Explore 88 historical events from 1490–1499.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish transatlantic voyages in the name of the Catholic Monarchs, opening…
Christopher Columbus arrives in the Canary Islands on his first voyage to the New World.
In linguistics, grammar is the system of rules that governs how a natural language is structured and used, as evidenced by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the us…
The first grammar of the Spanish language (Gramática de la lengua castellana) is presented to Queen Isabella I.
Pope Innocent VIII, born Giovanni Battista Cybo, was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy o…
Innocent VIII, pope of the Catholic Church (born 1432)
Beatrice of Silva, born Beatriz de Menezes da Silva, was a Portuguese noblewoman who became the foundress of the monastic Order of the Immaculate Conception. Amadeus of Portugal's …
Beatrice of Silva, Dominican nun
A papal conclave was held from 6 to 11 August 1492 to elect a new pope to succeed Innocent VIII, who had died on 25 July 1492. Of the 27 members of the College of Cardinals, all bu…
The first conclave to be held in the Sistine Chapel elected Roderic Borja as Pope Alexander VI to succeed Innocent VIII.
The Kingdom of Kongo was a kingdom in Central Africa. It was located in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Gabon and…
Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I
Suzanne de Bourbon was suo jure Duchess of Bourbon and Auvergne from 1503 to her death alongside her husband Charles III.
Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon (died 1521)
Henry VIII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 22 April 1509, and King of Ireland from 18 June 1542, until his death in 1547.
Henry VIII of England (died 1547)
Maria of Jülich-Berg was the Duchess of Jülich-Berg, as the daughter of Wilhelm IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sibylle of Brandenburg. She became heiress to her father's estates of Jü…
Maria of Jülich-Berg, German noblewoman (died 1543)
Innocenzo Cybo was an Italian cardinal and archbishop.
Innocenzo Cybo, Italian cardinal (died 1550)
Afonso, Hereditary Prince of Portugal was the heir apparent to the throne of Portugal. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in a horse-riding accident on the banks of the rive…
Afonso, Portuguese prince (born 1475)
The Kingdom of Kongo was a kingdom in Central Africa. It was located in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Gabon and…
Nkuwu Nzinga, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo, was baptised as João I by Portuguese missionaries
Albert of Prussia was a German prince who was the 37th grand master of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia, th…
Albert, Duke of Prussia, last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (died 1568)
Albert von Brandenburg was a German cardinal, elector, Archbishop of Mainz from 1514 to 1545, and Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545.
Albert of Brandenburg, German archbishop (died 1545)
Joanna of Portugal OP was a Portuguese regent princess of the House of Aviz, daughter of King Afonso V of Portugal and his first wife, Queen Isabel of Coimbra. She served as regent…
Joanna, Portuguese princess and regent (born 1452)
Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent, KB, English administrator, nobleman and magnate, was the son of Sir John Grey, KG and Constance Holland. His main residence was at Wrest near Silsoe,…
Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent, English administrator, nobleman and magnate (born 1416)