1394
Henry the Navigator born in Porto
The third surviving son of John I of Aviz arrived in the riverside city. He would never sail much himself but would patronize systematic Atlantic exploration from Sagres on Portugal's southwestern tip, sending caravels down the African coast to Cape Bojador and beyond. The Age of Discovery had its founding patron.
Seoul becomes the new capital of Joseon Korea
Yi Seonggye, now King Taejo, moved his seat from Gaeseong to the small town of Hanyang, ringed by mountains on the Han River. The site was chosen by geomantic advisors who deemed the landscape auspicious for dynastic longevity. Renamed Seoul, it would remain Korea's capital through five centuries of dynastic rule into the modern republic.
Charles VI expels the Jews of France
On a single decree, the French king ordered all remaining Jews out of his realm within three months. They were not allowed to take their wealth. The expulsion completed Philip IV's project of 1306 with greater finality, stripping France of its remaining Jewish communities. France would be officially without a recognized Jewish population for nearly four centuries.
Korea adopts movable metal type printing widely
Although Koryo Buddhists had experimented with cast bronze type since the 1230s, the early Joseon state standardized the technology for official publications, creating dedicated type foundries at the royal printing office. Preceding Gutenberg by six decades, movable type was first widely used in East Asia for Confucian classics, administrative handbooks, and Buddhist sutras.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1394?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1394. The most significant is Henry the Navigator born in Porto: The third surviving son of John I of Aviz arrived in the riverside city. He would never sail much himself but would patronize systematic Atlantic exploration…
What era was 1394 part of?
1394 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1394?
The curated events from 1394 span Europe and East Asia.