1440s

1 Events Zhu Quan writes the Cha Pu (Tea manual) in

China.
1.1 1440
1.2 1441
1.1.1 JanuaryDecember
February The Republic of Venice annexes the
February 21 The Prussian Confederation is seigniory of Ravenna, ending the Da Polenta dy-
formed. nasty.
April 9 Christopher of Bavaria is elected King of
February 12 Kings College, Cambridge, is
Denmark.
founded by King Henry VI of England.
April Murad II lays siege to Belgrade. The city is
November 10 Alfonso V of Aragon lays siege to
heavily damaged, but the defenders use of artillery
Naples.
prevents the Turks from capturing the city.
September 13 Gilles de Rais is taken into cus-
1.2.1 Date unknown
tody upon an accusation brought against him by the
Bishop of Nantes.
Ouagadougou becomes the capital of the Mossi
September The term of Regent of Sweden Karl Kingdoms.
Knutsson Bonde ends as newly elected king of Den-
Two Ethiopians attend an ecclesiastical council at
mark Christopher of Bavaria is also elected king of
Florence, as part of the negotiations concerning
Sweden.
a possible union of Coptic Orthodox and Roman
October 22 Gilles de Rais confesses and is sen- Catholic Christianity. This is the earliest recorded
tenced to death. contact of the Ethiopian Church with Europe.
A revolt occurs in the Yucatn capital Mayapan; the
1.1.2 Date unknown Maya civilization splits into warring city-states.

Itzcatl, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan, dies and is suc-
ceeded by Moctezuma I (Moctezuma Ilhuicamina).
Lorenzo Valla's De falso credita et ementita Con-
stantini Donatione declamatio demonstrates that the
Donation of Constantine is a forgery.
Eton College is founded by Henry VI of England.
Sir Richard Molyneux is appointed constable of
Liverpool Castle in England.
The Ming dynasty government of China begins a
decade-long series of issuing harsh edicts towards
those who illegally mine silver, the latter known as
1.3 1442
'miner bandits (kuangzei), a trend begun in 1438.
1.3.1 JanuaryDecember
The government wants to cap the amount of silver
circulating into the market as more grain taxes are
converted into silver taxes. The government estab-
lishes community night watches known as 'watches
and tithings (baojia) who ensure that illegal mining
activities are brought to a halt. However, these are
desperate measures, as illegal silver mining contin-
ues to thrive as a dangerous but lucrative venture.
With the help of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, gov-
ernor Haci Giray declares his province independent
of the Golden Horde and establishes the Crimean
Khanate.
Nuno Tristo reaches the Cabo Branco in the west-
ern coast of Africa. This is probably the rst voyage
where a caravel is used for maritime exploration.
The rst black African slaves are brought to Europe,
at Lagos in Portugal.
March 1825 Battle of Hermannstadt: John Hun-
yadi defeats an army of the Ottoman Empire 80,000
strong, led by Mesid Bey of Vidin, near Sibiu in
Transylvania.
June 2 Alfonso of Aragon proclaimed himself
King of Naples.

1
2 1 EVENTS
September John Hunyadi defeats another army of
the Ottoman Empire 70,000 strong, led by Hadm
ehabeddin, Beylerbey (or governor) of Rumelia,
near the Ialomia River. Following this, he places
Basarab II as ruler of Wallachia.
1.3.2 Date unknown
The community of Rauma, Finland is granted its 1.5 1444
town rights.
The municipality of Juva, Finland is founded.
The national law of Kristofers landslag is introduced
in Sweden.
After being imprisoned (before September) by the
Sultan, Vlad II Dracul is temporarily replaced as
ruler of Wallachia by his son Mircea II.
A fourth tower is added to Liverpool Castle in
England.
Jelena Bali completes writing the Goriki zbornik
manuscripts at her church of St. Mary on the island
of Beka in the Serbian Despotate.
1.4 1443
1.4.1 JanuaryDecember
July 22 Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl (Old Zrich
War): The forces of the city of Zrich are defeated
but the Swiss Confederacy have insucient strength
to besiege and take the city.
November 8 Battle of Ni: John Hunyadi and the
army of the Crusade of Varna defeat three armies
of the Ottoman Empire and capture the city of Ni
in modern-day Serbia; Skanderbeg deserts the Ot-
toman camp and goes to Albania.
November 28 Skanderbeg and his forces, rebelling
against the Ottoman Empire, liberate Kruj, in Mid-
dle Albania, and raise the Albanian ag.
1.4.2 Date unknown
In Moldavia, the conict between brothers and co- 1.5.2 Date unknown
rulers Ilia and Stephen II reignites, and Stephen
captures Ilia and blinds him, thus remaining sole
ruler of the country.
Portuguese explorer Nuno Tristo penetrates the
Arguin Gulf o the west coast of Africa.
King Sejong the Great establishes Hangul as the na-
tive alphabet of the Korean language.
Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of
Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II.
The Buddhist Zhihua Temple ( ) is built in
Beijing at the order of Wang Zhen, chief eunuch at
the court of the Zhengtong Emperor of Ming dy-
nasty China.
1.5.1 JanuaryDecember
March 2 The League of Lezh, an alliance of
Albanian principalities, is established in Lezh;
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg is proclaimed com-
mander of the Albanian resistance.
May 22 The Treaty of Tours, signed between
England and France, secures a truce in the Hundred
Years War for 5 years.
June 15 Cosimo de' Medici founds the Laurentian
Library in Florence.
June 29 Skanderbeg defeats an Ottoman army at
the Battle of Torvioll.
August 15 Peace of Szeged between the Turkish
Ottoman Empire and the Hungary.
August 26 Old Zrich War Battle of St. Jakob
an der Birs: Charles VII of France, seeking to send
away troublesome troops made idle by the truce with
England, sends his son the Dauphin Louis with a
large army into Switzerland to support the claims
of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor. The mas-
sively outnumbered Swiss force is destroyed in this
battle, but inict such casualties on the French that
they withdraw.
August After making peace with the Karamanids,
Ottoman Sultan Murad II abdicates in favor of his
son Mehmed II.
November 10 Battle of Varna: The crusading
forces of King Wadysaw III of Poland and Hun-
gary are crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad
II. Wadysaw is killed, ending the Jagiellonian
Union of Hungary and Poland.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, as ruler of the
Despotate of the Morea, invades the Duchy of
Athens (at this time under Florentine control) and
forces it to pay tribute and to return Thebes to the
Byzantine Empire.
Forces of the Sultan of Egypt fail to take Rhodes
from the Knights of Rhodes.
1.8 1447
Portuguese explorers reach the mouth of the rivers
Senegal and Gambia.
Portuguese eet of caravels led by Lanarote de Fre-
itas lands 235 slaves at Algarve, Portugal.
The rst European slave market for the sale of
African slaves, the Mercado de Escravos, opens in
Lagos, Portugal.
A serious re occurs at Old St Pauls Cathedral in
London.
The Iguvine Tablets are discovered at Gubbio, Italy.
Stephen II of Moldavia takes as co-ruler his step
brother Petru, also brother-in-law to John Hunyadi.
1.6 1445
1.6.1 JanuaryDecember
October 10 Battle of Mokra: The Albanian forces
under Skanderbeg defeated the Ottoman forces.
(Pope Eugene IV raised a hymn as a praise that
Christendom has been provided with a new defender
after he heard of the battle.)
1.6.2 Date unknown
The Portuguese set up their rst trading post
(Feitoria) in Africa, on the island of Arguin.
Portuguese explorer Dinis Dias discovers the Cap-
Vert in the western coast of Africa.
1.8
Battle of Gomit: Emperor Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia 1.8.1 JanuaryDecember
defeats and kills Sultan Arwe Badlay of Adal.
Vlad II Dracul, aided by a crusaders eet from
Burgundy, attacks Giurgiu and massacres the Ot-
toman garrison after their surrender.
Stephen II remains sole ruler of Moldavia.
1.7 1446
1.7.1 JanuaryDecember
September 27 The Skanderbeg defeats the
Ottomans in the Battle of Otonet.
Before October Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman
Empire is forced to abdicate in favor of his father
Murad II by the Janissaries.
October Murad II invades Attica, forcing
Constantine XI to return Thebes to the duchy of
Athens and remove the tribute imposed in 1444.
Murad II imposes his own tribute.
3
October 9 The hangul alphabet is created in Korea
by King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The Hunmin
Jeongeum published during the year is considered
the start of this brand new scientic writing system.
December 10 After hesitating for several weeks,
Murad II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, destroys
the Hexamilion wall in an assault that includes
cannons. Murad and the Ottoman governor of
Thessaly, Turakhan Beg ravage the Peloponnese
peninsula at will, with the Sultan devastating the
northern shore until Glarentza and Turakhan raid-
ing in the interior. The Despotate of the Morea is
turned into an Ottoman vassal state.[1]
1.7.2 Date unknown
Nuno Tristo is killed by natives in the coast of
Senegal.
Portuguese navigator lvaro Fernandes reaches the
mouth of the Casamance River in Senegal.
The Precious Belt Bridge in China is fully recon-
structed.
In Italy, the siege of Cremona by the condottieri
troops of Francesco Piccinino and Luigi dal Verme
is raised after the arrival of Scaramuccia da Forl.
The Blarney Stone is set into a tower of Blarney Cas-
tle in Blarney, County Cork in Ireland.
1447
March 6 Pope Nicholas V succeeds Pope Eugene
IV, to become the 208th pope.
March 16 A major re destroys the centre of
Valencia.
July 15 The Spanish Inquisition is revived.
December
Vlad II Dracul, ruler of Wallachia, and his el-
dest son Mircea are assassinated. Vladislav II
succeeds him with the assistance of John Hun-
yadi.
The AlbanianVenetian War of 144748 be-
gins.
1.8.2 Date unknown
Roman II seizes the throne of Moldavia after killing
his uncle, Stephen II, and will have his other uncle,
Petru III as co-ruler.
4 5
The Siege of Soest in the course of the Soest Feud.
According to Ry's own sources, Iizasa Ienao founds
Tenshin Shden Katori Shint-ry, the earliest his-
torically veriable Japanese kory martial art that is
still extant in modern times.
1.9 1448
1.9.1 JanuaryDecember
January 6 Christopher of Bavaria, King of Den-
mark, Norway and Sweden dies with no designated
heir, leaving all three kingdoms with vacant thrones.
Brothers Bengt Jnsson Oxenstierna and Nils Jns-
son Oxenstierna are selected to serve as co-regents
of Sweden.
August 14 Battle of Oronichea results in Albanian
victory: Peace between Albania and Venice is estab-
lished on October 4.
June 20 The Regency period of Sweden ends with
the election of Karl Knutsson Bonde as King Charles
VIII of Sweden.
June 28 Charles VIII of Sweden is publicly hailed
as king at Mora Stones and is crowned in Uppsala
Cathedral the following day.
September 28 Christian of Oldenburg, betrothed
to Queen Dowager Dorothea of Brandenburg, be-
comes King Christian I of Denmark.
October 17 Battle of Kosovo: Hungarian forces
under John Hunyadi are defeated by the Turks due
to Ottoman superiority
December Jonas, a Russian bishop, is installed
by the Council of Russian bishops in Moscow as
Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus;[2] as this is with-
out the consent of the Patriarch of Constantinople it
signies the beginning of an eectively independent
church structure in the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
1.9.2 Date unknown
Queens College, Cambridge is founded by Margaret
of Anjou.
The Vatican Library is founded by Pope Nicholas V.
Vlad III the Impaler becomes reigning Prince of
Wallachia for two months before being deposed by
Vladislav II.
After a long episode of drought, ood, locust infes-
tation, and famine in Ming Dynasty China since the
year 1434, these natural aictions nally wane and
agriculture and commerce return to a state of nor-
mality.
REFERENCES
Roman II ees to Poland when an army sent by John
Hunyadi and led by Csupor de Monoszl comes to
put Petru III on the throne of Moldavia. Petru III
dies suddenly, and Csupor takes on the throne for
two months, as Ciubr Vod.
1.10 1449
January 6 Constantine XI Palaiologos is crowned
Byzantine Emperor at Mistra. He will be the last in
a line of rulers that can be traced to the founding of
Rome.
February Alexndrel seizes the throne of Moldavia
with the support of the boyars.
April 7 The last Antipope, Felix V, abdicates.
April 19 Pope Nicholas V is elected by the Council
of Basel.
April 25 The Council of Basel dissolves itself.
May 14 Second Siege of Sfetigrad (1449): Garri-
son surrenders and Ottomans seize the fortress.
May 20 Tensions between King Afonso V of Por-
tugal and Peter, Duke of Coimbra erupt at the Battle
of Alfarrobeira. Defeat of the Dukes forces.
August 13 First Margrave War: Albrecht III
Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg takes Lichtenau
Fortress from Nuremberg.
September 3 Battle of Tumu Fortress: The Oirat
Mongols defeat the Ming dynasty army and cap-
ture the Zhengtong Emperor of China; the latter is
ocially deposed while his brother ascends as the
Jingtai Emperor the next year.
October Bogdan II of Moldavia enters the coun-
try with troops from John Hunyadi and takes on the
throne after Alexndrel ees.
October 29 The French recapture Rouen from the
English.
2 Signicant people
3 Births
4 Deaths
5 References
[1] Setton, Kenneth M. (1978), The Papacy and the Levant
(12041571), Volume II: The Fifteenth Century, DIANE
Publishing, pp. 9697, ISBN 0-87169-127-2
 5

[2] "". Retrieved 5 March 2015.

6 6 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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