1491

Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century

Decades: 1440s 1450s 1460s 1470s 1480s - 1490s - 1500s 1510s 1520s 1530s 1540s

Years: 1486 1487 1488 1489 1490 - 1491 - 1492 1493 1494 1495 1496

• December 6 - King Charles VIII marries Anne de Bretagne[?], thus incorporating Brittany into the kingdom of France.
• A major fire breaks out in Dresden.

Births

• June 28 - Henry VIII, king of England (+ 1547)
• December 24(?) - Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (+ 1556)
• December 31 - Jacques Cartier, French explorer of Canada (+ 1557)
• Martin Bucer, German Protestant reformer

Deaths

• Jean Balue, French cardinal, statesman
• William Caxton, first English printer
• John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (b. 1442)

Sciences

• Nicolaus Copernicus enters Krakow university, and meets astronomy for the first time