1440s

The1440sdecade ran from January 1, 1440, to December 31, 1449

Events

1440

January–December

• February-June–Praguerie:The French nobility rises up against KingCharles VII.
• February 21– ThePrussian Confederationis formed.
• April 9–Christopher of Bavariais electedKing of Denmark.
• April–Murad IIlays siege toBelgrade.The city is heavily damaged, but the defenders' use ofartilleryprevents theTurksfrom capturing the city.
• September 12–Eton Collegeis founded byHenry VI of England.
• September 13– Breton knightGilles de Raisis taken into custody, upon an accusation of murdering children brought against him by theBishop of Nantes.
• September– The term ofRegent of SwedenKarl Knutsson Bondeends, as newly elected king of DenmarkChristopher of Bavariais also elected king of Sweden.
• October 22–Gilles de Raisconfesses, and is sentenced to death.

Date unknown

• Itzcóatl,Aztecruler ofTenochtitlan,dies and is succeeded byMoctezuma I(Moctezuma Ilhuicamina).
• Lorenzo Valla'sDe falso credita et ementita Constantini Donatione declamatiodemonstrates that theDonation of Constantineis a forgery.
• Sir Richard Molyneux is appointed constable ofLiverpool Castle,inEngland.
• TheMing dynastygovernment ofChinabegins a decade-long series of issuing harsh edicts towards those who illegally minesilver,the latter known as 'miner bandits' (kuangzei), a trend begun in1438.The government wants to cap the amount of silver circulating into the market, as more grain taxes are converted into silver taxes. The government establishes community night watches known as 'watches and tithings' (baojia), who ensure thatillegal miningactivities are brought to a halt. However, these are desperate measures, as illegal silver mining continues to thrive as a dangerous but lucrative venture.
• Uwaifiokun,Oba of Benin,is killed by his brother, the Prince Ogun, who succeeds him asEwuare I.
• Zhu Quanwrites theCha Pu( "Tea Manual" ) inChina.

1441

January–December

• February– TheRepublic of Veniceannexes the seigniory ofRavenna,ending theda PolentaDynasty.
• February 12–King's College, Cambridge,is founded by KingHenry VI of England.
• March 1–Battle of Samobor:The army ofUlrich II, Count of Celje,defeats the army of Stjepan Banić atSamobor,Croatia in union with Hungary.
• September– TheDutch–Hanseatic Warconcludes with theTreaty of Copenhagen.
• November 10–Alfonso V of Aragonlays siege toNaples.
• November 20– ThePeace of Cremona (1441)ends the war between theRepublic of Veniceand theDuchy of Milan.

Date unknown

• Ouagadougoubecomes the capital of theMossi Kingdoms.
• Two subjects of theEthiopian Empireattend a Christian ecclesiastical council atFlorenceas part of negotiations concerning a possible union ofCoptic Orthodoxyand theLatin Church.This is the earliest recorded contact of the Ethiopian branch of the Coptic Church with Europe.
• A revolt occurs in theMayannation ofMayapan;theMaya civilizationsplits into warring city-states.
• With the help of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania,governorHacı I Giraydeclares his province independent of theGolden Hordeand establishes theCrimean Khanate.
• Nuno Tristãoreaches theRas Nouadhibou(Cabo Branco) on the western coast of Africa. This is probably the first voyage where acaravelis used for maritime exploration.
• The first enslaved black Africans are brought toEuropeatLagosin theKingdom of Portugal.

1442

January–December

• March 18–25–Battle of Hermannstadt:John Hunyadidefeats an army of theOttoman Empire(80,000 strong), led by Mesid Bey ofVidin,nearSibiuinTransylvania.
• June 2–Alfonso of Aragonproclaims himselfKing of Naples.
• September–John Hunyadidefeats another army of theOttoman Empire(70,000 strong), led byHadım Şehabeddin,Beylerbey(or governor) ofRumelia,near theIalomița River.Following this, he placesBasarab IIas ruler ofWallachia.

Date unknown

• The community ofRauma, Finlandis granted its town rights.
• The municipality ofJuva,Finlandis founded.
• The national law ofKristofers landslagis introduced in Sweden.
• After being imprisoned (before September) by the Sultan,Vlad II Draculis temporarily replaced, as ruler ofWallachia,by his sonMircea II.
• A fourth tower is added toLiverpool CastleinEngland.
• Jelena Balšićcompletes writing theGorički zbornikmanuscripts at her church of St. Mary, on the island ofBeškain theSerbian Despotate.
• Portuguesesailors first arrive at theSenegal River.

1443

January–December

• July 22–Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl(Old Zürich War): The forces of the city ofZürichare defeated, but theSwiss Confederacyhave insufficient strength to besiege and take the city.
• November 8–Battle of Niš:John Hunyadiand the army of theCrusade of Varnadefeat threearmies of the Ottoman Empire,and capture the city ofNišin modern-daySerbia;Skanderbegdeserts the Ottoman camp and goes toAlbania.
• November 28– Skanderbeg and his forces, rebelling against theOttoman Empire,liberateKrujë,in MiddleAlbania,and raise theAlbanian flag.

Date unknown

• InMoldavia,the conflict between brothers and co-rulersIliașandStephen IIreignites, and Stephen captures Iliaș and blinds him, thus remaining sole ruler of the country.
• PortugueseexplorerNuno Tristãopenetrates theArguinGulf, off the west coast of Africa.
• KingSejong the Greatstarts to crateHangul,the native alphabet of theKorean language,with his scholars.
• Vlad II Draculbegins his second term as ruler ofWallachia,succeedingBasarab II.
• The BuddhistZhihua Temple( trí hóa tự ) is built inBeijing,at the order ofWang Zhen,chiefeunuchat the court of theZhengtong EmperorofMing DynastyChina.
• A powerful earthquake destroys theTimișoara Fortressin theKingdom of Hungary

1444

January–December

• March 2– TheLeague of Lezhë,an alliance ofAlbanian principalities,is established inLezhë;George Kastrioti Skanderbegis proclaimed commander of theAlbanian resistance.
• May 22– TheTreaty of Tours,signed betweenEnglandandFrance,secures a truce in theHundred Years' Warfor five years.
• June 15–Cosimo de' Medicifounds a public library atSan Marco, Florence.
• June 29–Battle of Torvioll:Skanderbeg defeats an Ottoman army.
• August 6– A Portuguese fleet ofcaravels,led byLançarote de Freitas,lands 235 slaves atAlgarve,Portugal.
• August 15– ThePeace of Szegedis signed between the TurkishOttoman EmpireandHungary.
• August 26–Old Zürich War–Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs:Charles VII of France,seeking to send away troublesome troops made idle by the truce with England, sends his son (the DauphinLouis) with a large army into Switzerland, to support the claims ofFrederick III, Holy Roman Emperor.The massively outnumbered Swiss force is destroyed in this battle, but inflict such casualties on the French that they withdraw.
• August– After making peace with theKaramanids,Ottoman SultanMurad IIabdicates in favor of his sonMehmed II.
• November 10–Battle of Varna:The crusading forces of KingWładysław III of Polandand Hungary are defeated by the Turks, under SultanMurad II.Władysław is killed, ending the JagiellonianUnion of Hungary and Poland.

Date unknown

• Constantine XI Palaiologos,as ruler of theDespotate of the Morea,invades theDuchy of Athens(at this time under Florentine control), and forces it to pay tribute and returnThebesto theByzantine Empire.
• Forces of the Sultan of Egypt fail to takeRhodesfrom theKnights of Rhodes.
• Portuguese explorers reach the mouth of the riversSenegalandGambia.
• The first Europeanslave marketfor the sale of African slaves, theMercado de Escravos,opens inLagos, Portugal.
• A serious fire occurs atOld St Paul's Cathedralin London.
• TheIguvine Tabletsare discovered atGubbio,Italy.
• Stephen II of Moldaviatakes as co-ruler his step brotherPetru,also brother-in-law toJohn Hunyadi.

1445

January–December

• April–Henry VI of EnglandmarriesMargaret of Anjou.[2]
• October 10–Battle of Mokra:The Albanian forces underSkanderbegdefeat the Ottoman forces (Pope Eugene IVraises a hymn of praise, that Christendom has been provided with a new defender, after he hears of the battle).

Date unknown

• ThePortugueseset up their first trading post (Feitoria) in Africa, on the island ofArguin.
• PortugueseexplorerDinis Diasdiscovers theCap-Vert,on the western coast of Africa.
• Battle of Gomit:EmperorZara YaqobofEthiopiadefeats and kills SultanArwe Badlay,ofAdal.
• Vlad II Dracul,aided by a crusaders' fleet fromBurgundy,attacksGiurgiu,and massacres the Ottoman garrison after their surrender.
• Stephen IIremains sole ruler ofMoldavia.

1446

January–December

• March 6– The Battle of Ragaz marks the last military conflict of the Old Zurich War between theSwiss Confederacyand theHabsburgs.1,200 Confederates defeat the Austrian army, commanded by Hans von Rechberg and Wolfhard V. von Brandis, the Habsburg bailiff of Feldkirch. Among other things, the banners of the lords of Brandis are lost to the confederates and later transferred to the church in Sarnen. According to contemporary accounts, around 900 men from the Habsburg army and around 100 men from the Swiss army fell in the battle.
• June 6–John Hunyadiis proclaimed regent, bestowing the title "governor" upon him. His election is primarily promoted by the lesser nobility, but Hunyadi has by this time become one of the richest barons of the kingdom. His domains cover an area exceeding 800,000 hectares (2,000,000 acres).Hunyadi is one of the few contemporaneous barons who has spent a significant part of their revenues to finance the wars against the Ottomans, thus bearing a large share of the cost of fighting for many years.
• June 12– An armistice betweenDuchy of Austriaand theSwiss Confederationcomes into force.
• June 21–Lidköpinggets itscharter,and thus qualifies as one of the now defunctCities of Sweden.
• August–Christopher of Bavariaundertakes a fruitless military campaign against Gotland to endEric of Pomerania's piracy.
• August 24– After many years of fruitless negotiations betweenChristopher of BavariaandEric of Pomerania,a Swedish war march toGotlandis launched in the early summer of 1446. King Christopher comes with a force to the island and on an open field inVästergarnwith crossbowmen at gunpoint behind each monarch's back; regular peace negotiations take place.
• September 27–Battle of Otonetë:Skanderbegdefeats theOttomans.
• BeforeOctober–SultanMehmed IIof theOttoman Empireis forced to abdicate, in favor of his fatherMurad II,by theJanissaries.
• October 9– Thehangulalphabet is proclaimed inKorea,by KingSejong the Great.TheHunmin Jeongeum,published during the year, is considered the start of this brand new scientific writing system.
• October–Murad IIinvades Attica, forcingConstantine XIto returnThebesto the duchy of Athens,and remove the tribute imposed in1444.Murad IIimposes his own tribute.
• December 10– After hesitating for several weeks, SultanMurad II,of theOttoman Empire,destroys theHexamilion wall,in an assault that includescannons.Murad and the Ottoman governor ofThessaly,Turakhan Beg,ravage thePeloponnesePeninsula at will, with the Sultan devastating the northern shore, whileGlarentzaand Turakhan raid in the interior. TheDespotate of the Moreais turned into an Ottomanvassalstate.

Date unknown

• Nuno Tristãois killed by natives on the coast ofSenegal.
• PortuguesenavigatorÁlvaro Fernandesreaches the mouth of theCasamance RiverinSenegal.
• ThePrecious Belt Bridgein China is fully reconstructed.
• InItaly,the siege ofCremona,by thecondottieritroops of Francesco Piccinino and Luigi dal Verme, is raised after the arrival ofScaramuccia da Forlì.
• TheBlarney Stoneis set into a tower ofBlarney CastleinBlarney,County CorkinIreland.

1447

January–December

• March 6–Pope Nicholas VsucceedsPope Eugene IV,to become the 208thpope.
• March 16– A major fire destroys the centre ofValencia.
• September 15–Roman IIseizes the throne ofMoldaviaafter killing his uncle,Stephen II,and will have his other uncle,Petruas co-ruler.
• December
  • Vlad II Dracul,ruler ofWallachia,and his eldest sonMirceaare assassinated.Vladislav IIsucceeds him, with the assistance ofJohn Hunyadi.
  • TheAlbanian–Venetian Warof 1447–48 begins.

Date unknown

• The Siege ofSoest, Germany,occurs, in the course of theSoest Feud.
• Tashi Lhunpo Monasteryis founded by the1st Dalai Lamaat its original location inShigatse,Tibet.
• Iizasa IenaofoundsTenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū,the earliest historically verifiableJapanesekoryūmartial art,that will still be extant in modern times.

1448

January–December

• January 6–Christopher of Bavaria,King of Denmark,NorwayandSweden,dies with no designated heir, leaving all three kingdoms with vacant thrones. BrothersBengt Jönsson OxenstiernaandNils Jönsson Oxenstiernaare selected to serve as co-regents of Sweden.
• April 15–Queens' College, Cambridgeis founded byMargaret of Anjou.
• June 20– TheRegencyperiod ofSwedenends with the election of Karl Knutsson Bonde, as KingCharles VIII of Sweden.
• June 28–Charles VIII of Swedenis publicly hailed as king at Mora Stones, and is crowned in Uppsala Cathedral the following day.
• August 14–Battle of Oronichea:Albania is victorious overVenice.
• September 28– Christian of Oldenburg, betrothed toQueen DowagerDorothea of Brandenburg,becomes KingChristian I of Denmark.
• October 4– Peace betweenAlbaniaandVeniceis established.
• October 17–Battle of Kosovo:Hungarian forces underJohn Hunyadiare defeated by the Turks, due to Ottoman superiority.
• October–November–Vlad III the Impalerbecomes reigning Prince ofWallachiafor two months, before being deposed byVladislav II of Wallachia.
• December 20– Pope Nicholas V appointsRudolf of Diepholt,Bishop of Utrecht, as cardinal.
• December–Jonas,a Russian bishop, is installed by the Council of Russian Bishops in Moscow, asMetropolitan of Kiev and All Rus;as this is without the consent of the Patriarch of Constantinople, it signifies the beginning of an effectively independent church structure in theGrand Duchy of Moscow.

Date unknown

• Roman IIflees to Poland, when an army sent byJohn Hunyadi,and led by Csupor de Monoszló, comes to putPetruon the throne ofMoldavia.Petru dies suddenly, and Csupor takes on the throne for two months, asCiubăr Vodă.
• After a long episode of drought, flood,locustinfestation and famine inMing dynastyChinasince the year1434,these natural afflictions finally wane, and agriculture and commerce return to a state of normality.
• TheVatican Libraryis founded byPope Nicholas V.

1449

January–December

• January 6–Constantine XI Palaiologosis crownedByzantine EmperoratMistra;he will be the last in a line of rulers that can be traced to thefounding of Rome.
• February–Alexăndrelseizes the throne ofMoldavia,with the support of the boyars.
• March 24–Hundred Years' War:English forces captureFougèresin Brittany.
• April 7– The lastAntipope,Felix V,abdicates.
• April 19–Pope Nicholas Vis elected by theCouncil of Basel.
• April 25– TheCouncil of Baseldissolves itself.
• May– An English privateering fleet led by Robert Wennington challenges ships of theHanseatic League.
• May 14–Second Siege of Sfetigrad (1449):The Albanian garrison surrenders and theOttomansseize the fortress.
• May 20–Battle of Alfarrobeira:KingAfonso V of Portugaldefeats the forces ofPeter, Duke of Coimbra.
• July– Hundred Years' War: The French invadeNormandy.
• August 13– First Margrave War:Margrave Albrechttakes Lichtenau Fortress from Nuremberg.
• September 1–Battle of Tumu Fortress:TheOiratMongolsdefeat theMing dynastyarmy, and capture theZhengtong Emperorof China; the latter is officially deposed, while his brother ascends as theJingtai Emperorthe next year.
• October–Bogdan II of Moldaviaenters the country with troops fromJohn Hunyadi,and takes the throne afterAlexăndrelflees.
• October 29– The French recaptureRouenfrom the English.

Births

1440

• January 22:Ivan III of Russia(d.1505)
• February 13:Hartmann Schedel,German physician (d.1514)
• date unknown:Clara Tott,German court singer (d.1520)

1441

• February 9–Ali-Shir Nava'i,Central Asian poet, politician and writer (d.1501)
• March 24–Ernest, Elector of Saxony,German ruler of Saxony (d.1486)
• June 25–Federico I Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua(1478–1484) (d.1484)
• June 27–John III, Count of Nassau-Weilburg,German nobleman (d.1480)
• July 23–Danjong of Joseon,King ofJoseon(d.1457)
• November 11–Charlotte of Savoy,French queen (d.1483)

1442

• April 13–Henry IV of Neuhaus,High Treasurer of Bohemia (1485–1503), Burgrave of Prague Castle (1503–1507) (d.1507)
• April 15–John Paston,English noble (d.1479)
• April 28– KingEdward IV of England,King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 to 3 October 1480 (d.1483)
• July 3–Emperor Go-Tsuchimikadoof Japan (d.1500)
• July 15–Boček IV of Poděbrady,Bohemian nobleman, eldest son of King George of Podebrady (d.1496)
• September 8–John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford(d.1513)
• September 27–John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk(d.1492)
• date unknown
  • Ahmad Zarruq,Moroccan scholar and Sufi sheikh (d.1493)
  • Tamás Bakócz,Hungarian archbishop (d.1521)
  • Vannozza dei Cattanei,mistress ofPope Alexander VI

1443

• January 27–Albert III, Duke of Saxony(d.1500)
• February 2–Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony(d.1484)
• February 12–Giovanni II Bentivoglio,Italian noble (d.1508)
• February 23–Matthias Corvinus,of Hungary (d.1490)
• May 17–Edmund, Earl of Rutland,brother of KingsEdward IV of EnglandandRichard III of England(d.1460)
• May 29–Victor, Duke of Münsterberg,Reichsgraf, Duke of Münsterberg and Opava, Count of Glatz (d.1500)
• May 31or1441–Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby,English noble, mother of King Henry VII, grandmother of King Henry VIII of England (d.1509)
• June 29–Anthony Browne,English knight (d.1506)
• September 9–Muhammad Jaunpuri(d.1505)
• November 10–Adolf III of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein,Germany noble (d.1511)
• December 1–Magdalena of France,French princess and regent of Navarre (d.1495)
• December 5–Pope Julius II(d.1513)
• probable
  • Piero del Pollaiuolo,Italian painter (d.1496)
  • Ygo Gales Galama,Frisian warlord and freedom fighting rebel (d.1492)

1444

• January 24–Galeazzo Maria Sforza,Duke of Milan (d.1476)
• March 15–Francesco Gonzaga,Catholic cardinal (d.1483)
• April 22–Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk(d.1503)
• May 29–Otto III, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin (1460–1464) (d.1464)
• June 14–Nilakantha Somayaji,Indian astronomer-mathematician (d.1544)
• June 28–Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus(d.1487)
• October 18–John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk(d.1476)

• date unknown–Donato Bramante,Italian architect (d.1514)

1445

• March 16–Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg,Swiss-born priest (d.1510)
• April 4–Wiguleus Fröschl of Marzoll,Bishop of Passau (1500–1517) (d.1517)
• October 25–Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin,English baron (d.1479)
• October 31–Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg,Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg (d.1511)
• December 11–Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg(d.1496)
• date unknown–Albert Brudzewski,Polish astronomer (d.1497)
• probable–Nicolas Chuquet,French mathematician
• approximate–Sandro Botticelli,Italian painter (d.1510)

1446

• April 18–Ippolita Maria Sforza,Italian noble (d.1484)
• May 3
  • Frederick I of Liegnitz,Duke of Chojnów and Strzelin from 1453 (d.1488)
  • Margaret of York,duchess consort of Burgundy by marriage toCharles the Bold(d.1503)
• August 14–Andrey Bolshoy,Russian royal (d.1493)
• December 26–Charles de Valois, Duke de Berry,French noble (d.1472)
• date unknown–Edmund de Ros, 10th Baron de Ros,English politician (d.1508)
• probable
  • Alexander Agricola,Flemish composer (d.1506)
  • William Grocyn,English scholar (d.1519)
  • Pietro Perugino,Italian painter (d.1524)

1447

• February 1–Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg(d.1504)
• February 4–Lodovico Lazzarelli,Italian poet (d.1500)
• April 5–Catherine of Genoa,Italian author and nurse (d.1510)
• April 17–Baptista Mantuanus,poet and carmelite (d.1516)
• June 27–Jean IV de Rieux,Breton noble and Marshal (d.1518)
• July 5–Costanzo I Sforza,Italian noble (d.1483)
• September 10–Paolo da San Leocadio,Italian painter in Spain (d.1520)
• October 30–Lucas Watzenrode,Prince-Bishop of Warmia (d.1512)
• December 3–Bayezid II,Ottoman Sultan(d.1512)
• December 9–Chenghua Emperorof China (d.1487)
• December 15–Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria(d.1508)
• date unknown
  • Piero Capponi,Italian soldier and statesman (d.1496)
  • Philippe de Commines,Flemish historian (d.1511)
  • Catherine of Genoa,Catholic mystic (d.1510)
• probable
  • Giovanni Antonio Amadeo,Italian sculptor (d.1522)

1448

• February 14–Nannina de' Medici,Florentine member of the de' Medici family (d.1493)
• March 20–Marie of Savoy, Countess of Saint-Pol,Luxembourgian noble (d.1475)
• July 14–Philip, Elector Palatine(d.1508)
• September 7–Henry, Count of Württemberg-Montbéliard (1473–1482) (d.1519)
• October 31–Władysław II of Płock,Polish noble (d.1462)
• November 4– KingAlphonso II of Naples(d.1495)
• December 12–John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury,English Earl (d.1473)
• date unknown
  • Baeda Maryam of Ethiopia(d.1478)
  • Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine(d.1473)
  • Suor Barbara Ragnoni,Italian painter (d. 1533)

1449

• January 1–Lorenzo de' Medici,Italian statesman (d.1492)
• January 17–Osanna of Mantua,Italian Dominican tertiary (d.1505)
• February 7–Adriana of Nassau-Siegen,consort of Count Philip I of Hanau-Münzenberg (d.1477)
• April 27–Asakura Ujikage,8th head of the Asakura clan of Japan (d.1486)
• August 10–Bona of Savoy,Duchess of Savoy (d.1503)
• September 20–Philipp I, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg,German noble (d.1500)
• October 21–George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence,brother ofEdward IV of EnglandandRichard III of England(d.1478)
• November 11–Catherine of Poděbrady,Hungarian Queen (d.1464)
• November 14–Sidonie of Poděbrady,Bohemian princess, duchess consort of Saxony (d.1510)
• December 6–Dorotea Gonzaga,Italian noble (d.1467)
• date unknown
  • Aldus Manutius,Italian printer
  • Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus(d.1513)
  • Axayacatl,Aztec ruler ofTenochtitlan(d.1481)
  • Domenico Gagini,Italian sculptor (d.1492)
  • Domenico Ghirlandaio,Italian artist (d.1494)
  • Magnus Hundt,German physician and theologian (d.1519)
  • Margaret of Thuringia,Electress consort of Brandenburg (d.1501)
• probable
  • Ilham GhalikhanofKazan Khanate,(d.1490)
  • Srimanta Sankardeva,Assamese scholar and religious figure (d. c.1568)
  • Mandukhai Khatun,Mongolian queen

Deaths

1440

• March 9:Frances of Rome,ItalianBenedictinenun and saint (b.1384)
• March 20:Sigismund Kęstutaitis,Grand Duke of Lithuania(b.1365)
• April 2:Giovanni Vitelleschi,ItalianRoman Catholicbishop and soldier
• April 6:Henry Wardlaw,Scottish church leader
• September 20:Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg(b.1371)
• September 30:Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn,English soldier and politician
• October 12:Ginevra d'Este(b.1419)
• October 26:Gilles de Rais,French soldier (b.1404)
• November 13:Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmoreland
• date unknown:
  • Itzcóatl,AztecTlatoani(ruler) ofTenochtitlan
  • Uwaifiokun,Oba of Benin

• 
  SaintFrances of Rome
• 
  Sigismund Kęstutaitis
• 
  Giovanni Vitelleschi

1441

• March 8–Margaret of Burgundy, Duchess of Bavaria
• April 1–Blanche I of Navarre,Queen of Navarre (1425–1441) and Regent of Sicily (1404–1405 and 1408–1415)
• June 14–Corrado IV Trinci,former lord ofFoligno
• July 9–Jan van Eyck,Dutch painter
• July 12–Kyōgoku Takakazu,Japanese noble and vassal of Ashikaga Yoshinori
• July 12–Ashikaga Yoshinori,Japanese shōgun (b.1394)
• September 25–Akamatsu Mitsusuke,Japanese samurai
• October 24–Adolf, Duke of Bavaria(b.1434)
• October 27–Margery Jourdemayne,Englishwoman executed for treasonable witchcraft
• November 18–Roger Bolingbroke,English cleric, astronomer, astrologer, magister and alleged necromancer
• December 26–Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara(b.1383)

1442

• August 29–John VI, Duke of Brittany(b.1389)
• September 25–Robert de Morley, 6th Baron Morley,Lord of Morley Saint Botolph (b.1418)
• October 18–Infante João of Portugal(b.1400)
• November 14–Yolande of Aragon,politically active French noblewoman (b.1384)
• December 18–Pierre Cauchon,French Catholic bishop (b.1371)
• December 19–Elizabeth of Luxembourg(b.1409)
• date unknown
  • Al-Maqrizi,Egyptian Arab historian
  • Ahmed Shah,Sultan of Gujarat
  • Nguyễn Trãi,Vietnamese Confucian scholar.

1443

• January 16–Erasmo of Narni,Italian mercenary (b. 1370)
• January 28–Robert le Maçon,Chancellor of France
• February –Guidantonio da Montefeltro,count of Urbino (b. 1377)
• March 24–James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas(b. 1371)
• April 12–Henry Chichele,Archbishop of Canterbury
• May –John II, Count of Nassau-Siegen
• May 9–Niccolò Albergati,Italian cardinal and diplomat (b. 1373)
• June 5–Ferdinand the Holy Princeof Portugal (b. 1402)
• August 16–Ashikaga Yoshikatsu,Japanese shōgun (b. 1434)
• September 18–Lewis of Luxembourg,Archbishop of Rouen
• date unknown– InfanteDiogo, Constable of Portugal
  • Jelena Balšić,Serbian duchess (b. 1366)
• probable–Zeami Motokiyo,Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1363)

1444

• January 8–Wilhelm II, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen(b.1415)
• February 14–Henriette, Countess of Montbéliard,regent of Württemberg (b.1387)
• March 9–Leonardo Bruni,Italian humanist (b.1374)
• April 26–Robert Campin,Flemish painter (b.1378)
• May 20– SaintBernardino of Siena,Italian Franciscan missionary (b.1380)
• May 27–John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset,English military leader (b.1404)
• October 15–Niccolò Piccinino,Italian mercenary (b.1386)
• November 10– KingWładysław III of Poland(in battle) (b.1424)
• November 25–Martin Gouge,French chancellor
• date unknown–Pier Paolo Vergerio the Elder,Italian humanist, statesman, and canon lawyer

1445

• January 19–Antonio Correr,Venetian cardinal (b.1359)
• February 19–Leonor of Aragon,queen of Portugal (b.1402)
• April 7–Louis VIII, Duke of Bavaria,German noble (b.1403)
• May 15–Johanna van Polanen,Dutch noblewoman (b.1392)
• June 5–Leonel Power,English composer
• July 15–Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland
• August 2–Oswald von Wolkenstein,Austrian composer (b.1377)
• date unknown–Olug Moxammat of Kazan,Khan of Kazan

1446

• April 15–Filippo Brunelleschi,Italian architect (b.1377)
• May 9–Mary of Enghien,Queen of Naples (b.1367)
• May 24–Ambroise de Loré,Baron of Ivry (b.1396)
• June 11–Henry Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick,English nobleman (b.1425)
• December 28–Antipope Clement VIII
• February 2–Vittorino da Feltre,Italian humanist (b.1378)
• date unknown–Nuno Tristão,Portuguese explorer

1447

• February 23
  • Pope Eugene IV(b.1383)
  • Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester(b.1390)
• March 6–Colette of Corbie,French abbess and saint in the Catholic Church (b.1381)
• March 13–Shahrukh Mirza,ruler of Persia and Transoxonia (b.1377)
• March 31–Robert Long,English politician (b.1390)
• April 11–Henry Beaufort,Cardinal, Lord Chancellor ofEngland(b.1377)
• April 22–Yaqub al-Charkhi,Sufism (b.1359)
• May 1–Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt (b.1368)
• May 12–Hein Hoyer,German politician (b.1380)
• July 6–António Martins de Chaves,Catholic cardinal (b.1390)
• July 9–Gruffudd Vychan,Welsh knight (b.1390)
• July 13–Stephen II of Moldavia,Prince of Moldavia (b.1410)
• August 5–John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter,English nobleman and military commander (b.1395)
• August 9–Konrad IV the Elder,Polish priest (b.1380)
• August 13–Filippo Maria Visconti,Duke of Milan (b.1392)
• October 31–Tommaso Bellacci,Italian Roman Catholic professed member of the Third Order of Saint Francis (b.1370)
• November 17–Euphemia of Münsterberg,German sovereign (b.1385)
• November 21–Biagio Molino,Roman Catholic patriarch (b.1380)
• December –Vlad II Dracul,Prince of Wallachia, and his sonMircea II

1448

• January 6–Christopher of Bavaria,King of Denmark,Norway and Sweden (b.1418)
• June 18–Elizabeth de Beauchamp, Baroness Bergavenny,English baroness (b.1415)
• September 23–Adolph I, Duke of Cleves(b.1373)
• October–Carlo II Tocco,ruler of Epirus
• October 12–Zhu Quan,Prince of Ning, Chinese military commander, historian and playwright (b.1378)
• October 31–John VIII Palaeologus,Byzantine Emperor(b.1390)
• date unknown
  • Petru III of Moldavia

1449

• January 4–Cecilia of Brandenburg,Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (b. c.1405)
• January 21–Giovanni Berardi,Archbishop of Taranto (b.1380)
• February 2–Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani,Islamic scholar (b.1372)
• March–Dolce dell'Anguillara,Italian condottiero (b.1401)
• May–Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross,Lord of the Isles
• May 20(at the Battle of Alfarrobeira)
  • Álvaro Vaz de Almada, 1st Count of Avranches
  • Peter, Duke of Coimbra(b.1392)
• June 1–Polissena Sforza,Lady of Rimini (b. 1428)
• August 13–Louis IV, Elector Palatine(b.1424)
• October 27–Ulugh Beg,Timurid ruler and astronomer (b.1394)
• October 31–Elisabeth of Brandenburg, Duchess of Brzeg-Legnica and Cieszyn,German princess (b.1403)
• November 19–Kunigunde of Sternberg,first spouse of the King George of Podebrady (b.1425)
• December 24–Walter Bower,Scottish chronicler (b.1385)