This timeline lists important events relevant to the life of the Albanian feudal lord and military commander Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (6 May 140517 January 1468), widely known as Skanderbeg.
1405 6 MaySkanderbeg was born in one of the two villages owned by his grandfather Pal Kastrioti, in the Debar region (now along the border between Albania and North Macedonia). He was a member of the Kastrioti family. Skanderbeg's father was Gjon Kastrioti (an Ottoman vassal since 1385) and his mother was Voisava. Skanderbeg's parents had nine children, of which he was the youngest son. His older brothers were Reposh, Stanisha and Kostandin, and his sisters were Mara, Jelena, Mamica, Angjelina and Vlajka.
1409 Gjon Kastrioti sent his eldest son, Stanisha, as a hostage to the Sultan.
1423 Gjon Kastrioti sent Skanderbeg to the Sultan's court as a hostage. Skanderbeg was circumcised. Skanderbeg soon won the Sultan's trust and was treated as his own son by Murad, who promoted him to the highest ranks of the Ottoman army.
14231425 The Ottomans gave Skanderbeg a military education at the Enderun in Edirne.
1426 The First Act of Hilandar appeared as a document written in the Serbian language and Cyrillic script, which is the first written document that contains the name of George Kastriot. In the period 14261431, Gjon Kastrioti and his three sons (Stanisha, Reposh and Gjergj) acquired four adelphates (rights to reside on monastic territory and to receive subsidies from monastic resources) to the St. George Tower of Hilandar and to some property within the monastery, as stated in the Second Act of Hilandar.
1428 Stefan Maramonte went to the Ottoman court and met Skanderbeg there. Based on the Ottoman graduation system (), the Sultan granted Skanderbeg a timar. This timar was near to the territories controlled by his father Gjon Kastrioti (). AprilGjon Kastrioti sent a letter to Venice expressing his concern that his son Skanderbeg would probably be ordered by the Sultan to occupy his territory. Gjon Kastrioti had to ask forgiveness from the Venetian Senate for Skanderbeg's participation in Ottoman military campaigns against Christians.
14301431 Gjon Kastrioti was defeated in battle by the Ottoman governor of Skopje, Isa bey Evrenos, and as a result his territorial holdings were greatly reduced. Skanderbeg earned the title of sipahi for his merits in the expeditions of Murad II. Skanderbeg's brother Reposh died as a monk in Hilandar, where he was buried.
14321436 Although Skanderbeg was summoned home by his relatives when Gjergj Arianiti and Andrea Thopia with other chiefs from the region between Vlorë and Shkodër organized a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the period 14321436, he did nothing, remaining loyal to the Sultan. Skanderbeg commanded Ottoman cavalry in many different battles in Europe and Asia bringing slaves and loot to Ottoman capital Adrianople. According to Fan Noli, during a battle in Anatolia, he was the first to climb the wall, raise the Ottoman flag, and was the first of the Ottoman forces to enter the besieged fortress.
1437 Gjon Kastrioti died. Skanderbeg expected that he would succeed his father and became the lord of the Kastiotis's domain. Skanderbeg's expectations were not fulfilled. The Ottomans annexed Gjon's former domain and appointed Skanderbeg timariot of a timar consisting of nine villages in the high mountains that had belonged to Gjon until his death. Skanderbeg became subaşi of the Krujë Subaşilik of the Sanjak of Albania in the period 14371438. NovemberHizir bey was appointed as subaşi of the Krujë Subaşilik instead of Skanderbeg.
1438 Skanderbeg continued to fight within the Ottoman forces. MaySkanderbeg's timar (of the vilayet of Dhimitër Jonima), consisting of nine villages in the high mountains that once belonged to his father John (this timar was listed in Ottoman registers as John's land, Turkish: Yuvan-ili), was awarded to André Karlo. The granting of these villages to André Karlo must have upset Skanderbeg who asked to be granted control of the zeamet in Misia, which consisted of his father's former domain. Sanjak-bey (probably of the Sanjak of Ohrid) objected Skanderbeg's request.
1439 7 JulyA letter from Skanderbeg and the widow of Gjon Kastrioti was presented to the Dubrovnik City Council by their procurator, the priest Petar. The letter was written in Slavic language and contained their request to inherit 123 ducats that two merchants from Dubrovnik owed to Gjon Kastrioti for customs that they did not pay on time. Their request was accepted.
1440 Skanderbeg was appointed as the sanjak-bey of the Sanjak of Dibra.
1443 AugustGjergj Arianiti again rebelled against the Ottomans, probably urged on by Pope Eugene IV or incited by the news of Hadım Şehabeddin's defeat. Early NovemberSkanderbeg participated in the Battle of Niš fighting for the Ottoman Empire under Kasim Pasha against the allied forces of John Hunyadi, Władysław III of Poland and Đurađ Branković. Early NovemberAfter the Ottoman forces were defeated in the Battle of Niš, Skanderbeg forced an Ottoman scribe to forge a letter in which Sultan Murad II appointed Skanderbeg as governor of Krujë. According to some earlier sources, Skanderbeg deserted the Ottoman army during the Battle of Kunovica on 2 January 1444. 28 NovemberTogether with his nephew Hamza Kastrioti and 300 Ottoman soldiers from Albania Skanderbeg arrived in Krujë and used the forged letter to gain control of Krujë from Zabel Pasha. Soon after Skanderbeg captured Krujë, his rebels managed to capture many Ottoman fortresses, including the strategically important Svetigrad (Kodžadžik), taken with the support of Moisi Golemi and 3,000 rebels from Debar. According to some sources, Skanderbeg impaled captured Ottoman soldiers who refused to be baptised into Christianity.
1444 2 MarchA meeting of local regional nobles from Albania was organised in the Venetian city of Lezhë, Venetian Albania. They agreed to form an alliance, the League of Lezhë, to fight the Ottoman Empire under Skanderbeg's command. 29 JuneSkanderbeg was victorious against the Ottoman forces in the Battle of Torvioll. Skanderbeg's troops stole cattle from the people of Lezhë and captured their women and children. 10 NovemberAfter winning the Battle of Varna against John Hunyadi's crusaders, Sultan Murad II tried to persuade Skanderbeg to return under Ottoman suzerainty. Skanderbeg refused. Nikollë Dukagjini ambushed and killed another member of the League, Lekë Zaharia. Dukagjini's attempt to capture Zaharia's fortress Dagnum failed. Zaharia's mother ceded the fortress of Dagnum and all other possessions belonging to her murdered son Zaharia (Drivast, Sati, Gladri and Dushmani) to Venice.
1445 12 FebruaryThe Senate of the Republic of Venice confirmed to Skanderbeg and his brother Stanisha that Venice would have the same obligations towards them as it had towards their father, promising them Venetian citizenship and safe conduct should their enemies drive them out.: "Млеци, 12 фебруар 1445, — Млетачки Сенат, на молбу Ђурђa и Станише, синова Ивана Кастриотића, потврђујe концесије дане 1438 год." 10 OctoberSkanderbeg and his forces were victorious in the Battle of Mokra, fought on the mountain of Mokra in Macedonia.
1446 Spring Through Ragusan diplomats, Skanderbeg asked the Pope and the Kingdom of Hungary for help against the Ottomans. 27 SeptemberSkanderbeg was victorious in the Battle of Otonetë (north of Debar, Macedonia). Gjergj Arianiti allied with the Kingdom of Naples.
1447 Skanderbeg was seduced by Alfonso V into waging a war against Venice. Skanderbeg's envoys visited the Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković. Branković gave them cordial reception and informed them that he wished to see people from Albania to take Dagnum from the Venetians. Branković promised to help Skanderbeg to fight against the Venetian Republic. Skanderbeg proclaimed himself heir to the Balsha and emphasised his intention to gain control of their former domains. Skanderbeg claimed to Venice all their towns which were pronoia of the murdered Lekë Zaharia (Dagnum, Drivast, Sati, Gladri and Dushmani) and also Drivast as it belonged to the Serbian Despotate before Venice conquered it. Venice rejected Skanderbeg's claim and offered him 1,000 ducats to drop all claims. Skanderbeg rejected the Venetian offer. Skanderbeg attacked Durrës. Skanderbeg failed to capture the Venetian cities of Bar and Ulcinj after unsuccessful attacks he conducted on behalf of the Kingdom of Naples with forces of the Serbian Despotate led by Đurađ Branković and forces of the Principality of Zeta led by Stefan Crnojević.: "Georg Branković, Stefan Crnojević und Skanderbeg erschienen mit starken heeren vor den venezianischen Stadten (Georg Branković, Stefan Crnojević and Skanderbeg appeared with a strong army before the Venetian cities)" DecemberSkanderbeg besieged Dagnum, but failed to capture it. DecemberSkanderbeg's forces rebuilt the fortress of Baleč and established a garrison of 2,000 men in it, with Marin Spani as commander. DecemberVenetian forces (also led by Andrija and Kojčin Humoj, together with Simeon Vulkata) drove Skanderbeg's forces from the Baleč garrison.: "In einer getreidearmen Gegend war dies ein Anschlag auf die Lebensgrundlagen der Gemeinde. Venedig ging in dieser Frage äusserst behutsam vor, denn Koja und Andreas Humoj hatten der Signoria bedeutende Dienste geleistet. Zusammen mit Simeon Vulkata waren sie an der Spitze der venezianischen Verbände gegen Skanderbeg ins Feld gezogen (1447). In ihren Machtgebieten um Balezo und Drivasto wurde besonders heftig gekämpft." DecemberSkanderbeg plundered the area around Durrës.
1448 4 MarchVenice offered a life pension of 100 gold ducats a year to the person who would kill Skanderbeg. Skanderbeg sent a detachment of his troops into the rural areas of the Kingdom of Naples to suppress a rebellion against Alfonso V. Many of them settled there. AprilSkanderbeg's forces besieged Durrës and he demanded from its citizens an annual provision of 400 ducats and two sets of clothing. The citizens of Durrës were willing to accept his request, but the Senate later rejected such an idea, believing that separate peaces would divide the weak Venetian forces in the area between Durrës and Kotor. MayThe Venetian Senate accepted offers from some people who promised to kill Skanderbeg for a life pension of 100 ducats a year. The Venetian Senate sent a messenger to the Ottoman Sultan asking that Skanderbeg be punished "because Skanderbeg is an Ottoman citizen and we have a solid peace with the Ottoman Empire". Ottoman forces under the command of Sultan Murad II fought against Skanderbeg with limited success, retaking only part of Skanderbeg's territory. Murad mobilised two armies to attack Skanderbeg. One army of 10,000 cavalry led by Ali Feriz Pasha, the supreme commander of the Ottoman forces in Europe, and another of 15,000 cavalry and infantry under the command of Mustapha Pasha. JuneIn an action coordinated with Skanderbeg, the Lord of the Serbian Despotate attacked Venetian towns in the region of Kotor, Budva and Bar. When the Ottoman forces attacked Skanderbeg, the Venetians were no longer worried about him. They decided not to make peace with him, but to destroy him and the nobles allied with him. Therefore, the Venetians decided not to allow them to take refuge in their cities. At the same time, the Venetians opened the gates of their cities to the peasants fleeing from the Ottomans, leaving Skanderbeg and the noblemen allied with him without the supplies provided by these peasants. 23 JulySkanderbeg was victorious near Shkodër, against a Venetian force of 15,000 men under the command of Daniele Iurichi, governor of Scutari. 31 JulySkanderbeg lost Svetigrad to the Ottoman Empire after the siege (14 May - 31 July).