1474

January–December

• February - The Treaty of Utrecht puts an end to the Anglo-Hanseatic War.
• March 19 - The Senate of the Republic of Venice enacts the Venetian Patent Statute, one of the earliest patent systems in the world. New and inventive devices, once put into practice, have to be communicated to the Republic to obtain the right to prevent others from using them. This is considered the first modern patent system.
• July 25 - By signing the Treaty of London, Charles the Bold of Burgundy agrees to support Edward IV of England's planned invasion of France.
• December 12 - Upon the death of Henry IV of Castile, a civil war ensues between his designated successor Isabella I of Castile, and her niece Juana, who is supported by her husband, Afonso V of Portugal. Isabella wins the civil war after a lengthy struggle, when her husband, the newly crowned Ferdinand II of Aragon, comes to her aid.

  Date unknown

• Marsilio Ficino completes his book Theologia Platonica.
• Axayacatl defeats the Matlatzinca of the Toluca Valley.

  Births

• January 7 - Thihathura II of Ava
• March 1 - Angela Merici, Italian religious leader and saint
• May 18 - Isabella d'Este, Marquise of Mantua
• September 8 - Ludovico Ariosto, Italian poet
• October 7 - Bernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden
• October 13 - Mariotto Albertinelli, High Renaissance Italian painter of the Florentine school
• December 24 - Bartolomeo degli Organi, Italian musician
• date unknown
• * Anacaona, Taino queen and poet
• * Juan Diego, Mexican Catholic saint
• * Giacomo Pacchiarotti, Italian painter
• * Cuthbert Tunstall, English bishop and diplomat
• * Humphrey Kynaston, English highwayman
• probable
• * Sebastian Cabot, Venetian explorer
• * Edward Guilford, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports of England
• * Stephen Hawes, English poet
• * Sir John Seymour, English courtier
• * Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the throne of England

  Deaths

• April 30 - Queen Gonghye, Korean royal consort
• May 4 - Alain de Coëtivy, Catholic cardinal
• May 11 - John Stanberry, Bishop of Hereford
• August 26 - James III of Cyprus
• November - William Canynge, English merchant
• November 27 - Guillaume Dufay, Flemish composer
• December 11 - King Henry IV of Castile
• date unknown
• * Gomes Eannes de Azurara, Portuguese chronicler
• * Antoinette de Maignelais, French royal favorite
• * Gendun Drup, 1st Dalai Lama
• probable
• * Walter Frye, English composer
• * Jehan de Waurin, French chronicler