Dimitri, grand prince of Moscow, leads other Russian princes in a crushing victory over the Mongols on the Kulikovo plain

The victory at Aljubarrota, securing the Portuguese throne for John I, is commemorated in the Dominican abbey called Batalha

Victory at Kosovo gives the Ottoman Turks control over Serbia, which becomes a vassal state

With a victory near Falköping, Margaret becomes regent of Sweden as well as Denmark and Norway

The Ottoman sultan Bayazid is defeated and captured near Ankara by Timur, who keeps the sultan in captivity until his death the following year

The Poles defeat the Teutonic knights between Tannenberg and Grunwald, bringing the coastal strip around Gdansk into the Polish kingdom

Henry V wins a victory on St Crispin's day at Agincourt, against a much larger and more heavily armed French force

A Turkish army routs the Hungarians at Varna on the Black Sea, beginning a process which brings the Turks to the gates of Belgrade by 1456

The French win a convincing victory at Castillon, recovering the last stronghold (except Calais) held by the English in France

An engagement at St Albans is the first battle in the 30-year struggle between the white and red roses of York and Lancaster

The Swiss win a decisive victory at Morat over the army of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy

Henry Tudor kills Richard III at Bosworth Field and takes the crown as Henry VII

James IV of Scotland dies at Flodden, in the disastrous defeat of his army by the English

The king of France, Francis I, wins a dramatic victory at Marignano and captures Milan

The French king, Francis I, is taken prisoner by the Spanish at the battle of Pavia

In a battle at Panipat Babur defeats the sultan of Delhi, launching the Mughal empire in India

The Hungarian king, Louis II, is killed in battle at Mohacs, where the Turks win a crushing victory

Victory at Khanua, over a Hindu confederation of Rajput rulers, brings Babur a tenuous control over most of northwest India

Zwingli is killed at Kappel in a battle between Protestant and Catholic cantons

Civil war within India enables Humayun to win a battle at Sirhind and recover the Mughal throne

Galleys are rowed into battle for the last time at Lepanto, ending a fighting career of some 2500 years

Spanish and Venetian galleys defeat the Turks in the battle of Lepanto

The battle of the White Mountain, to the west of Prague, ends the brief reign of Frederick V in Bohemia

Gustavus II and the Swedish army win a conclusive victory over the imperial forces at Breitenfeld

The Swedish army wins another convincing victory at Lützen, but Gustavus II dies leading a cavalry charge