1496

1496 (MCDXCVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar, the 1496th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 496th year of the 2nd millennium, the 96th year of the 15th century, and the 7th year of the 1490s decade. As of the start of 1496, the Gregorian calendar was 9 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which was the dominant calendar of the time.

Events

• January 3 – Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine.
• March 10 – Christopher Columbus leaves Hispaniola for Spain, ending his second visit to the Western Hemisphere.
• July – Spanish forces under Gonzalo Hernandez de Cordoba capture Atella after a siege. Among the prisoners is the French viceroy of Naples, the Comte de Montpensier. Ferrante II is restored to the throne of Naples.
• Jesus College (University of Cambridge) founded.

Births

• March 28 – Mary Tudor, queen of Louis XII of France (died 1533)
• May 12 – King Gustav I of Sweden (died 1560)
• October 20 – Claude, Duke of Guise, French soldier (died 1550)
• François Bonivard, Swiss historian (died 1570)
• Edward Fox, English churchman (died 1538)
• Richard Maitland, Scottish poet (died 1586)
• Clément Marot, French poet (died 1544)
• Anthony St Leger, Lord Deputy of Ireland (died 1559)
• Menno Simons, Dutch religious leader (died 1561)
• Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester (died 1549)

Deaths

• March 4 – Archduke Sigismund of Austria (born 1427)
• September 7 – King Ferdinand II of Naples (born 1469)
• September 25 – Piero Capponi, Italian soldier and statesman (born 1447)
• Piero del Pollaiuolo, Italian painter (born 1443)