The Fall of Constantinople

What happened

On 29 May 1453, after a siege of some seven weeks, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II broke through the great walls of Constantinople with the help of enormous cannon, ending the thousand-year Byzantine Empire — the last surviving remnant of the Roman world.

Why it matters

The fall of Constantinople is often taken to mark the end of the Middle Ages. It sent Greek scholars and classical texts westward into Italy, helping to fuel the Renaissance, and confirmed the Ottomans as a great European power.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. 1453: The Fall of Constantinople · Reputable source