On This Day

Tomás de Torquemada is appointed Inquisitor General of Spain

Tomás de Torquemada (14 October 1420 – 16 September 1498), anglicized as Thomas of Torquemada, was a Spanish Dominican friar and the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition.

Tomás de Torquemada (14 October 1420 – 16 September 1498), anglicized as Thomas of Torquemada, was a Spanish Dominican friar and the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. In that role, he led a group of ecclesiastical prelates created in 1478 to uphold Catholic religious orthodoxy within the newly formed union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, presently known as the Kingdom of Spain.

In part because of persecution, Muslims and Jews in Castile and Aragon at that time found it socially, politically, and economically advantageous to convert to Catholicism (becoming what were known as conversos, moriscos, and marranos). The existence of superficial converts from Judaism was perceived by the Catholic Monarchs as a threat to the religious and social life in their realms.

Historical Significance

Tomás de Torquemada (14 October 1420 – 16 September 1498), anglicized as Thomas of Torquemada, was a Spanish Dominican friar and the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition.

Events Before

  1. Ottoman troops conquer Otranto in southern Italy after a 15-day siege, killing 12,000, enslaving 5,000, and beheading 80

    Ottoman troops conquer Otranto in southern Italy after a 15-day siege, killing 12,000, enslaving 5,000, and beheading 800 Christians for refusing to convert to Islam

  2. Battle at Westbroek: Dutch army beats Utrecht

    Battle at Westbroek: Dutch army beats Utrecht

  3. "Pentateuch" the Jewish Bible is 1st printed as a book in Bologna, Italy

    "Pentateuch" the Jewish Bible is 1st printed as a book in Bologna, Italy

  4. Supplies to build Portuguese trading post Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (Elmina Castle) arrive on the Gold Coast (now Gha

    Supplies to build Portuguese trading post Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (Elmina Castle) arrive on the Gold Coast (now Ghana), first European building south of the Sahara

  5. Tatars plunder Kyiv, Ukraine

    Tatars plunder Kyiv, Ukraine

Events After

  1. Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão returns to Lisbon from his first voyage to explore the coast of Africa, during which he

    Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão returns to Lisbon from his first voyage to explore the coast of Africa, during which he was the first European to discover the Congo River

  2. Battle of Lochmaben Fair - a 500-man raiding party led by Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl

    Battle of Lochmaben Fair - a 500-man raiding party led by Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas are defeated by Scots forces loyal to Albany's brother James III of Scotland; Douglas is captured

  3. Giovanni Battista Cibo elected as Pope Innocent VIII

    Pope Innocent VIII (Latin: Innocentius VIII; Italian: Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from...

  4. Battle of Bosworth Field: Henry Tudor's forces defeat English King Richard III during the last battle in the Wars of the

    Battle of Bosworth Field: Henry Tudor's forces defeat English King Richard III during the last battle in the Wars of the Roses. Richard is killed, becoming the last English monarch to die in battle.

  5. Matthias of Hungary takes Vienna from Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III

    Vladislaus II, also known as Vladislav, Władysław or Wladislas (Hungarian: II. Ulászló; Czech: Vladislav Jagellonský; Croatian: Vladislav II. Jagelović; Slovak: Vladislav II.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 17, 1483?
Tomás de Torquemada (14 October 1420 – 16 September 1498), anglicized as Thomas of Torquemada, was a Spanish Dominican friar and the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. In that role, he led a group of ecclesiastical prelates created in 1478 to uphold Catholic religious orthodoxy within the newly formed union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, presently known as the Kingdom of Spain. In part because of persecution, Muslims and Jews in Castile and Aragon at that time found it socially, politically, and economically advantageous to convert to Catholicism (becoming what were known as conversos, moriscos, and marranos).
Why is Tomás de Torquemada is appointed Inquisitor General of Spain significant?
Tomás de Torquemada (14 October 1420 – 16 September 1498), anglicized as Thomas of Torquemada, was a Spanish Dominican friar and the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition.

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