1497
| Years: 1494 1495 1496 - 1497 - 1498 1499 1500 | |
| Decades: 1460s 1470s 1480s - 1490s - 1500s 1510s 1520s | |
| Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century | |
Events
- 7 February - followers of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of "immoral" objects at the Bonfire of the Vanities in Florence on Shrove Tuesday.
- May 10 - Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World.
- May 13 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola.
- May 20 - John Cabot sets sail from Bristol on his ship the Mathew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date).
- June 17 - Battle of Deptford Bridge - Forces under King Henry VII soundly defeat troops led by Michael An Gof.
- June 24 - John Cabot lands in North America, either an island or the mainland.
- July 8 - Vasco da Gama begins his expedition to India.
Births
- January 26 - Emperor Go-Nara of Japan (d. 1557)
- February 16 - Philipp Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (d. 1560)
- Francesco da Milano, Italian composer (d. 1543)