Today in Medieval History, May 20

Good morning! Today is May 20, 2010.

On this date in Medieval History:

Notable Births

1364 Henry Percy [Harry Hotspur], British soldier/politican
1470 Pietro Bembo cardinal/theologian
1537 Hieronymus Fabricius Ab Aquapend Italy, physician (De Formato Foetu)
1547 Melchior Bischoff composer
1554 Paulo Bellasio composer
1593 Jacob Jordaens Flemish barok artist

Notable Deaths

1277 John XXI [Petrus Juliani/Hispanus] Port Pope (1276-77), dies
1444 Bernardinus van Siena Italian saint, dies at 63
1449 Peter Prince/regent of Portugal/writer (Virtuosa Benfeitoria), dies
1471 Henry VI king of England (1422-61, 70-71)/France (1431-71), dies
1506 Christopher Columbus explorer, dies in poverty in Spain at 55
1509 Catharina Sforza Italian duchess of Forli, dies at 45
1597 Matthijs Heldt dies in battle
1622 Osman II sultan of Turkey (1618-22), dies
1648 Wladyslaw IV Wasa King of Poland, dies
1650 Francesco Sacrati composer, dies at 44
1669 Joris van der Hagen landscape painter, dies

Notable Events

0325 1st Christian ecumenical council opens at Nicæa, Asia Minor
0526 Earthquake kills 250,000 in Antioch, Syria
1293 Earthquake strikes Kamakura Japan, 30,000 killed
1303 Treaty of Paris restores Gascony to British in Hundred Years War
1310 Shoes were made for both right & left feet
1347 Rienzo calls Rome for people's tribunal
1495 French King Charles VIII leaves Naples
1498 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calcutta India
1501 Joao da Nova Castell discovers Ascension Islands
1521 Ignatius Loyola seriously wounded by a cannon ball
1524 Duke of Albany leaves Scotland
1570 Egidius Coppens publishes Abraham Ortelius' "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum"
1571 Venice, Spain & Pope Pius form anti-Turkish Saint League
1591 Spanish troops in Zutphen surrenders to Willem Louis/Mauritius
1631 German army under earl Johann Tilly conquerors Maagdenburg
1639 Dorchester MA, forms 1st school funded by local taxes
1690 England passes Act of Grace, forgiving followers of James II