1491

January–December

• May 3 - The ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo, Nkuwu Nzinga, is baptised by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I.
• September - Battle of Vrpile Gulch in southern Croatia: Forces of the Ottoman Empire are defeated by those of the Kingdom of Croatia.
• November - The pretender Perkin Warbeck begins a campaign to take the English throne, with a landing in Ireland.
• November 7 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary sign the Peace of Pressburg, formally ending the Austrian–Hungarian War.
• November 16 - An auto-da-fé held in Brasero de la Dehesa concludes the case of the Holy Child of La Guardia, with the execution of several Jewish and converso suspects.
• November 25 - Reconquista: The Granada War is effectively brought to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Granada between the Catholic Monarchs of Spain and the Moorish Emirate of Granada.
• December 6 - King Charles VIII of France marries Anne of Brittany, forcing her to break her marriage with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, thus incorporating Brittany into the kingdom of France.
• December 21 - The Truce of Coldstream secures a five-year peace, between Scotland and England.

  Date unknown

• The Bread and Cheese Revolt breaks out in North Holland.
• A major fire breaks out in Dresden.
• In the Russian territory of Komi, annexed by Russia in 1478, copper and silver ores are discovered, and the territory gains importance as a mining and metallurgical center.
• Nicolaus Copernicus enters the University of Kraków.

  Births

• January 30 - Francesco Sforza, Italian noble
• March 25 - Marie d'Albret, Countess of Rethel, French nobility
• May 10 - Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon
• June 28 - Henry VIII of England
• August 3 - Maria of Jülich-Berg, spouse of John III, Duke of Cleves
• August 10 - Queen Janggyeong, Korean royal consort
• August 25 - Innocenzo Cybo, Catholic cardinal
• October 6 - Francis de Bourbon, Count of St. Pol, French noble
• c. October 23 - Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish founder of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order
• October 26 - Zhengde Emperor of China
• November 8 - Teofilo Folengo, Italian poet
• November 11 - Martin Bucer, German Protestant reformer
• December 13 - Martín de Azpilcueta, Spanish theologian and economist
• December 31 - Jacques Cartier, French explorer
• date unknown
• * Lapu-Lapu, Filipino king
• * Azai Sukemasa, Japanese samurai and warlord
• * Isabella Losa, Spanish scholar
• probable
• * George Blaurock, Swiss founder of Anabaptism
• * Antonio Pigafetta, Italian explorer

  Deaths

• January 19 - Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg
• February 15 - Ashikaga Yoshimi, brother of Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa
• February 19 - Enno I, Count of East Frisia
• March 6 - Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers
• March 31 - Bonaventura Tornielli, Italian Roman Catholic priest
• May 14 - Filippo Strozzi the Elder, Italian banker
• July 13 - Afonso, Prince of Portugal
• July 16 - William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English earl
• October 5 - Jean Balue, French cardinal and statesman
• October 12 - Fritz Herlen, German artist
• November 16 - Holy Child of La Guardia, Spanish folk saint
• December 28 - Bertoldo di Giovanni, Italian sculptor
• date unknown - Anne of Orléans, Abbess of Fontevraud
• probable
• * February 9 - Antonia di Paolo di Dono, Italian artist and daughter of Paolo di Dono