1454 CE

Mehmed II, the Muslim Sultan of the Ottoman empire, restores the Christian Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, and appoints the Byzantine Greek theologian Gennadius Scholarius as the Patriarch Gennadius II. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, becomes Protector for King Henry VI of England, who is in a catatonic state. Nikola Skobaljić, the Serbian voivode of Dubočica who had resisted Ottoman rule, is defeated by the armies of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and is taken prisoner. Skobaljić is executed by impalement at the Mehmed's command, and his head is sent to Constantinople to serve as an example of the punishment for people who resist the Ottoman Sultan.

In the 1450s, the 15th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • April 9 – Treaty of Lodi: Francesco Sforza forms a triple alliance between the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence and Kingdom of Naples.source
  • June 13 – The canton of St. Gallen is accepted as an associate state of the Swiss Confederation.source
  • October 9 – Thirteen Years' War: The Malbork treaty is concluded between the authorities of the Teutonic Order and the mercenary forces fighting for the Teutonic Order.source
  • The Statutes of Nieszawa are enacted in Poland.source

Conflict & Security

  • March 6 – Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland renounces allegiance to the Teutonic Knights and the Prussian Confederation pledges its allegiance to him.source
  • March 27 – Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, becomes Protector for King Henry VI of England, who is in a catatonic state.source
  • May 28 – King Casimir IV of Poland receives an oath of allegiance from the citizens of Toruń and other cities in the Chelmno area.source
  • July 12 – Within the Duchy of Pomerania in Germany, the Hanseatic League town of Stralsund ends its resistance to the Pomeranian dukes and enters into a peace agreement.source
  • August 26 – At Elbistan, capital of the principality of Dulkadir, Malik Arslan becomes the new ruler upon the death of his father, Suleiman of Dulkadir.source
  • September 18 – Thirteen Years' War – Battle of Chojnice: The Polish army is defeated by a smaller but more professional Teutonic army.source
  • September 24 – At the Battle of Leskovac, Nikola Skobaljić, voivode of Dubočica, defeats Ottoman Turks invading Serbia.source
  • October 2 – At the Battle of Kruševac, the Serbian Army, commanded by General Skobaljić with the assistance of troops from John Hunyadi and Đurađ Branković, destroys Ottoman invaders commanded by Feriz Beg.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Isaac Zarfati sends a circular letter to Rhineland, Swabia, Moravia and Hungary, praising the happy conditions of the Jews under the crescent, in contrast to the "great torture chamber" under the cross, and urging them to come to the Ottoman Empire.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 6 – Mehmed II, the Muslim Sultan of the Ottoman empire, restores the Christian Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, and appoints the Byzantine Greek theologian Gennadius Scholarius as the Patriarch Gennadius II.source
  • February 4 – The cause of the Thirteen Years' War is set when the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederation sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master, and the citizens of Toruń rebel against the Teutonic Knights, beginning the conflict.source
  • May 8 – Catalan Grimaldi becomes the new Lord of Monaco upon the death of his father, Jean I Grimaldi.source
  • June 11 – In Poland, the landholders and bishops of Elbing (now Elbląg) pledge allegiance to King Casimir IV, and Danzig (now Gdańsk) follows on June 16.source
  • June 13 – Ulrich II, Count of Celje becomes the new Ban of Slavonia upon the death of his father, Frederick II.source
  • August 30 – The Italic League is concluded in Venice as an alliance between the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples.source
  • René, Duke of Alençon (d.1492)Francesource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • The press of Johannes Gutenberg (at Mainz on the Rhine) produces the first printed documents bearing a date.source

Health & Medicine

  • December – King Henry VI of England having regained his sanity dismisses the Duke of York as Protector.source

Crime & Justice

  • November 16 – Nikola Skobaljić, the Serbian voivode of Dubočica who had resisted Ottoman rule, is defeated by the armies of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and is taken prisoner. Skobaljić is executed by impalement at the Mehmed's command, and his head is sent to Constantinople to serve as an example of the punishment for people who resist the Ottoman Sultan.source

Climate & Environment

  • December 12 (Julian calendar, December 21 Gregorian) – (24th day of 11th month of Kyotuku 3) An earthquake estimated by geologists at 8.4 magnitude strikes off the east coast of Japan and causes a tsunami that kills an indeterminate number of people in the Kantō region and the Tōhoku region.source
  • The Drought of One Rabbit is recorded in Aztec history.source

Culture & Society

  • 17 February – The Feast of the Pheasant takes place in Lille.Francesource
  • June 19 – In Poland, Königsberg (now Kaliningrad in Russia) pledges its allegiance to Casimir IV with the city's Chancellor, Jan Taszka Koniecpolski, delivering the oath on behalf of the estates and cities of Lower Prussia.source
  • July 21 – At Valladolid, Enrique IV is proclaimed as the new King of Castile on the day after the death of his father, King Juan II.source
  • August 22 – In Moldavia, Petru Aron retakes the throne from Alexăndrel.source

Births

  • June 3 – Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania (1474–1523) (died 1523)source
  • June 16 – Joanna of Aragon, Queen of Naples (died 1517)source
  • July 14 – Poliziano, Italian humanist (died 1494)source
  • September 4 – Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, English politician (died 1483)source
  • September 24 – Gerold Edlibach, Swiss historian (died 1530)source
  • November 25 – Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus (died 1510)source
  • Domenico Maria Novara da Ferrara, Italian astronomer (died 1504)source
  • Pinturicchio, Italian painter (died 1513)source
  • Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany (died 1485)source
  • Choe Bu, Korean official and venturer to China (died 1504)source
  • Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of DesmondIrelandsource

Deaths

  • March 22 – John Kemp, Archbishop of Canterburysource
  • July 20 – King John II of Castile (born 1405)source
  • July 31 – In France, the rebel Pierre II de Montferrand, former Governor of Baye, is beheaded, drawn and quartered after his July 14 conviction for treason. Shortly afterward, Montferrand is beheaded, then drawn and quartered.source
  • December 10 – Ignatius Behnam Hadloyo, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.source
  • William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgowsource
  • Robert Wingfield, English politician (born 1403)source
  • Philippe de Culant, nobleman and soldier. (b.1413)Francesource