1490
Aldus Manutius Founds His Press
A classically trained humanist set up a printing house in Venice dedicated to producing small, affordable editions of Greek and Latin classics.
Ottoman Jewish Resettlement
Sultan Bayezid II continued welcoming Iberian Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal, settling them in Salonika, Istanbul, and Izmir.
Leonardo da Vinci Draws the Vitruvian Man
In a Milan notebook, Leonardo drew a nude man with arms and legs extended inside a circle and square, illustrating Vitruvius's claim that the human body…
Behaim's Erdapfel Globe
The Nuremberg merchant Martin Behaim constructed the oldest surviving terrestrial globe, based on the best available geographical knowledge…
Matthias Corvinus Dies in Vienna
The Hungarian Renaissance king died in Vienna, which he had captured from the Habsburgs five years earlier.
Want 1490 in context? Print the whole 15th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1490?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1490. The most significant is Aldus Manutius Founds His Press: A classically trained humanist set up a printing house in Venice dedicated to producing small, affordable editions of Greek and Latin classics.
What era was 1490 part of?
1490 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1490?
The events from 1490 span Europe and Middle East.