On This Day
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Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's "The Nuremberg Chronicle" is published

The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase.

The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase. Subjects include human history in relation to the Bible, illustrated mythological creatures, and the histories of important Christian and secular cities from antiquity. Finished in 1493, it was originally written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, and a German version was translated by Georg Alt. It is one of the best-documented early printed books—an incunabulum—and one of the first to successfully integrate illustrations and text.

Latin scholars refer to it as the Liber Chronicarum ('Book of Chronicles') as this phrase appears in the index introduction of the Latin edition.

Historical Significance

The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase.

Events Before

  1. Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Casti

    Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, ending the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula

  2. Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon issue the Alhambra Decree expelling Jews from their kingdoms

    The Alhambra Decree (also known as the Edict of Expulsion; Spanish: Decreto de la Alhambra, Edicto de Granada) was an edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella I...

  3. Christopher Columbus signs a contract with Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I to find the

    Christopher Columbus signs a contract with Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I to find the "Indies" with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found and the governorship of any lands encountered.

  4. Christopher Columbus, with Juan de la Cosa as second-in-command, sets sail on his first voyage with three ships: Santa M

    Christopher Columbus, with Juan de la Cosa as second-in-command, sets sail on his first voyage with three ships: Santa María, Pinta, and Niña from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, for the "Indies"

  5. King Henry VII of England invades France

    Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509.

Events After

  1. Juw Dekama is elected Potestaat of Frisia

    Potestaat was the title of a supposed governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to…

  2. Treaty of Tordesillas: Spain and Portugal divide the New World along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islan

    Treaty of Tordesillas: Spain and Portugal divide the New World along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa

  3. Piero the Unfortunate of the de' Medici family, ruler of Florence, loses power and flees the state

    Piero the Unfortunate of the de' Medici family, ruler of Florence, loses power and flees the state

  4. The first Mass in the New World is celebrated at La Isabela, Hispaniola

    La Isabela in Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic was the first stable Spanish settlement and town in the Americas established in late December 1493 to early January 1494.

  5. Alfonso II succeeds his father as King of Naples

    Alfonso II (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495) was Duke of Calabria and ruled as King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 23 January 1495.

More from the 1490s

Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Casti

Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, ending the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula

Juw Dekama is elected Potestaat of Frisia

Potestaat was the title of a supposed governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to…

Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown

Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 23, 1493?
The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase. Subjects include human history in relation to the Bible, illustrated mythological creatures, and the histories of important Christian and secular cities from antiquity. Finished in 1493, it was originally written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, and a German version was translated by Georg Alt.
Why is Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's "The Nuremberg Chronicle... significant?
The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase.

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December 23 in HistoryYear 1493