Historical eventDecember 301460

Wars of the Roses

Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Wakefield, Lancastrian forces destroyed the Yorkist army and killed Richard of York at Sandal Magna in West Yorkshire, England.

Everything on December 30Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, December 30 1460566 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
15th century · 1460s
Calendar
Julian — as recorded at the time
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Dates before 15 October 1582 are in the Julian calendar, so the weekday shown follows the Julian reckoning of the time.

At a glance

Dates: 1455-05-22 – 1487-06-16.

Place: Kingdom of England, Kingdom of England.

Type: war and civil war.

Key figures / parties: House of Lancaster, House of York, Richard III of England, and House of Tudor.

Catalyst / how it started

Causes Historians disagree over which factors were the main causes of the wars. [ 1 ] Bastard feudalism Edward III was the father of five dukes: Edward ( Cornwall ), Lionel ( Clarence ), John ( Lancaster ), Edmund ( York ), and Thomas ( Gloucester ). Richard II was a child-king who succeeded his grandfather Edward III shortly after the death of his father, Edward the Black Prince . Edward III , who ruled England from 1327 to 1387, had five sons who survived into adulthood;

What happened

The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in the following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought for control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fought between supporters of the House of York and the House of Lancaster, two rival cadet branches of the royal House of Plantagenet. The conflict resulted in the end of Lancaster's male line in 1471, leaving the Tudor family to inherit, through the female line,

December 30 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

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Also in 1460

  • August 3James II of ScotlandJames II of Scotland (pictured) was killed by an exploding cannon at Roxburgh Castle.

Everything we record for 1460 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Wars of the Roses”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/wars-of-the-roses-1460-december-30, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Wars of the Roses happen?

December 30 1460 — 566 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Is this a Julian or a Gregorian date?

It is the date as recorded at the time, on the Julian calendar. The Gregorian equivalent falls about ten days later; sources from different countries may give either.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

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