1503

Events

April 21 - Battle of Cerignola. Spanish forces under Hernandez Gonzalo de Cordoba defeat the French under the Duc de Nemours, who is killed. Considered to be the first battle in history won by gunpowder small arms.
May 10 - Christopher Columbus discovers the Cayman Islands and he names them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there.
May 13 - Capture of Naples by the Spanish.
August 8 - King James IV of Scotland marries Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, Scotland.
September 22 - Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini becomes Pope Pius III succeeding Pope Alexander VI, but dies on October 18.
December 29 - Battle of the Garigliano - Spanish forces under Cordoba defeat a French-Italian mercenary army under the Marquis of Saluzzo. The French forces withdraw to Gaeta
Giuliano della Rovere becomes Pope Julius II succeeding Pope Pius III
Leonardo da Vinci starts work on the Mona Lisa
Perpendicular style chapel added to Westminster Abbey
Battle of Ruvo - French-Spanish Wars in Italy
Vasco da Gama established India's first Portuguese fortress at Cochin
Mariotto Albertinelli paints his masterpiece, the "Visitation of the Virgin"

Births

March 10 - Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
August 12 - Christian III of Denmark and Norway (1503-1559)
Sir Thomas Wyatt a poet and Ambassador in the service of Henry VIII
December 14 - Nostradamus (astrologer)
Robert Estienne, printer in Paris, was the first to print the Bible divided into standard numbered verses
Parmigianino, Italian painter and master draftsman (+ 1540)

Deaths

February 11 - Elizabeth of York, Queen consort of King Henry VII of England, dies on her 38th birthday.
Margaret of York sister of Edward IV of England
August 18 - Pope Alexander VI
October 18 - Pope Pius III
Andreas Proles, German Augustinian theologian
Piero II de Medici (the Unfortunate), Lord of Florence
Lorenzo the Popolano, Lord of Piombino