
Year 1511 (
MDXI) was a
common year starting on Wednesday 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 19
Events Pre-1600
* 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to '' Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
* 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surren ...
– The Siege of Mirandola by the Papal States, with help from the Duchy of Urbino and Spanish and Venetian troops, ends with the capture of Mirandola after 18 days of fighting. The Pope personally leads the troops and, after the outnumbered defenders surrender, works at preventing his troops from pillaging the city or harming the residents.
* February 12
Events Pre-1600
* 1096 – Pope Urban II confirms the foundation of the abbey of La Roë under Robert of Arbrissel as a community of canons regular.
* 1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sofia performed the first post- ...
– King Henry VIII of England opens the two-day Westminster Tournament to celebrate the birth (on January 1) of his son Prince Henry. Sadly, the infant prince dies on February 22, nine days after the tournament's end. The festivities are later memorialized in the '' 1511 Westminster Tournament Roll'', a series of 36 separately painted pictures stitched together to form a roll almost long and 14 inches (37.5 cm) wide.
* February 14
It is observed in most countries as Valentine's Day.
Events Pre-1600
* 748 – Abbasid Revolution#Persian phase, Abbasid Revolution: The Kaysanites Shia#History, Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad ...
– The League of Cambrai, formed in 1508 by the Papal States, the Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
and 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 ...
is dissolved as Spain and the Holy Roman Empire withdraw and ally against France.
* February 22 – (9th waning of Tabaung 872 ME In what is now Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
, King Shwenankyawshin Narapati II of Ava dedicates his "exquisite golden palace".
* February 27 – In Italy, on " Fat Thursday", a Christian celebration marking the last days of feasting before the period of fasting during the Roman Catholic Lent, discontented citizens of Friuli
Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
stage a revolt against their Venetian occupiers and attack the city of Udine and invade the palaces of several members of nobility, murdering the wealthy families and plundering the palace contents. Special troops arrive from Gradisca d'Isonzo on March 1 and suppress the rebellion.
* March 11 – On the island of Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León leads an incursion at Yahuecas against the local Taino warriors, commanded by Chief Urayoán.
* March 26 – A 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes Slovenia and Italy and kills more than 10,000 people, striking with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). The epicenter is around the town of Idrija in present-day Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
, although some place it some 15-20 kilometers to the west, between Gemona and Pulfero in Friulian Slovenia. The earthquake affects a large territory between Carinthia, Friuli
Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
, present-day Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
and Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
.
April–June
* April 9
**St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...
, England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, receives its charter.
**The Şahkulu Rebellion breaks out in Anatolia.
* May 16 – Five Roman Catholic cardinals, including Federico di Sanseverino, sign a document calling upon Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...
to convene a council in Pisa to discuss reform of the Roman Catholic Church, to take place on September 1. After the Pope threatens him with excommunication, Sanseverino elects not to attend.
* May 23 – French troops capture the Italian city of Bologna after a two-day battle.
* June 21 – in Spain, Queen Queen Joanna of Castile creates the Consulate of the Sea for the port of Bilbao.
July–September
* July 2 – The Şahkulu rebellion, which had started in Anatolia
Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
by Sakhulu Baba, against 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 ...
on April 9, is suppressed in southeastern Turkey by the Ottoman Grand Vizier, Hadım Ali Pasha and Prince Şehzade Ahmed, son of the Sultan Bayezid II. Sakhulu is subsequently beheaded.
* July 11 – Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...
summons Catholic clerics to meet at the Fifth Council of the Lateran, directing them to meet on April 19.
* July 25 – Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal, Governor of Portuguese India, begins an assault on the strategic city of Malacca (now part of Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
) and captures it by August 15.
* July 29 – Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
's flagship, the '' Mary Rose'', is launched from Portsmouth.
* August 14 – In Rome, the completed first half of Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
's painting of Biblical scenes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is unveiled for a select group of patrons and church officials. The viewing is open to the public the next day.
* August 15 – (21 Jumada I 917 AH) Capture of Malacca: Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal conquers Malacca, the capital of the Sultanate of Malacca
The Malacca Sultanate (; Jawi script: ) was a Malays (ethnic group), Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parameswa ...
, giving Portugal control over the Strait of Malacca, through which all sea-going trade between China and India is concentrated. The Sultanate then establishes rule from Johor
Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...
, starting decades of skirmishes against the Portuguese to regain the fallen city. While taking the city, the Portuguese slaughter a large community of Chinese merchants living there. Malacca is the first city in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
to be taken by a Western nation, gaining home rule only in 1957, when it becomes part of Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
.
* September 13 – In Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, Tokudaiji Saneatsu retires from his position as Chancellor of the Realm (''Daijō-daijin'') after two years of leading the Council of State
A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
.
October–December
* October 1 – During the War of the League of Cambrai
The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and several other names, was fought from February 1508 to December 1516 as part of the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. The main participants of the war, who fough ...
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...
proclaims a Holy League against French dominance in Italy. It is an alliance between the Papal States, the Swiss Confederation, Venice (which had been the opponent of the League of Cambrai) and Aragon. Emperor Maximilian and the English king Henry VIII join the League soon after.
* October 12 – James IV of Scotland's great ship, the ''Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* he He ..., a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name
* Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
'', is launched at Newhaven, Edinburgh; she is the largest ship afloat at this date.
* November 17 – The Treaty of Westminster creates an alliance between Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
and Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...
against France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Mallett and Shaw, ''The Italian Wars'', 103; Hutchinson, ''Young Henry'', 159.
* November 20 – The vessel '' Frol de la Mar'', transporting Afonso de Albuquerque and the valuable treasure of the conquest of Malacca, sinks ''en route'' to Goa.
* November 23 – In India, Mahmud Shah Begada, Sultan of Gujarat since 1458, dies at the age of 66 after a reign of more than 50 years. He is succeeded by his eldest son, Prince Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar, who takes the name Muzaffar Shah II.
* December 21 – In an impassioned sermon on the fourth Sunday of Advent at Santo Domingo, Dominican friar Antonio de Montesinos openly denounces the Spanish conquistadors' cruelty and abuse of the Taino people practice of '' Encomienda'' (forcible enslavement of non-Christian peoples) on the island of Hispanola. and adds that neither he nor any of his missionaries will allow slaveholders to partake in confession.
Date unknown
* Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...
and Hernán Cortés conquer Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
; Velázquez is appointed Governor.
* Duarte Barbosa arrives in India for the second time. He works as clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...
in the factory of Cananor, and as the liaison with the Indian raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
h.
* After the fall of Malacca, Afonso de Albuquerque sends Duarte Fernandes on a diplomatic mission to Burma and Siam, becoming the first European to visit these countries diplomatically.
* Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...
observes that "one black can do the work of four Indians".
* Juan de Agramonte, a sailor from Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, is thought possibly to have travelled to Newfoundland.
* The indigenous Taíno
The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...
people revolt against the Spanish in southwestern Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
near Guánica.
* The first black slaves arrive in Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
.
* The Spanish conquest of Yucatán begins.
* Erasmus publishes his most famous work, '' The Praise of Folly'' (''Laus stultitiae'').
Births

*
January 1
January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in the Gregorian Calendar; 364 days remain until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the year. __TOC__
Events ...
–
Henry, Duke of Cornwall, eldest son of
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
*
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 ...
–
Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Japanese shōgun (d.
1550)
*
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 ...
–
John III, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken, German noble (d.
1574)
*
June 4 –
Honorat II of Savoy, French Navy admiral (d.
1580)
*
June 6 –
Jakob Schegk, German physician (d.
1587)
*
June 18 –
Bartolomeo Ammannati, Florentine architect and sculptor (d. 1592)
*
July 9 –
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, consort of Christian III from
1525, and Queen of Denmark and Norway (d.
1571)
*
July 30 –
Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...
, Italian painter and architect (d.
1574)
*
August 24 –
Jean Bauhin, French physician (d.
1582)
*
September 28 –
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, Japanese daimyo (d.
1535)
*
September 29 –
Michael Servetus, Spanish theologian (d.
1553)
*
October 22 –
Erasmus Reinhold, German astronomer and mathematician (d.
1553)
*
November 8 –
Paul Eber, German Lutheran theologian (d.
1569)
*
November 15 –
Johannes Secundus, Dutch poet (d.
1536)
*
December 5 –
Maldev Rathore, ruler of Marwar (d.
1562)
* ''date unknown''
**
Amato Lusitano, Portuguese Jewish physician (d.
1568)
**
Birgitte Gøye, Danish county administrator, lady in waiting, landholder and educator (d.
1574)
**
Kimotsuki Kanetsugu, Japanese samurai and warlord (d.
1566)
**
Luís de Velasco, Spanish viceroy of New Spain (d.
1564)
**
Nicola Vicentino, Italian music theorist and composer (d.
1576)
**
Nicholas Bobadilla, one of the first Spanish Jesuits (d.
1590)
**
Pierre Viret, Swiss reformed theologian (d.
1571)
**
Gaspar Cervantes de Gaeta, Spanish cardinal (d.
1575)
Deaths

*
January 9
Events Pre-1600
* 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain.
* 1038 – An earthquake in Dingxiang, China kills an estimate ...
–
Demetrios Chalkokondyles, Greek classical scholar (b.
1424)
*
January 20 –
Oliviero Carafa, Italian Catholic cardinal (b.
1430)
*
February 22 –
Henry, Duke of Cornwall, eldest son of
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
*
April 1 –
Francis of Denmark, Danish prince (b.
1497)
*
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 ...
–
Bernard VII, Lord of Lippe, German nobleman (b.
1428)
*
June 3 –
Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah, North African Islamic scholar, author of the
Oran fatwa
*
June 13 –
Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg (b.
1445)
*
July 2 –
Şahkulu, leader of the
Şahkulu Rebellion
*
July 6 –
Adolf III of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein, Germany noble (b.
1443)
*
July 12 –
Albert I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels, Count of Kladsko (b.
1468)
*
August 2 –
Andrew Barton, Scottish naval leader (b. c.
1466)
*
September 6
**
Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shogun (b.
1481)
**
William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg, Count of Ravensberg (b.
1455)
*
October 18 –
Philippe de Commines, French-speaking Fleming in the courts of Burgundy and France (b.
1447)
*
November 23
**
Mahmud Begada, Sultan of Gujarat (b.
1458)
**
Anne of York, daughter of King Edward IV of England (b.
1475)
* ''date unknown''
**
Diego de Nicuesa, Spanish conquistador and explorer
**
Johannes Tinctoris, Flemish composer and music theorist (b. c.
1435)
**
Estefania Carròs i de Mur, Spanish educator (b.
1455)
**
Matthias Ringmann, German cartographer and humanist poet (b.
1482)
**
Yusuf Adil Shah, founding leader of the
Adil Shahi Dynasty
* ''probable'' –
Antoine de Févin, French composer (b. c.
1470)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1511