Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Wars of the Roses began in 1455 with the First Battle of St Albans and concluded in 1487 with the Battle of Stoke Field. This period of civil war lasted from 1455 to 1487 and involved a series of conflicts between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
Richard, Duke of York, initiated the conflict in 1455 and was followed by his son Edward IV, who became king in 1461. Richard III, Duke of Gloucester, served as Lord Protector before ascending to the throne in 1483 and died at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
King Henry VI suffered a complete mental breakdown on the 17th of July 1453 following the English defeat at the Battle of Castillon. This military disaster triggered a catatonic state in which he failed to recognize his newborn son Edward and left the kingdom without a functioning monarch.
Richard III died on the 22nd of August 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field, making him the last English king to die in battle. His defeat marked the end of the Middle Ages in England and concluded the Wars of the Roses.
The modern term Wars of the Roses came into common use in the early 19th century following the publication of the 1829 novel Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott. The White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster symbolize the two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet fighting for control of the English throne.