Year by year · 15th century

1496

1496 in world history: 3 events, 2 births, 5 deaths and 1 state founded. 907 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. 5 March

    Henry VII commissions John Cabot to seek new lands

    Letters patent authorised the Venetian navigator to sail under the English flag in search of unknown lands. His 1497 voyage reached North America and later underpinned English claims there.

    North America
ProfileState827 states with a known seat in 1496Open the atlas at 1496 →

In the profiles

Wars and longer events

Born in 1496 2

Died in 1496 5

States founded 1

All years → The 15th century →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1496. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1496
MLA
“1496.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1496. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “1496.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1496.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1496’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1496 (Accessed: ).