
__NOTOC__
Year 1566 (
MDLXVI) was a
common year starting on Tuesday
A common year starting on Tuesday is any non-leap year (i.e. a year with 365 days) that begins on Tuesday, 1 January, and ends on Tuesday, 31 December. Its dominical letter hence is F. The most recent year of such kind was 2019, and the next one wi ...
of the
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...
.
Events
January–March
* January 7
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – The Senate of the Roman Republic, Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army, prompting the tribunes who support him to flee to where Caesar is waiting in Ravenna ...
– Cardinal Michele Ghislieri is elected as the new Pope by two-thirds of the College of Cardinals, to succeed Pope Pius IV, who had died 28 days earlier on December 8. Ghislieri becomes the 225th pope, and takes the regnal name Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...
.
* February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
...
– In one of the first gun assassinations in Japanese (if not world) history, Mimura Iechika, the daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
(warlord) of the Bitchū Province, is shot dead by two brothers (Endo Matajiro and Yoshijiro), sent by his rival Ukita Naoie.
* March 28
Events Pre-1600
* AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
* 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Did ...
– The foundation stone of Valletta
Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...
, which will become Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
's capital city, is laid by Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
* March – The Hanseatic city of Lübeck
Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...
launches the galleon
Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and Portugal.
They were first used as armed cargo carriers by Europe, Europeans from the 16th to 18th centuries during the Age of Sail, and they were the principal vessels dr ...
'' Adler von Lübeck'', probably the largest ship in the world at this time.
April–June
* April 5
Events Pre-1600
* 823 – Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I.
* 919 – The Fatimid invasion of Egypt (919–921), second Fatimid invasion of Medieval Egypt, Egypt begins, when the Fatimid heir-apparent, Al-Qa'im (Fa ...
– The Compromise of Nobles is presented to Margaret of Parma, Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, but it succeeds only in delaying the beginning of the Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
in the Netherlands.
* May 1
** Charles IX, King of France, completes his grand tour of his kingdom, returning to Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
a little more than 27 months and after his departure on January 24, 1564.
**Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, begins his last campaign, departing from Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
at the head of one of the largest armies he has ever commanded, with a plan to attack Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, capital of the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. However, he dies in September.
* May 13
Events Pre-1600
* 1344 – A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades.
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, v ...
– Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor imposes a '' Reichsexekution'' upon John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony. Augustus, Elector of Saxony is directed to carry out the order to begin the siege of the city of Gotha and John Frederick's home at the Grimmenstein Castle.
* May 25
Events Pre-1600
* 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.
* 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes ...
– King Philip II of Spain issues laws against the remaining Spanish Muslims, including a ban against use of the Arabic language
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, wearing of traditional Arab or Muslim clothing, a requirement that doors in their homes and buildings be kept open every Friday and on Muslim feast days (in order to verify that Muslim rituals are not observed), and forces the tearing down of public and private bathhouses (to prevent purification rites).
* May 30 – The Augsburg Imperial Coin Edict issues from the Holy Roman Empire, authorizing a new coin, the ''thaler
A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...
''. The new unit of money, the Reichsthaler, follows standards providing that the weight should be based on one-ninth of a Cologne mark
The Cologne mark is an obsolete unit of weight (or mass) equivalent to 233.856 grams (about 3,609 grains). The Cologne mark was in use from the 11th century onward. It came to be used as the base unit for a number of currency standards, including ...
of silver (the " 9 Thaler standard") with each minted coin to weigh 29.23 grams and to contain 25.96 grams of silver. The word ''thaler'', an abbreviation for the "Joachimsthaler" minted from the silver mines at Joachimsthal (modern-day Jáchymov in the Czech Republic), is anglicized
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
to dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...
, the name of currencies in many nations.
* June 10 – In Znojmo
Znojmo (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian Region. The hi ...
(in the modern-day Czech Republic), Wilhelm von Rosenberg, commander of the Army of the Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...
, begins raising an army to fight an expected invasion by the Ottoman Empire.
July–September
* July 22 – Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...
issues an edict to expel most prostitutes from Rome, and the Papal States
The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...
. The edict is soon reversed because of the loss of revenue from the taxation of houses of prostitution.
* July 25 – Feodor Stefanovich Kolychov is consecrated as the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church as Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow with the approval of the Tsar Ivan the Terrible, but soon defies the Tsar. Philip will be deposed in 16 months later and put to death on December 23, 1568.
* July 28
Events Pre-1600
*1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina.
*1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.
*1571 – La Laguna encomienda, known t ...
– John Sigismund Zápolya, uncrowned claimant to the throne of the King of Hungary
The King of Hungary () was the Monarchy, ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Magyarország apostoli királya'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 ...
, leads an invasion of Upper Hungary on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman.
* July 31 – King Philip II of Spain
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
sends a final letter to the administrators and Catholic bishops of the Spanish Netherlands
The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...
, rejecting a request to abolish ordinances treating Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
as heretics. The decision leads to an uprising against Spain by Calvinists and ultimately to the Eighty Years War.
* August 6
Events Pre-1600
*686 – The Ummayad forces suffer a deceisive defeat against the pro-Alid forces under Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar in the battle of Khazir.
*1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria (1284), Battle o ...
– The siege of Szigetvár is begun by Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. This is the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
at its greatest extent.
* August 10
Events Pre-1600
* 654 – Pope Eugene I elected to succeed Martinus I.
* 955 – Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor defeats the Magyars, ending 50 years of Magyar invasion of the West.
* 991 – Battle of Maldon: T ...
– The '' Beeldenstorm'', also called the "Iconoclastic Fury", begins as Protestant Calvinists engage in widespread destruction of religious art in the what are now the Netherlands and Belgium.
* August 16 – The ''Beeldenstorm'' arrives at Ypres
Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...
and the St Martin's Cathedral is plundered, with the library and artifiacts of Bishop Martin Rythovius burned.
* August 25 – The vandalism of the ''Beeldenstorm'' reaches Leiden
Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...
.
* September 7 – Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
dies in his tent of natural causes aged 71 the day before the end of the siege of Szigetvár, and Selim II succeeds him as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
* September 8 – The siege of Szigetvár ends in a fierce battle with the annihilation of 2,300 Hungarian and Croatian defenders, including their general, Nikola Šubić Zrinski, annihilated by an army of 90,000 soldiers of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, under Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Before charging out with his remaining 600 troops, General Zrinski orders the gates to the fortress to be opened and fires a large cannon, loaded with broken iron, killing hundreds of Ottoman attackers as they enter.[Edward Shelton, ''The Book of Battles: or, Daring Deeds by Land and Sea'' (Houlston and Wright, 1867) pp.82-83] As a final measure, according to one source, Zrinski orders a long fuse to be lit to the fortress gunpowder magazine and the powder explodes while thousands of Ottomans are inside.
October–December
* October 2
Events Pre-1600
* 829 – Theophilos succeeds his father Michael II as Byzantine Emperor.
* 939 – Battle of Andernach: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, crushes a rebellion against his rule, by a coalition of Eberhard of Franconia an ...
– Richard Onslow (Solicitor General) is elected as the Speaker of the English House of Commons by a vote of 82 to 70.
* October 8
Events Pre-1600
* 316 – Constantine I Battle of Cibalae, defeats Roman Emperor Licinius, who loses his European territories.
* 451 – The first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins.
* 876 – Frankish forces led by Louis ...
– Catherine of the Austrian Habsburgs, Queen of consort of Poland since 1553 as wife of Sigismund II Augustus, leaves Poland to return to Austria after the failure of her marriage. She never comes back to Poland, though she remains the official queen consort until her death in 1572.
* October 19 – Gastón de Peralta, 3rd Marquess of Falces becomes the Viceroy of New Spain, replacing Francisco Ceinos. Peralta is removed from office by King Philip II after charges are made that Peralta is planning a rebellion against the crown.
* October 28 – In Kneiphof, a city in the Duchy of Prussia
The Duchy of Prussia (, , ) or Ducal Prussia (; ) was a duchy in the region of Prussia established as a result of secularization of the Monastic Prussia, the territory that remained under the control of the State of the Teutonic Order until t ...
(modern-day Ostrov Immanuinga Kanta in Russia), Albert, Duke of Prussia
Albert of Prussia (; 17 May 149020 March 1568) was a German prince who was the 37th grand master of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia, the secularized state that emerged fr ...
has three of the town's five councilors beheaded on charges of causing political and religious disputes with the other Prussian states. Johann Funck, Matthias Horst, and Hans Schnell are executed in the town's marketplace, while Paul Skalich and Johann Steinbach are able to flee the country.
* November 5 – Queen Elizabeth I of England addresses the English Parliament and champions English nationalism, asking "Was I not born in this realm? Were my parents born in any foreign country? Is there any cause I should alienate myself from being careful over this country? Is not my kingdom here?"
* November 23
Events Pre-1600
*534 BC – Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character on stage.
*1248 – Siege of Seville, Conquest of Seville by Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile.
*1499 – Seve ...
– By decree of King Philip II of Spain
Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
, the content of gold in the Spanish gold escudo, is raised from 350 maravedis (equivalent to 338 centigrams) of gold to 400 (386 cg) and equivalent to 16 silver reales.
* November 26 – At the Craigmillar Castle, the advisers to Mary, Queen of Scots – James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray; Secretary of State William Maitland of Lethington; Lord Chancellor George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly; Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll; and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell ( – 14 April 1578), better known simply as Lord Bothwell, was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was accused of the murder of Mary's second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord ...
– advise her to divorce her husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. She refuses and the advisers decide that Darnley must be killed.
* December 17 – The baptism of Prince James, son of Mary Queen of Scots, takes place at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
Date unknown
* Between July 19, 1566 and July 7, 1567 (during the Islamic calendar year 974 AH) – The first bridge crossing the Neretva
The Neretva (, sr-Cyrl, Неретва), also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric power plants with Dam, large dams (higher than 15 metres) provide flood ...
River at Mostar
Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina.
Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...
in Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical Regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia (reg ...
is completed by the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. The white marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
bridge becomes known as '' Stari Most'' ("Old Bridge").
Births

*
January 13
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years.
* 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the ra ...
–
Maria of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duchess Consort of Saxe-Lauenburg (1582–1619) (d.
1626)
*
January 15
Events Pre-1600
*AD 69, 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Roman emperor, Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
*1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to set ...
–
Philipp Uffenbach
Philipp Uffenbach (15 January 1566 – 6 April 1636) was a German painter and Etching, etcher. He was born in Frankfurt, and trained under Hans Grimmer. One of his pupils was Adam Elsheimer. His interests included mechanics, geometry alchem ...
, German artist (d.
1636)
*
January 17
Events Pre-1600
* 38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey.
* 1362 – Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 peopl ...
–
Anna Juliana Gonzaga, Archduchess of Austria and nun (d.
1621
Events
January–March
* January 12 – Şehzade Mehmed, the 15-year old half-brother of Ottoman Sultan Osman II, is put to death by hanging on Osman's orders. Before dying, Mehmed prays aloud that Osman's reign as Sultan be r ...
)
*
February 1
Events Pre-1600
* 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
* 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), ...
–
Marie of the Incarnation, French Discalced Carmelite beatified nun and blessed (d.
1618)
*
February 2
Events Pre-1600
* 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of " Roman law".
* 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: ...
–
Michal Sedziwój, Polish alchemist (d.
1636)
*
February 18
Events Pre-1600
* 3102 BC – Kali Yuga, the fourth and final yuga of Hinduism, starts with the death of Krishna.
* 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining J ...
–
Francesco Erizzo, Doge of Venice (d.
1646)
*
March 1
Events Pre-1600
* 509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia.
* 293 – Emperor Diocleti ...
–
John Hoskins, English poet (d.
1638
Events January–March
* January 4
**A naval battle takes place in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Goa in South India as a Netherlands fleet commanded by Admiral Adam Westerwolt decimates the Portuguese fleet.
**A fleet of 80 Spanis ...
)
*
March 8
Events Pre-1600
* 1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem '' Shahnameh''.
* 1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León.
* 1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between ...
–
Carlo Gesualdo, Italian music composer (d.
1613)
*
April 2
Events Pre-1600
* 1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St ...
–
Bartholda van Swieten, Dutch diplomat (d.
1647)
*
May 26
Events Pre-1600
* 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
* 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire ta ...
–
Mehmed III,
Ottoman Sultan
The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...
(d.
1603)
*
June 19 – King
James VI of Scotland/James I of England and Ireland (d.
1625)
*
June 20
Events Pre-1600
* 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory.
* 1180 – First Battle of Uji, startin ...
– King
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa (, ; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632
N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden from 1592 to 1599. He was the first Polish sovereign from the House of Vasa. Re ...
, of Poland and Sweden (d.
1632
Events
January–March
* January 8 – University of Amsterdam is established at the site of the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam.
* January 31 – The dissection of a body for the benefit of medical students is carried o ...
)
*
July 9 –
John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach, German duke (d.
1638
Events January–March
* January 4
**A naval battle takes place in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Goa in South India as a Netherlands fleet commanded by Admiral Adam Westerwolt decimates the Portuguese fleet.
**A fleet of 80 Spanis ...
)
*
August 12 –
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (d.
1633
Events
January–March
* January 20 – Galileo Galilei, having been summoned to Rome on orders of Pope Urban VIII, leaves for Florence for his journey. His carriage is halted at Ponte a Centino at the border of Tuscany, wher ...
)
*
August 24
Events Pre-1600
* 367 – Gratian, son of Roman Emperor Valentinian I, is named co-Augustus at the age of eight by his father.
* 394 – The Graffito of Esmet-Akhom, the latest known inscription in Egyptian hieroglyphs, is written ...
–
Abraham Scultetus
Abraham Scultetus (24 August 1566 – 24 October 1625) was a German professor of theology, and the court preacher for the Prince-elector, Elector of the Palatinate Frederick V, Elector Palatine, Frederick V.
Biography
Early life
Abraham wa ...
, German theologian (d.
1625)
*
September 1 –
Edward Alleyn, English actor (d.
1626)
*
October 13 –
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, Irish politician (d.
1643)
*
October 15 –
Sigrid of Sweden, Swedish princess (d.
1633
Events
January–March
* January 20 – Galileo Galilei, having been summoned to Rome on orders of Pope Urban VIII, leaves for Florence for his journey. His carriage is halted at Ponte a Centino at the border of Tuscany, wher ...
)
*
November 3 –
Charles, Count of Soissons, French ''prince du sang'' and military commander (d.
1612)
*
November 9 –
Christian, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Lüneburt (1611–1633) (d.
1633
Events
January–March
* January 20 – Galileo Galilei, having been summoned to Rome on orders of Pope Urban VIII, leaves for Florence for his journey. His carriage is halted at Ponte a Centino at the border of Tuscany, wher ...
)
*
November 21 –
Francesco Cennini de' Salamandri
Francesco Cennini de' Salamandri (21 November 1566 – 2 October 1645) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal.
Biography
Cennini de' Salamandri was born 21 November 1566 in Sarteano ...
, Roman Catholic cardinal (d.
1645)
*
November 25
Events Pre-1600
*571 BC – Servius Tullius, king of Ancient Rome, Rome, celebrates the first of his three Roman triumph, triumphs for his victory over the Etruscans.
*1034 – Máel Coluim II of Scotland, Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, Ki ...
–
John Heminges
John Heminges (bapt. 25 November 1566 – 10 October 1630) was an English actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. Along with Henry Condell, he was an editor of the First Folio, the collected plays of Sha ...
, English actor (d.
1630)
*
November 26 –
Francesco Bracciolini, Italian poet (d.
1645)
*
December 1 –
Philip of Nassau, Count of Nassau (d.
1595)
*
December 11 – (baptised) –
Manuel Cardoso, Portuguese composer (d.
1650)
*
December 19
Events Pre-1600
* 1154 – Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
* 1187 – Pope Clement III is elected.
* 1490 – Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy.
* 1562 &ndas ...
–
George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury, English earl (d.
1630)
*
December 27
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – The second Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is consecrated.
*1512 – The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to Indigenous peoples of the Americas, native Ind ...
–
Jan Jesenius, Slovak physician (d.
1621
Events
January–March
* January 12 – Şehzade Mehmed, the 15-year old half-brother of Ottoman Sultan Osman II, is put to death by hanging on Osman's orders. Before dying, Mehmed prays aloud that Osman's reign as Sultan be r ...
)
* ''date unknown''
**
Pietro Cerone, Italian music theorist (d.
1625)
**
Polyxena von Lobkowicz, politically active Czech aristocrat (d.
1642
Events
January–March
* January 4 – King Charles I of England, accompanied by soldiers, arrives at a session of the Long Parliament and attempts to arrest his chief opponents, the Five Members, John Hampden, Arthur Haselri ...
)
**
Giovanni Baglione, Italian painter and historian of art (d.
1643)
**
Lucia Quinciani, Italian composer
**
James Sempill, Scottish theologian (d.
1626)
**
Caterina Vitale, Maltese pharmacist (d.
1619)
Deaths

*
January 6
Events Pre-1600
* 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will ...
–
Francesco Gonzaga, Spanish Catholic cardinal (b.
1538)
*
January 7
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – The Senate of the Roman Republic, Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army, prompting the tribunes who support him to flee to where Caesar is waiting in Ravenna ...
–
Louis de Blois, Flemish mystical writer (b.
1506
Year 1506 (Roman numerals, MDVI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 14 – The Classical antiquity, classical statue of ''Laocoön and His Sons'' is unearthed in Rome. ...
)
*
February 3
Events Pre-1600
* 1047 – Drogo of Hauteville is elected as count of the Apulian Normans during the Norman conquest of Southern Italy.
* 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, u ...
–
George Cassander, Flemish theologian (b.
1513)
*
February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
...
–
Mimura Iechika, Japanese warlord (b.
1517)
*
March 9
Events Pre-1600
*141 BC – Liu Che, Posthumous name, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han dynasty of China.
*1009 – First known mention of Lithuania, in the Annals of Quedlinburg, annals of the mo ...
–
David Rizzio
David Rizzio ( ; ; – 9 March 1566) or Riccio ( , ) was an Italian courtier, born in Pancalieri close to Turin, a descendant of an ancient and noble family still living in Piedmont, the Riccio Counts di San Paolo e Solbrito, who rose to bec ...
, Italian secretary of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legit ...
(b.
1533
Year 1533 ( MDXXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 25 – King Henry VIII of England formally but secretly marries Anne Boleyn, who becomes his second queen cons ...
)
*
March 23
Events Pre-1600
* 1400 – The Trần dynasty of Vietnam is deposed, after one hundred and seventy-five years of rule, by Hồ Quý Ly, a court official.
* 1540 – Waltham Abbey is surrendered to King Henry VIII of England; the las ...
–
Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen
Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (1 August 1492, in Köthen – 23 March 1566, in Zerbst), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. He was one of the earliest Protestant rulers in the Holy Ro ...
, German prince (b.
1492
Year 1492 ( MCDXCII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
1492 is considered to be a significant year in the history of the West, Europe, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Spain, and the New World, among others, because of the ...
)
*
March 26
Events Pre-1600
* 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
* 624 – First Eid al-Fitr celebration.
* 1021 – The death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret ...
–
Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer and organist (b.
1510
Year 1510 (Roman numerals, MDX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 23 – An 18-year-old Henry VIII of England jousts anonymously at Richmond, London, Richmond, Surrey ...
)
*
March 28
Events Pre-1600
* AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
* 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Did ...
–
Sigismund von Herberstein
Siegmund (Sigismund) Freiherr von Herberstein (or Baron Sigismund von Herberstein; 23 August 1486 – 28 March 1566) was a Carniolan diplomat, writer, historian and member of the Holy Roman Empire Imperial Council. He was most noted for his exten ...
, Austrian diplomat (b.
1486)
*
April 25 –
Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King
Henry II of France
Henry II (; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was List of French monarchs#House of Valois-Angoulême (1515–1589), King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I of France, Francis I and Claude of France, Claude, Du ...
(b.
1499)
*
April 25 –
Louise Labé, French poet (b. c.
1524)
*
May 10
Events Pre-1600
* 28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.
* 1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of ...
–
Leonhart Fuchs
Leonhart Fuchs (; 17 January 1501 – 10 May 1566), sometimes spelled Leonhard Fuchs and cited in Latin as ''Leonhartus Fuchsius'', was a German physician and botanist. His chief notability is as the author of a large book about plants and thei ...
, German physician and a botanist (b.
1501
Year 1501 ( MDI) was a common year starting on Friday in the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 17 – Cesar Borgia returns triumphantly to Rome, from Romagna.
* February 1 – The Duchy of Bavaria-Dachau, c ...
)
*
July 2 –
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...
, French astrologer (b.
1503)
*
July 13 –
Thomas Hoby
Sir Thomas Hoby (1530 – 13 July 1566) was an England, English diplomat and translator.
Early life
Hoby was born in 1530. He was the second son of William Hoby of Leominster, Herefordshire, by his second wife, Katherine, daughter of John Forde ...
, English diplomat and translator (b.
1530)
*
July 18 –
Bartolomé de las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas, Dominican Order, OP ( ; ); 11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566) was a Spanish clergyman, writer, and activist best known for his work as an historian and social reformer. He arrived in Hispaniola as a layman, then became ...
, Spanish priest (b.
1484)
*
July 30 –
Guillaume Rondelet, French doctor (b.
1507)
*
August 19 –
Elisabeth of Brunswick-Calenberg, Countess of Henneberg (b.
1526
Year 1526 (Roman numerals, MDXXVI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 14 – Treaty of Madrid (1526), Treaty of Madrid: Peace is declared between Francis I of France and ...
)
*
September 2
Events
Pre-1600
* 44 BC – Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion.
* 44 BC – Cicero launches the first of his '' Philippicae'' (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. He will make 14 of ...
–
Taddeo Zuccari, Italian painter (b.
1529)
*
September 6 –
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
,
Ottoman Sultan
The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...
since
1520 (b.
1494)
*
September 17 –
Íñigo López de Mendoza, 4th Duke of the Infantado (b.
1493)
*
September 22 –
Johannes Agricola, German Protestant reformer (b.
1494)
*
September 27 –
Marco Girolamo Vida, Italian poet (b.
1490)
*
October 13 –
Zilia Dandolo, Venetian dogaressa
*
October 28 –
Johann Funck, German theologian (b.
1518)
*
October 31 –
Richard Edwardes
Richard Edwardes (also Edwards, circa 1523 – 31 October 1566) was an English poet, playwright, and composer; he was made a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and was master of the singing boys. He was known for his comedies and interludes.
Life
...
, English poet (b.
1523)
*
November 2 –
Thomas White, English politician (b.
1507)
*
November 17 –
Annibale Caro, Italian poet and Knight of Malta (b.
1507)
*
November 27
Events Pre-1600
* AD 25 – Luoyang is declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han.
* 176 – Emperor Marcus Aurelius grants his son Commodus the rank of " Imperator" and makes him Supreme Commander of th ...
–
Froben Christoph of Zimmern, author of the ''Zimmern Chronicle'' (b.
1519)
*
December 1 –
Francisco Mendoza de Bobadilla, Spanish Catholic cardinal (b.
1508)
*
December 14 –
René, Marquis of Elbeuf (b.
1536
Year 1536 ( MDXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
*January 6 – The Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, the oldest European school of higher learning in the Americas, is ...
)
*
December 26 –
Kimotsuki Kanetsugu, Japanese samurai (b.
1511)
*
December 28 –
Margaret Paleologa, Sovereign Marchioness of Montferrat (1531–1540) (b.
1510
Year 1510 (Roman numerals, MDX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 23 – An 18-year-old Henry VIII of England jousts anonymously at Richmond, London, Richmond, Surrey ...
)
* ''date unknown''
**
Charles Dumoulin, French jurist (b.
1500)
**
Calvagh O'Donnell, Irish chieftain
* ''probable'' –
Jacob Acontius, Swiss jurist, theologian, philosopher and engineer (b.
1492
Year 1492 ( MCDXCII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
1492 is considered to be a significant year in the history of the West, Europe, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Spain, and the New World, among others, because of the ...
)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1566