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
nun and a saint
*
September 20 –
Anne Neville, Countess of Warwick (b.
1426)
*
September 23 –
Peter Courtenay Peter Courtenay may refer to:
*Peter Courtenay (bishop) (c. 1432–1492), English bishop and politician
*Sir Peter Courtenay (KG) (1346–1405), soldier and knight
*Sir Peter Courtenay (died 1552), of Ugbrooke, Sheriff of Devon in 1548/9
*Peter Co ...
, English bishop and politician
*
October 12 –
Piero della Francesca
Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...
, Italian artist (b. c.
1412
Year 1412 (Roman numerals, MCDXII) was a leap year starting on Friday on the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 16 – The Medici Family are made official bankers of the Papacy.
* January 25 – Ernest, Duke of ...
)
*
October 25
Events Pre-1600
* 285 or 286 – Execution of Crispin and Crispinian, Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers.
* 473 – Emperor Leo I (emperor), ...
–
Thaddeus McCarthy, Irish bishop (b. c.
1455)
*
November 6
Events Pre-1600
* 447 – A powerful earthquake destroys large portions of the Walls of Constantinople, including 57 towers.
* 963 – Synod of Rome: Emperor Otto I calls a council at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Pope John XII ...
–
Antoine Busnois, French composer and poet (b. c.
1430
1430 (Roman numerals, MCDXXX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 7 – Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, marries Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Po ...
)
*
November 9 –
Jami, Persian poet (b.
1414)
*
November 24 –
Loys of Gruuthuse, Earl of
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
(b. c.
1427
Year 1427 ( MCDXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 16 – The papacy of Pope Gabriel V of Alexandria, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, ends after a r ...
)
Exact date unknown
*
Ali al-Jabarti, Somali scholar and politician
*
Baccio Pontelli, Italian architect (b. c.
1450)
*
Dhammazedi, Burmese king of
Hanthawaddy (b.
1409
Year 1409 ( MCDIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Welsh surrender Harlech Castle to the English.
* January 18 – The Decree of Kutná Hora strengthe ...
)
*
Eric Clauesson, Swedish Norse pagan
*
Satal Rathore, Rao of Marwar
*
Sonni Ali, Songhai ruler
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:1492