1450s: Genoese invent the commercial lottery (derived from a system they used for choosing officials). 1454: King Gerhard II of the Netherlands dies without heir, so his lands fall to his old brother-in-arms Reinald I of Geldern, who marries Gerhard's daughter (although she's 30 years younger than him... but well, this is royalty). 1456-69: Swiss Civil War between "Upper Switzerland" (south of the Rhine) and "Lower Switzerland". 1460: The Hungarian nobles elect Ludwig of Bavaria-Landshut king Lajos III, after king Karl / Károly III died without heir.