1443 CE
The strongest earthquake on record in Poland kills at least 30 people and damages buildings in Kraków and Wrocław, and in Timișoara and Oradea in Romania. Skanderbeg and his forces, rebelling against the Ottoman Empire, liberate Krujë, in Middle Albania, and raise the Albanian flag. King Sejong the Great of Korea announces the creation of the Hunminjeongeum (literally "The Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People") a manual for Hangul, a standardized writing system for the Korean language.
In the 1440s, the 15th century.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
Conflict & Security
- July 22 – Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl (Old Zurich War): The forces of the city of Zurich are defeated, but the Swiss Confederacy have insufficient strength to besiege and take the city.source
- August 14 – The Siege of Dieppe, an attempt by England's Earl of Shrewsbury to capture the French port at Normandy and France's access to the English Channel, fails after nine months.source
- August - John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset lands with 8,000 strong English force at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin during the Hundred Years WarFrancesource
- November 8 – Battle of Niš: John Hunyadi and the army of the Crusade of Varna defeat three armies of the Ottoman Empire, and capture the city of Niš in modern-day Serbia; Skanderbeg deserts the Ottoman camp and goes to Albania.source
- November 28 – Skanderbeg and his forces, rebelling against the Ottoman Empire, liberate Krujë, in Middle Albania, and raise the Albanian flag.source
- December 12 – At the Battle of Zlatitsa in what is now Bulgaria, Ottoman troops under the Sultan Murad II and General Kasim Pasha defeat an attack by John Hunyadi and the forces of Hungary, Croatia, Poland and Serbia.source
- December 24 – The Christian crusaders under Hunyadi begin their retreat westward after their defeat at Zlatica, and the Ottoman forces follow them, with a confrontation ultimately taking place on January 2 at the Battle of Kunovica.source
- Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II.source
- In Moldavia, the conflict between brothers and co-rulers Iliaș and Stephen II reignites, and Stephen captures Iliaș and blinds him, thus remaining sole ruler of the country.source
Exploration & Expansion
Religion & Belief
- January 1 – Pope Eugene IV called for Christians under his jurisdiction to participate in the Crusade of Varna against the incursions of the Ottoman Empire into Central Europe.source
- May 13 – John Stafford is appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury by Pope Eugene IV.source
- June 14 – Pope Eugene IV and King Alfonso V of Naples reach a forma agreement at Terracina, with the Pope recognizing Alfonso as the rightful King and Prince Ferrante as heir to the throne, while Alfonso agrees to stop support of the antipope Amadeus VII and the Council of Basel.source
- September 28 – Pope Eugene IV returns to Rome for the first time in more than nine years, after having been forced to flee on June 4, 1434.source
- December 24 – In Poland, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Siewierz sells the duchy of Siewierz to Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Bishop of Kraków, for 6,000 silver coins (Prague groschen), equivalent to at least 21 kg or 750 ounces of silver.source
- December 30 – King Sejong the Great of Korea announces the creation of the Hunminjeongeum (literally "The Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People") a manual for Hangul, a standardized writing system for the Korean language.source
- The Buddhist Zhihua Temple (智化寺) is built in Beijing, at the order of Wang Zhen, chief eunuch at the court of the Emperor Yingzong of Ming Dynasty China.source
- King Sejong the Great starts to create Hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language, with his scholars.source
Technology & Infrastructure
- October 22 – Pedro de Portugal, Duke of Coimbra and regent for the 11-year old King Afonso V, grants letters patent to his younger brother Dom Henrique of Navegador ("Prince Henry the Navigator"), giving Henrique an exclusive monopoly over all navigation south of Cape Bojador, whether for the purpose of war or trade, as well as a commission on any African goods or slaves brought back to mainland Portugal.source
Science & Discovery
- January 28 – Raffaele Adorno was elected as the new Doge of the Republic of Genoa.source
Climate & Environment
Culture & Society
- January 1 – The coronation of Christoffer III as King of Denmark and of his wife Dorothea of Brandenburg, as Queen Consort, took place at the Vor Frue Maria Dormkirke in Ribe, nearly three years after he had first claimed the throne on April 9, 1440.source
- February 26 – The Spanish monarch, King Alfonso V of Aragon, makes a triumphant entrance into the city of Naples in order to assume the throne of the Kingdom of Naples.source
- March 11 – At the age of 16 months old, Charlotte of Savoy, daughter of Louis, Duke of Savoy, is betrothed in a ceremony to Frederick III of the House of Wettin, the 4-year-old son of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. No marriage takes place, however, and Charlotte will marry the Crown Prince of France in 1451.source
Births
- January 27 – Albert III, Duke of Saxony (died 1500)source
- February 2 – Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony (died 1484)source
- February 12 – Giovanni II Bentivoglio, Italian noble (died 1508)source
- February 23 – Matthias Corvinus, of Hungary (died 1490)source
- May 17 – Edmund, Earl of Rutland, brother of Kings Edward IV of England and Richard III of England (died 1460)source
- May 29 – Victor, Duke of Münsterberg, Reichsgraf, Duke of Münsterberg and Opava, Count of Glatz (died 1500)source
- May 31 or 1441 – Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, English noble, mother of King Henry VII, grandmother of King Henry VIII of England (died 1509)source
- June 29 – Anthony Browne, English knight (died 1506)source
- September 9 – Muhammad Jaunpuri (died 1505)source
- November 10 – Adolf III of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein, Germany noble (died 1511)source
- December 1 – Magdalena of France, French princess and regent of Navarre (died 1495)source
- 1 December - Magdalena of France, princess (died 1495)Francesource
- December 5 – Pope Julius II (died 1513)source
- Piero del Pollaiuolo, Italian painter (died 1496)source
- Ygo Gales Galama, Frisian warlord and freedom fighting rebel (died 1492)source
Deaths
- January 16 – Erasmo of Narni, Italian mercenary (born 1370)source
- January 28 – Robert le Maçon, Chancellor of Francesource
- 28 January - Robert le Maçon, royal advisor (born 1365)Francesource
- February – Guidantonio da Montefeltro, count of Urbino (born 1377)source
- March 24 – James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas (born 1371)source
- April 12 – Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterburysource
- April 12 – Henry Chichele, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury for almost 29 years, dies and is succeeded by John Stafford on May 13.source
- May 9 – Niccolò Albergati, Italian cardinal and diplomat (born 1373)source
- May – John II, Count of Nassau-Siegensource
- June 5 – Ferdinand the Holy Prince of Portugal (born 1402)source
- August 16 – Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shōgun (born 1434)source
- September 18 – Lewis of Luxembourg, Archbishop of Rouensource
- Jelena Balšić, Serbian duchess (born 1366)source
- date unknown – Infante Diogo, Constable of Portugalsource
- probable – Zeami Motokiyo, Japanese actor and playwright (born 1363)source
- Giolla na Naomh Mac Aodhagáin, Irish professor and historian.Irelandsource