Directory

1485 CE

A year defined by the Battle of Bosworth Field that ended the Wars of the Roses and brought the Tudor dynasty to power, Botticelli's completion of The Birth of Venus, and the continued Spanish advance against Granada.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22 and was crowned King Henry VII of England, founding the Tudor dynasty.
  • Matthias Corvinus of Hungary captured Vienna from Emperor Frederick III, establishing Hungarian control over the Austrian capital and the surrounding territories.
  • Cem Sultan was transferred from the custody of the Knights Hospitaller to Pope Innocent VIII in Rome, where he became a valuable hostage in Christian-Ottoman relations.

Conflict & Security

  • The Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22 saw Henry Tudor's forces defeat the army of Richard III, who was killed in the fighting, ending Plantagenet rule in England.
  • Richard III's death at Bosworth Field marked the last time an English king was killed in battle, bringing a decisive end to the dynastic conflicts of the Wars of the Roses.
  • Matthias Corvinus's Hungarian forces occupied Vienna and much of Lower Austria, marking the high point of Hungarian territorial expansion into Central Europe.

Economy & Finance

  • Henry VII's accession brought a new approach to English royal finances, with the Tudor king working to rebuild the depleted treasury through careful fiscal management.

Health & Medicine

  • The sweating sickness appeared in England in the wake of Henry Tudor's invasion, spreading rapidly through London and causing significant mortality.

Climate & Environment

  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 273 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.

Culture & Society

  • Sandro Botticelli completed The Birth of Venus, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance depicting the goddess emerging from the sea on a shell.
  • The founding of the Tudor dynasty brought a new political culture to England, with Henry VII seeking to project stability and legitimacy through pageantry and patronage.
  • The estimated world population was approximately 459 million people.