What Happened in October?

King Edward IV of England returns from exile, reclaiming the throne during the Wars of the Roses. Historical Time Line

Ivan III of Russia launches the Great Stand on the Ugra River, halting the advance of the Golden Horde.

Henry Tudor, is officially crowned King of England as Henry VII. He had secured his claim after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22 of the same year. The event marked the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. During his reign, he ended the Wars of the Roses, and increased the power of England by building alliances through his children's marriages and the signing of treaties. Historical Time Line

The Malleus Maleficarum, a treatise on witchcraft, is first published in Germany.

Christopher Columbus and his crew make landfall on October 12, 1492,  in the present day Bahamas archipelago on an island he names San Salvador, marking the European discovery of the Americas. Seventy days after departing on his first trip from Spain, on August 3, 1492, Expand +

The Alhambra Decree is issued by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, ordering the expulsion of Jews from the country.

Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I dies in captivity, leading to the Ottoman Interregnum and subsequent rise of Selim I.

Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses against papal indulgences, or the atonement of sins through monetary payment, on the door of the church at Wittenberg, Germany. Within less than four years, the Catholic Church would brand Luther a heretic, and the Holy Roman Empire would condemn him as an outlaw.  Expand +

The Aztec Empire's ruler, Moctezuma II, is taken captive by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese navigator sponsored by Spain discovers and enters the Straight that now bears its name, sailing through the dangerous passage which separate the South American mainland from the Tierra del Fuego archipelago,  and becoming the first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic by sailing through the dangerous straits. More

The French troops under King Francis I capture the city of Milan from the Holy Roman Empire.They entered the city after the Holy Roman Empire's troops, led by Charles de Lannoy, evacuated it due to the French army's advance and the presence of the plague. This capture was part of the Italian War of 1521–1526, where Francis I sought to reclaim French territory in Italy. 

Jacques Cartier's second voyage to Canada concludes, with the establishment of a settlement at Quebec.

The first complete English-language Bible, is printed in Antwerp, Belgium on October 4, 1535 by Miles Coverdale, who relied in Tyndale's (1525), original, New and Old Testament translations and added the remaining old Testament mostly translated from German (Luther) and Latin sources. Expand +

Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII, dies at Hampton Court Palace,12 days after giving birth to Edward Tudor, VI, her only son and only surviving legitimate son of Henry VIII; who would become King Edward VI. The cause of her death was likely an infection or pulmonary embolism.

The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) is formally approved by Pope Paul III.

The city of La Paz is founded in Bolivia by the Spanish Captain Alonso de Mendoza. The full name of the city was originally Nuestra Señora de La Paz. The city was later moved to its present location in the valley of Chuquiago Marka.

Russian Tsar Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible captures Kazan, an important victory in the Russo-Kazan Wars.

Coronation of Queen Mary I of England and Ireland takes place at Westminster Abbey, London, This was the first coronation of a queen regnant in England, a female ruler in her own right. More

The Battle of Lepanto takes place, with the Holy League defeating the Ottoman Empire's navy in a significant naval battle.

The Gregorian calendar, decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, becomes effective in all the Catholic countries of Europe with the day after Thursday October 4, 1582 becoming Friday, 15 October 1582.  Expand +