Flower wars
War by appointment, fought for captives rather than victory
After the famine of the 1450s the Aztecs and their Tlaxcalan neighbours began staging prearranged battles. No land was taken: warriors tried to capture enemies alive, for prestige and for sacrifice.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 15th century
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- 1429 Joan of Arc relieves Orléans — 25 years earlier
- c. 1450 Gutenberg's printing press — 4 years earlier
Eastern Europe & Russia
- c. 1469 Afanasy Nikitin's journey to India — 15 years later
- 1478 Annexation of Novgorod by Moscow — 24 years later
Middle East
- 1453 Fall of Constantinople — 1 year earlier
Asia
- 1446 King Sejong promulgates Hangul — 8 years earlier
Oceania
- c. 1445 Extinction of the moa — 9 years earlier
Alive at the time
- Johannes Gutenberg (aged 54)
- Mehmed II (aged 22)
- Christopher Columbus (aged 3)
- Leonardo da Vinci (aged 2)
- Charles VII (aged 51)
- Pachacuti (aged 36)
- Louis XI (aged 31)
- Ashikaga Yoshimasa (aged 18)
- Ivan III (aged 14)
- Isabella I of Castile (aged 3)