Major Events
- Apr 17 Geoffrey Chaucer tells the "Canterbury Tales" for the first time at the court of English King Richard II
- Jun 17 Union of Kalmar established between Denmark, Sweden and Norway
- Jun 24 Sultan Bajezid I releases captured crusaders for ransom
- Jun 30 Denmark, Norway and Sweden sign Union of Kalmar under Queen Margaretha
Born in 1397
- May 6 Sejong the Great, 4th King of Joseon (1418-50), born in Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon (d. 1450)
- Jun 29 John II, King of Aragon and Navarre, born in Medina del Campo, Spain (d. 1479)
- Aug 5 Guillaume Dufay, Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer and theorist, born in Beersel, Burgundian Netherlands (now Belgium) (d. 1474) [date disputed]
- Aug 10 Albert II of Germany, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1439)
- Aug 16 Albert II of Habsburg, King of Bohemia, Hungary and Germany, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1439)
More People Born in 1397
Who Died in 1397
- Feb 18 Enguerrand VII, French master of Coucy/count of Soissons, dies at 56
- Jun 3 William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader, dies at 68
- Jun 15 Count of Eu, French knight, dies in Turkish captivity
- Jun 16 Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, French soldier (b. 1358)
- Sep 2 Francesco Landini, Italian organist, composer, poet, and instrument maker, dies at about 72
More 1397 Deaths
Gregory I
Gregory XIII
Julius II
Julius III
Leo X
Pius V