Mehmed II, commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror, was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and February 1451 to May 1481. He is best known for capturing the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, which established the Ottomans as a major power in both Europe and Asia, and for enacting military, administrative, and legal reforms that laid the groundwork for the empire's continued expansion into the 16th century.
Year 1476 (MCDLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
The 1430s decade ran from January 1, 1430, to December 31, 1439.
The 1460s decade ran from January 1, 1460, to December 31, 1469.
The 1450s decade ran from January 1, 1450, to December 31, 1459.
Year 1431 (MCDXXXI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
The 1440s decade ran from January 1, 1440, to December 31, 1449
Year 1456 (MCDLVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Year 1455 (MCDLV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (full) of the Julian calendar.
Year 1418 (MCDXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Year 1432 (MCDXXXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Year 1447 (MCDXLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Year 1448 (MCDXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
Radu III of Wallachia, commonly called Radu the Handsome, Radu the Fair, or Radu the Beautiful, was the younger brother of Vlad the Impaler and prince of the principality of Wallachia. They were both sons of Vlad II Dracul and his wife, Princess Cneajna of Moldavia. In addition to Vlad III, Radu also had two older siblings, Mircea II and Vlad Călugărul, both of whom would also briefly rule Wallachia. In 1462, he defeated his brother, Vlad III, alongside Ottoman Empire sultan Mehmed II, with whom Radu had an intimate relationship.
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.
Vlad IV Călugărul was the Prince of Wallachia in 1481 and then from 1482 to 1495.
The Classical Age of the Ottoman Empire concerns the history of the Ottoman Empire from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 until the second half of the sixteenth century, roughly the end of the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. During this period a system of patrimonial rule based on the absolute authority of the sultan reached its apex, and the empire developed the institutional foundations which it would maintain, in modified form, for several centuries. The territory of the Ottoman Empire greatly expanded, and led to what some historians have called the Pax Ottomana. The process of centralization undergone by the empire prior to 1453 was brought to completion in the reign of Mehmed II.
The night attack at Târgoviște was a battle fought between forces of Prince Vlad III of Wallachia, and Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire on Thursday, 17 June 1462. The battle started after Mehmed II, who already had tense relations with Vlad, discovered his alliance with Hungary's king Matthias Corvinus and ordered his forces to ambush him. Vlad foiled the attack and invaded Bulgaria. In response, Mehmed raised a great army with the objective to conquer Wallachia. The two leaders fought a series of skirmishes, the most notable one being the conflict where Vlad attacked the Turkish camp in the night in an attempt to kill Mehmed. The assassination attempt failed and Mehmed marched to the Wallachian capital of Târgoviște, where he found a few men with cannons. After leaving the capital, Mehmed discovered 23,844 impaled Turks whom Vlad had killed during his invasion of Bulgaria. The number is mentioned by Vlad himself in a letter to Matthias Corvinus. The sultan and his troops then sailed to Brăila and burned it to the ground before retreating to Adrianople. Mehmed's forces returned home with many captured slaves, horses, and cattle.
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk also known as Elizabeth Plantagenet was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville. She was thus a sister of kings Edward IV and Richard III.
Crusades of the 15th century are those Crusades that follow the Crusades after Acre, 1291–1399, throughout the next hundred years. In this time period, the threat from the Ottoman Empire dominated the Christian world, but also included threats from the Mamluks, Moors, and heretics. The Ottomans gained significant territory in all theaters, but did not defeat Hospitaller Rhodes nor advance past the Balkans. In addition, the Reconquista was completed and heretics continued to be suppressed.
