Information About

1444

Year 1444 was a Leap Year Starting On Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian Calendar .

EVENTS OF 1444

March 2 - The Albanian League is established in Lezha; Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian Resistance

April 16 - Truce of Tours . Five Year Truce between England and France

June 15 - Cosimo De' Medici founds the Laurentian Library .

August - Defeat at the Battle Of Jalowaz forces Murad II to abdicate in favor of his son Mehmed II .

August 26 - Battle Of St. Jakob An Der Birs in the Old Zürich War . Charles VII Of France , seeking to send away troublesome troops made idle by the truce with England, sends his son the Dauphin with a large army into Switzerland to support the claims of Emperor Frederick III . The massively outnumbered Swiss force is destroyed in this battle, but inflict such casualties on the French that they withdraw.

November 10 - Battle Of Varna . The crusading forces of King Ladislas of Poland and Hungary are crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II . Ladislas is killed.

Forces of the Sultan of Egypt fail to take Rhodes from the Knights Of Rhodes

Iguvine Tables discovered at Gubbio , Italy

Portuguese explorers reach the mouth of the rivers Senegal and Gambia .

First European Slave Market for the sale of African slaves, the ''Mercado de Escravos'' in Lagos, Portugal .

A serious fire occurs at St Paul's Cathedral in London .

BIRTHS

January 24 - Galeazzo Maria Sforza , Duke of Milan (died 1476 )

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March 11 - Donato Bramante , Italian architect (died 1514 )

''date unknown''

--- John De Mowbray, 4th Duke Of Norfolk (died 1476 )

--- Nilakantha Somayaji , Indian mathematician and astronomer (died 1544 )

DEATHS

February 14 - Henriette Of Mömpelgard , countess of Mömpelgard and regent of Württemberg (born 1387 )

March 9 - Leonardo Bruni , Italian humanist (born 1374 )

April 26 - Robert Campin , Flemish painter (born 1378 )

May 20 - Saint Bernardino Of Siena , Italian Franciscan missionary (b. 1380 )

May 27 - John Beaufort, 1st Duke Of Somerset , English military leader (born 1404 )

October 15 - Niccolò Piccinino , Italian mercenary (born 1386 )

November 10 - King Wladislaus III Of Poland (killed in battle) (born 1424 )

November 25 - Martin Gouge , French chancellor

TRIVIA

1444 in Roman Numerals is MCDXLIV and, excluding the BC years, this year is the first year to use every letter in the Roman numbering system.