1457
Matthias Corvinus Elected King of Hungary
The fifteen-year-old son of John Hunyadi, imprisoned in Prague, was elected by a diet of Magyar nobles desperate for strong leadership against the Ottomans. He would turn Hungary into a Renaissance power, assemble the Bibliotheca Corviniana, and build a Black Army of mercenaries that held the Turks at arm's length for decades.
Tupac Inca Yupanqui Begins Conquests
Pachacuti's son began military campaigns that would extend Inca control into what is now Ecuador and northern Chile. Quechua became the lingua franca of the Andes under his reach. His logistical system of storehouses along the royal road would supply his armies for years, a coordination no contemporary European state matched.
Mainz Psalter Printed
Fust and Schoffer produced the first printed book to carry a date, a publisher's imprint, and colored capitals printed in a single pass from the same press. It was a technical triumph. It was also the first printed book to credit its creators and hide Gutenberg's name entirely. Its use of red and blue ink alongside black in a single impression represented a leap in printing sophistication not widely replicated for decades.
Vlad the Impaler Takes Wallachian Throne
Vlad III Dracula, having spent years as an Ottoman hostage and Moldavian exile, seized the Wallachian principality with Hungarian backing. His brief reign would be remembered for the forest of impaled corpses outside Targoviste and a ruthless campaign against boyars and Ottoman raiders. His nickname meant Son of the Dragon.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1457?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1457. The most significant is Matthias Corvinus Elected King of Hungary: The fifteen-year-old son of John Hunyadi, imprisoned in Prague, was elected by a diet of Magyar nobles desperate for strong leadership against the Ottomans.
What era was 1457 part of?
1457 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1457?
The curated events from 1457 span Europe and South America.