1497 CE

At the public square in Florence, on Shrove Tuesday, followers of the charismatic Dominican friar and evangelist Girolamo Savonarola carry out the first "bonfire of the vanities" and burn thousands of artworks, books, clothing, mirrors, music instruments, playing cards and other objects deemed by them to be a temptation to sin. The Russo-Swedish War (1495–1497) ends with a six year truce signed in Russia at Novgorod. Due to gathering unrest at home, the Swedish leader Sten Sture the Elder is forced to offer a peace to Ivan III of Moscow. Second Cornish Uprising in England: Perkin Warbeck lands near Land's End; on September 10 he is proclaimed as King in Bodmin.

In the 1490s, the 15th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 16 – At Westminster, King Henry VII opens his sixth English Parliament for a two-month session. The House of Commons elects Sir Thomas Englefield as its speaker.source
September 30 – The Treaty of Ayton establishes a seven-year peace between England and Scotland.source
October 6 – Sten Sture the Elder agrees to recognize Hans, King of Denmark and of Norway as the rightful King of Sweden and ends his 27-year term as the Swedish Regent.source
October 18 – The nobles of Sweden's estates formally elect King Hans of Denmark and Norway as King of Sweden, restoring the power of the Kalmar Union.source

Conflict & Security

March 3 – The Russo-Swedish War (1495–1497) ends with a six year truce signed in Russia at Novgorod. Due to gathering unrest at home, the Swedish leader Sten Sture the Elder is forced to offer a peace to Ivan III of Moscow.source
May – The Cornish Rebellion breaks out in England, incited by war taxes.source
June 17 – Battle of Deptford Bridge near London: Cornish rebels under Michael An Gof are soundly defeated by Henry VII.source
September 7 – Second Cornish Uprising in England: Perkin Warbeck lands near Land's End; on September 10 he is proclaimed as King in Bodmin.source
September 28 – At the Battle of Rotebro, Hans, King of Denmark, defeats Sten Sture the Elder.source
October 4 – Leaders of the Second Cornish Uprising surrender to the King at Taunton; the following day, Warbeck, having deserted his army, is captured at Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire.source

Exploration & Expansion

April 18 – Captain Andrea Loredan of the Republic of Venice departs southward on the Adriatic Sea on a large, heavily-armed warship with a crew of 450, with a mission of locating the Spanish Navarrese pirate Pedro Navarro.source
May 10 – Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz, for his first voyage to the New World. The account of a voyage (lasting until October 15, 1498) is doubted because the only mention of it is in a letter written six years later, and the course described would have traveled across the land of Mexico and into the Pacific Ocean.source
May 20 – Italian-born explorer John Cabot sets sail from Bristol in England, on the ship Matthew (principally owned by Richard Amerike), looking for new lands to the west (some sources give a May 2 date).source
June 24 – John Cabot lands in North America (near modern-day Bonavista, Newfoundland).source
July 8 – Vasco da Gama's fleet departs from Lisbon, beginning his expedition to India.source
July – Perkin Warbeck, Pretender to the English throne, lands in the south of Ireland but attracts little support.Ireland source
November 7 – Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and his crew become the first Europeans to set foot on South African soil as the ship São Gabriel arrives at St Helena Bay and makes landfall.source
November 22 – The Vasco da Gama expedition discovers the first sea route from Europe to India as he and his crew, on four ships, round the Cape of Good Hope.source
December 16 – The Vasco da Gama expedition travels past the Great Fish River on South Africa's Eastern Cape and sails into previously unexplored waters in the Indian Ocean.source
The Ottomans give Russian merchants freedom of trade within the empire.source

Religion & Belief

March 19 – Persecution of Jews and Muslims by Manuel I of Portugal: Forced conversion of Jews in Portugal begins.source
May 12 – Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola.source
June 26 – The coronation of Federico di Trastamara, son of King Alfonso II, as King of Naples takes place at Barletta Cathedral.source
June 27 – At what is supposed to be a meeting at Nysa about a united front by the nobility of Poland against the Ottoman Empire, Nicholas II of Niemodlin (Mikołaj II Niemodlińsk), the Duke of Opole in Poland as well as ruler of the duchies of Niemodlin, Brzeg, and Strzelce, attempts to stab two of the other nobles attending, Casimir II, Duke of Cieszyn and the Bishop Jan IV Roth. Nicholas is beheaded the next day.source
November 7 – Philibert II of Savoy (Filiberto II) becomes the new Duke of Savoy upon the death of his father, Philip II (Filippo II), who had reigned for only 19 months.source
Benefit of Clergy Act 1496, requiring that charges against a church official for treason must be tried in a government court of law. For other charges, clergymen may still have the benefit of being tried by an ecclesiastical court under canon law.source

Economy & Finance

June 13 – Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, issue the ordinance of Medina del Campo, creating a money system based on the copper maravedí, creating the peso of 34 maravedis. In the next three centuries, this system will dominate international payments. It will be used in almost all parts of the Americas and large parts of Asia. It is the basis for a number of modern currencies, including the U.S. dollar.source

Science & Discovery

Weights and Measures Act 1496, standardizing units of weight and of volume throughout England. Specifically, the smallest unit, the "sterling" is set at the weight of 32 corns of wheat, 20 sterlings are an ounce, 12 ounces are a pound. A gallon of wheat must weight 8 pounds Troy weight, and a 12-gallon bushel must weight 64 pounds.source
Ivan the Great of Russia issues his law code, the Sudebnik.source

Health & Medicine

October – Persecution of Jews and Muslims by Manuel I of Portugal: Date under the decree of December 5, 1496, by which Portuguese Jews who have not converted are to be expelled from the country.source

Crime & Justice

February 7 – At the public square in Florence, on Shrove Tuesday, followers of the charismatic Dominican friar and evangelist Girolamo Savonarola carry out the first "bonfire of the vanities" and burn thousands of artworks, books, clothing, mirrors, music instruments, playing cards and other objects deemed by them to be a temptation to sin.source

Disasters & Accidents

December 23 – Sheen Palace is destroyed by fire. Henry VII of England rebuilds it as Richmond Palace.source

Climate & Environment

A famine "prevailed through all Ireland", according to the Annals of the Four Masters.source

Culture & Society

7 November – Philibert II becomes Duke of SavoyFrance source
November 26 – The coronation of Hans of Denmark as King of Sweden takes place at Stockholm, as he adopts the regnal name of King Johann II of Sweden.source
Iamblichus' De mysteriis Aegyptorum edited by Marsilio Ficino is published.source

Births

February 16 – Philip Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (died 1560)source
February 19 – Matthäus Schwarz, German fashion writer (died 1574)source
March – Giovanni Paolo I Sforza, Italian condottiero (died 1535)source
April 2 – Georg Giese, German merchant (died 1562)source
April 16 – Mōri Motonari, Japanese daimyō (died 1571)source
April 17 – Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish conquistador (died 1553)source
May 3 – Wilhelm IV of Eberstein, President of the Reichskammergericht (died 1562)source
May 21 – Al-Hattab, Tripolitanian Muslim jurist (died 1547)source
June 27 – Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (died 1546)source
July 15 – Francis of Denmark, Danish prince (died 1511)source
August 18 – Francesco Canova da Milano, Italian composer (died 1543)source
September 10 – Wolfgang Musculus, German theologian (died 1563)source
October 29 – Benedetto Accolti the Younger, Italian cardinal (died 1549)source
John Heywood, English playwright (died 1580)source
Date unknown – Jean Fernel, physicianFrance source

Deaths

January 3 – Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Milan (born 1475)source
January 30 – Lê Thánh Tông, Emperor of Vietnam (born 1442)source
February 6 – Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer (born c. 1410)source
6 February – Johannes Ockeghem, composer (born c. 1410)France source
May 26 – Antonio Manetti, Italian mathematician and architect (born 1423)source
June 14 – Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandía (assassinated) (b.1474)source
June 27 – Thomas Flamank, Cornish rebel leader (executed)source
June 27 – Michael An Gof, Cornish rebel leader (executed)source
June 28 – James Tuchet, 7th Baron Audley (born c. 1463)source
July – Estêvão da Gama, Portuguese explorer ( b. c. 1430)source
August 24 – Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Pomerania (born 1435)source
October 4 – John, Prince of Asturias, only son of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile (born 1478)source
November 7 – Philip II, Duke of Savoy (born 1443)source
7 November – Philip II, Duke of Savoy (born 1438)France source
November 30 – Anna Sforza, Italian noble (born 1476)source
Albert Brudzewski, Polish astronomer (born 1445)source
James Ormonde, Lord Treasurer of Ireland, Earl of Ormonde (born c. 1418)Ireland source