The Ottomans capture Constantinople's strategically important region of Morea on May 29, 1460, exactly seven years after the fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, completing their conquest of the Byzantine Empire.
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What Happened in May?
Battles, revolts, and explorations. Learn about the noteworthy events in May that have taken place throughout the ages. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Battle of Tewkesbury, a major battle in the Wars of the Roses takes place om May 4, 1471, resulting in a decisive victory for the Yorkists led by King Edward IV. against the Lancastrian army under the command of the Duke of Somerset.
The battle took place south of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, and was a turning point in the Wars of the Roses. The Lancastrian king, Henry VI, was a prisoner in the Tower of London. He died shortly after the battle, on May 21, 1471. Tewkesbury restored political stability to England until the death of Edward IV in 1483. Historical Time Line
Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci leaves on May 10, 1497, from Cadiz, Spain, on his first voyage to the New World.
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reaches India on May 20 1498, opening the sea route to the East. Da Gama departed from Lisbon, Portugal, on July 8, 1497, sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and up the east coast of Africa where he hired a pilot in Malindi to help him cross the Indian Ocean. He arrived at Calicut where he erected a padrão (stone pillar) to prove he had reached India.
He arrived at Calicut where he erected a padrão (stone pillar), to prove he had reached India. His voyage proved the sea route to India was viable and profitable, paving the way for Portuguese dominance in Asian trade and for a new era of European colonization in the East.
The Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus leaves on his fourth and final voyage, on or around, May 8, 1502, to the New World from Cádiz, Spain, hoping to find a passage to Asia, with four ships and 140 men, including his brother Bartholomew and his son Fernando (Ferdinand). Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451 and died on May 20, 1506 at age 54 in in Valladolid, Spain.
Columbus fourth trip was a desperate, unsuccessful attempt to find a western passage to Asia, but his fleet was decimated by hurricanes and shipworms, leaving him marooned for over a year in Jamaica before returning to Spain in 1504.
Note: Some sources list the start of Columbus fourth trip to have started sometime between May 4 to May 11, 1502.
The image shown is of a portrait executed in the first half of the sixteenth century after the death of Columbus. It is displayed in a showcase of the Museum of the sea and navigation of Genoa, "It Padiglione del Mare e della Navigazione."
The artist, Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, was the son of Domenico Ghirlandaio. He is also known as Ridolfo Bigordi. Ghirlandaio never lived in Spain and it is unlikely that he ever met with the Admiral.
The Island of Saint Helena, a remote volcanic island located in the South Atlantic Ocean is discovered by Portuguese navigator João da Nova on May 21, 1502 who names it after Saint Helena of Constantinople. (mother of Emperor Constantine I). The island was uninhabited.
The date of discovery coincided with the feast day of Saint Helena of Constantinople (mother of Emperor Constantine I) in the Eastern Orthodox calendar. The English East India Company (EIC) took possession in 1659 and founded its capital, Jamestown, in honor of the Duke of York. The island was passed from the EIC to the British Crown in 1834.
Christopher Columbus died, at age 54, on May, 20,1506, in Valladolid, Spain. He is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. His findings during his four transatlantic voyages from 1492 to1504, which were sponsored by Spain, led to the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
King Henry VIII of England orders the burning of all Lutheran books in London on May 12, 1521. Cardinal Wolsey led the condemnation, symbolizing England's opposition to Lutheranism.
Emperor Charles V issues the Edict of Worms, on May 25, 1521, declaring Martin Luther a heretic and an outlaw, making him subject to capture.
During his trial at the assembly of Worms, Martin Luther's defense argument was: "My conscience is captive to the word of God! To go against conscience is neither right nor safe, I therefore cannot, and I will not recant! Here I stand. I can do no other." More
Mutinous, German and Spanish mercenaries, from Charles V's army led by Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, attacked Rome on May 6, 1527, sacking the city and causing immense destruction in Rome. The Duke of Bourbon, died in the initial attack but the troops continued the attack and the looting until February 1528. The attack cost the lives of 147 Swiss guards.
Pope Clement VII escaped to Castel Sant'Angelo where he was trapped for seven months, and forced to pay 400,000 ducats, cede territory, and agree to political terms. He escaped, disguised as a peddler before paying the full ransom. The event occurred during the Italian Wars as a result of a power struggle between the Pope and the Emperor; although the Emperor was not aware or sanctioned the attack on Rome. Up to 90% of the city’s art treasures were stolen or destroyed and The looting resulted in many people killed from murder, famine, and the plague, causing widespread destruction, effectively ending the High Renaissance in Rome and affecting the European power dynamics.
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French explorer Jacques Cartier lands in Newfoundland on May 10, 1534, marking the beginning of French exploration in North America. He sailed from Saint-Malo, France with two ships and 61 men. His primary mission for King Francis I was to find a passage to Asia and bring back riches.
On July 24, 1534, he erected a 10-meter cross in Gaspé Bay, claiming the land for France. He returned to France in September 1534, having failed to find a, passage but having identified a new, vast land for his king. During his first voyage, Cartier explored the coasts of Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including the Strait of Belle Isle. Cartier is credited with naming Canada, applying the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement", to the region around present-day Quebec City in 1535. He initially used "Canada" to refer to Stadacona and the territory controlled by its chief, Donnacona, but the name was soon extended to a much larger area. Jacques Cartier made three major trips to North America all commissioned by King Francis I of France. His voyages were crucial for France's claim to Canada, allowing the nation to explore the St. Lawrence Gulf and River and later colonization efforts.
Henry VIII has his second wife, Anne Boleyn, arrested on May 2, 1536, and sent to the Tower of London. She was charged with adultery, incest, and treason. After a sham trial filled with Anne’s enemies, she was found guilty, on charges of adultery, incest, conspiracy and high treason against the king. She was convicted on May 15 and beheaded four days later on May 19, 1536. More
Anne Boleyn, the infamous second wife of King Henry VIII, is beheaded, on May 19, 1536, in the Tower of London and buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower. She was convicted after a sham trial, filled with Anne’s enemies, found her guilty, on charges of adultery, incest, conspiracy and high treason against the king.
Henry married Jane Seymour just 11 days after Anne's execution. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that marked the start of the English Reformation. More
Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour his third wife, on May 30, 1536, just 11 days after his second wife, Anne Boleyn's execution. She died at Hampton Court Palace,12 days after giving birth to Edward VI, her only son and only surviving legitimate son of Henry VIII. The cause of her death is thought to have been caused by an infection or pulmonary embolism.
The Siege of Buda, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Hungary, by the Ottoman forces begins on May 4, 1541. The Hungarian city was captured on August 21, 1541, in a major victory for the Ottoman Empire during the Ottoman–Habsburg wars (16th to 18th century).
Spanish conquistador and explorer Hernando De Soto reaches the Mississippi River on May 8, 1541. at a point below Natchez, becoming the first European to document seen the river. From there, they traveled through Arkansas and Louisiana, still with few material gains to show for their efforts. Turning back to the Mississippi, de Soto died of a fever on its banks on May 21, 1542.
Spanish explorer and conquistador, Hernando De Soto, died on May 21, 1542. on the banks of the Mississippi river. He had first reached the Mississippi a year earlier on May 1541, at a point below Natchez, becoming the first European to seen and document the river. From there, he had traveled through Arkansas and Louisiana, before turning back to the Mississippi, where de Soto died of a fever.
Nicolaus Copernicus publishes his book "On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres" (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium), just before his death on May 24, 1543. It was printed in Nuremberg and formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center.
It is believed that Copernicus developed his model independently of Aristarchus of Samos, an ancient Greek astronomer who had formulated such a model some eighteen centuries earlier.
A legal process by which the Protestant Church of England was restored becomes official as Queen Elizabeth gives the Royal assent to the Revised Act of Supremacy of 1558, which re-established the Church of England’s independence from Rome. and the the Act of Uniformity of 1559 which outlined what form the English Church should take.
Mary, Queen of Scots, arrives in England on May 16, 1568, seeking refuge but she is taken to Carlisle Castle where she remained under guard. She was imprisoned on orders from her cousin Elizabeth I of England. Mary remained in captivity in England for 19 years until her execution on February 8, 1587 at age 44 at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England, ordered by Elizabeth I.