Major Events
- May 3 Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptized by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I
- Jul 6 Opening ceremony of Daitokuji's Shinju at subtemple
- Nov 16 The case of the 'Holy Child of La Guardia', involving the kidnapping and murdering a Christian boy, concludes with public burning at the stake of nine Jews in Ávila, Spain
- Nov 17 Anne of Brittany becomes engaged to King Charles VIII of France
- Nov 25 The siege of Granada, last Moorish stronghold in Spain, begins
Henry VIII
Jacques CartierMore People Born in 1491
Who Died in 1491
- Feb 2 Martin Schongauer, German painter, dies at 40
- Oct 12 Fritz Herlen, German artist
- Dec 3 Thomas Basin, French historian/bishop of Lisieux, dies
Famous Weddings in 1491
- Dec 6 King Charles VIII of France (21) marries Anna Duchess of Brittany (14) giving France control over Brittany
Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo