Events in History
- Jan 2 Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders his city to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castile, ending both the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula
- Mar 31 Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon issue the Alhambra Decree which expels Jews from their kingdoms
- Apr 17 Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the "Indies" with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered.
- Aug 3 Christopher Columbus sets sail on his first voyage with three ships, Santa María, Pinta and Niña from Palos de la Frontera, Spain for the "Indies"
- Oct 2 King Henry VII of England invades France
- Oct 12 Christopher Columbus's expedition makes landfall on a Caribbean island he names San Salvador (likely Watling Island, Bahamas). The explorer believes he has reached East Asia (OS 21 Oct)
- Oct 28 Christopher Columbus sights Cuba and claims it for Spain under the name "Juana"
- Nov 5 Christopher Columbus learns how to grow and harvest maize (corn) from Cuba's indigenous population
- Nov 7 Ensisheim Meteorite strikes a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim in Alsace, France. Oldest meteorite with a known date of impact.
- Nov 15 Christopher Columbus notes 1st recorded reference to tobacco
- Dec 26 1st Spanish settlement La Navidad in the New World is founded by Christopher Columbus (modern Môle-Saint-Nicolas in Haiti)
- More Events in History
Historical Figures Born in 1492
- Jan 12 Andreas Alicatus, Italian author
- Mar 6 Jean Luis Vives, Spanish theory/humanist/reformer
- Apr 4 Ambrosius Blarer, German reformer, born in Konstanz, Germany (d. 1564)
- Apr 11 Marguerite of Navarre, Queen of Navarre, wife of Henry II of Navarre, born in Angoulême, France (d. 1549)
- May 8 Andrea Alciato, Italian lawyer and writer, born in Alzate Brianza, Milan, Italy (d. 1550)
More Birthdays in History
Historical Figures Who Died in 1492
- Apr 9 Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent), leading Florentine statesman and patron of the arts during Florentine Renaissance, dies at 43
- Jun 7 Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland (1447-92), dies at 64
- Jun 16 Jan Coppenhole, Flemish rebel leader, beheaded
- Jul 25 Innocent VII [Giovanni B Cibo], Italian Pope (1484-92), dies
- Oct 12 Piero della Francesca, Italian painter
More Deaths in History
Authors
Civil Rights Activists
Inventors
Kings
Revolutionaries
Scientists