Events in History in 1461

  • Feb 2 Battle of Mortimer's Cross: in a major battle of the War of the Roses Yorkist army of Edward, Earl of March, defeats Lancaster force led by Jasper Tudor

Second Battle of St Albans

Feb 17 Wars of the Roses: Second Battle of St Albans - Lancastrian army defeats Yorkists and recaptures King Henry VI

Event of Interest

Mar 4 Edward Plantagenet lays claim to the throne of England as Edward IV in London

Victory in Battle

Mar 29 Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Duke Edward of York defeats the Lancastrian army, deposes King Henry VI and Queen Margaret of Anjou and proclaims himself as King Edward IV

  • Jun 28 Edward IV crowned king of England
  • Aug 7 Ming Dynasty Chinese military general Cao Qin stages a coup against the Tianshun Emperor
  • Aug 10 Alfonso ed Espina, bishop of Osma urges for an Inquisition in Spain
  • Aug 15 Empire of Trebizond surrenders to forces of Sultan Mehmet II - last Byzantine Empire remnant to fall. Emperor David exiled and later murdered.

Royal Coronation

Aug 15 Louis XI is crowned King of France at Reims cathedral after the death of his father Charles VII

  • Nov 20 Astronomer Regiomontanus returns with Cardinal Basilios Bessarion's to his house in Rome, home to one of largest libraries in Europe