__NOTOC__ Year 1539 ( MDXXXIX) was a

common year starting on Wednesday A common year starting on Wednesday is any non-leap year (a year with 365 days) that begins on Wednesday, January 1, and ends on Wednesday, December 31. Its dominical letter hence is E. The current year, 2025, is a common year starting on Wedne ...

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 4 Events Pre-1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina. * 871 – Battle of Reading (871), Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred the Great, Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasi ...

–

Giannandrea Giustiniani Longo Giannandrea Giustiniani Longo (Genoa, 1494 - Genoa, 1554) was the 51st Doge of the Republic of Genoa. Biography Before becoming the Doge of the republic, Longo held the official positions of Magistrate of the war, senator and procurator of t ...

is elected two a two year term as

Doge Doge, DoGE or DOGE may refer to: Internet culture * Doge (meme), an Internet meme primarily associated with the Shiba Inu dog breed ** Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency named after the meme ** Kabosu (dog), the dog portrayed in the original Doge image ...

of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

in Italy, succeeding

Giovanni Battista Doria Giovanni Battista Doria (1470–1554) was the 50th Doge of the Republic of Genoa. Biography Son of Agostino Doria and Soprana Grimaldi and a member of the powerful Doria family, he was born in Genoa around 1470. The fate of Giovanni Battis ...

. *

January 12 Events Pre-1600 * 475 – List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine Emperor Zeno (emperor), Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire. *1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crow ...

– Treaty of Toledo:

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...

(and

Charles I of Spain Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) fr ...

) and

Francis I of France Francis I (; ; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis&nbs ...

agree to make no further alliances with

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 ...

. The treaty comes after

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 split with Rome and

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

. *

January January is the first month of the year in the Julian calendar, Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the No ...

– Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War –

Battle of Naungyo The Battle of Naungyo ( ) was a land battle fought between the armies of the Toungoo Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom during the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41) in late 1538. The battle was the most decisive Toungoo victory of the war. To ...

Burma 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 ha ...

: The Toungoos decisively defeat the Hanthawaddys. *

February 9 Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Zeno (emperor), Zeno is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire *1003 – Boleslaus III, Duke of Bohemia, Boleslaus III is restored to authority with armed support from Bolesław I ...

– The first horse race is held at

Chester Racecourse Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, is a racecourse located in Chester, England. The horse racing venue is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the "oldest racecourse still in operation". Horse racing in Chester dates ...

, the oldest in use in

. *

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 ...

– King Henry VIII of England summons Parliament to meet, with the session to start on April 28. *

March 2 Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his '' bucellarii'' are almost ...

–

Askia Isma'il Askia Ismail was the sixth ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1537 – 1539, and fourth from the Askia dynasty. He was the son of Askia Mohammad I, the founder of the Askia dynasty, and Maryam Daabu, a member of the Malian royal family captured ...

, ruler of the

Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire was a state located in the western part of the Sahel during the 15th and 16th centuries. At its peak, it was one of the largest African empires in history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its lar ...

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, dies after a reign of slightly less than two years and is succeeded by

Askia Ishaq I Askia Ishaq I, also known as Ishaq Ber (Ishaq the Great), was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1539 to 1549, elected Askia following the death of Askia Isma'il. He was the fifth ruler of the Askiya dynasty. Rise to Power Ishaq was born the ...

. *

March 30 Events Pre-1600 * 598 – Avar–Byzantine wars: The Avars lift the siege at the Byzantine stronghold of Tomis. Their leader Bayan I retreats north of the Danube River after the Avaro- Slavic army is decimated by the plague. * 1282 ...

–

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

surrenders, and reverts to its previous status of 'a college of secular canons.

April–June

April 17 Events Pre-1600 * 1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized. * 1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of H ...

– At

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

in Germany,

Heinrich IV Henry IV may refer to: People * Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1050–1106), King of the Romans and Holy Roman Emperor * Henry IV, Duke of Limburg (1195–1247) * Henry IV, Duke of Brabant (1251/1252–1272) * Henryk IV Probus (c. 1258–1290), ...

of the

House of Wettin The House of Wettin () was a dynasty which included Saxon monarch, kings, Prince Elector, prince-electors, dukes, and counts, who once ruled territories in the present-day German federated states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynas ...

, nicknamed "Heinrich der Fromme" (Henry the Pious) becomes the new

Duke of Saxony This article lists dukes, electors, and kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 6th century to the end of the German monarchies in 1918. The electors of Saxony from John the Steadfast ...

within 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 ...

upon the death of his older brother, Georg der Bärtige ("George the Bearded"). *

April 19 Events Pre-1600 *AD 65 – The freedman Milichus betrays Pisonian conspiracy, Piso's plot to kill the Roman emperor, Emperor Nero and all of the List of conspiracies (political), conspirators are arrested. * 531 – Battle of Callini ...

– The

Treaty of Frankfurt The Treaty of Frankfurt may refer to one of three treaties signed at Frankfurt, as follows: * Treaty of Frankfurt (1489) – Treaty between Maximilian of Austria and the envoys of King Charles VIII of France * Treaty of Frankfurt (1539) – Initi ...

is signed at

Frankfurt-am-Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

on behalf of the Empire's Roman Catholic states, and the Lutheran theologian

Philip Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, an intellectual leader of the L ...

, representative of the

Schmalkaldic League The Schmalkaldic League (; ; or ) was a military alliance of Lutheranism, Lutheran Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, principalities and cities within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. It received its name from the town of Schm ...

of Protestant German states.Hagenbach, p. 235. Effective May 1, the parties agree that no violent actions will be taken by either side against the other during a 15 month truce period. *

April 28 Events Pre-1600 * 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V, effectively ending the Parthian Empire. * 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victor ...

– The

English Parliament The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised th ...

meets for the first time since 1536, after being summoned by King Henry VIII as his seventh Parliament. *

May 5 Events Pre-1600 * 553 – The Second Council of Constantinople begins. * 1215 – Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. * 1260 – ...

– The English

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

creates a committee, balanced between religious reformers and religious conservatives, to examine and determine doctrine, eventually forming the "Six Articles". *

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 ...

– The inaugural declaration of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

takes place in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

(now part of Germany) with

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

present, as Duke Henry IV pledges to adopt

Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

as the official religion of make the

Duchy of Saxony The Duchy of Saxony () was originally the area settled by the Saxons in the late Early Middle Ages, when they were subdued by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 772 CE and incorporated into the Carolingian Empire (Francia) by 804. Upon the 84 ...

. *

May 30 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within . * 1381 – ...

–

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

lands at

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater i ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

with 600 soldiers, with the goal of finding

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. He also introduces

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

s into

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. *

June 26 Events Pre-1600 *4 AD, 4 – Augustus adopts Tiberius. * 221 – Roman emperor Elagabalus adopts his cousin Alexander Severus as his heir and receives the title of Caesar (title), Caesar. * 363 – Roman emperor Julian (emperor), J ...

–

Battle of Chausa The Battle of Chausa was a notable military engagement between the Mughal Emperor, Humayun, and the Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri. It was fought on 26 June 1539 at Chausa, 10 miles southwest of Buxar in modern-day Bihar, India. Sher Shah Suri was ...

in modern-day

Buxar Buxar is a nagar parishad city in the state of Bihar, India, sharing border with Balia and Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is the headquarters of the eponymous Buxar district, as well as the headquarters of the community development ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (born Farid al-Din Khan; 1472 or 1486 – 22 May 1545), also known by his title Sultan Adil (), was the ruler of Bihar from 1530 to 1540, and Sultan of Hindustan from 1540 until his death in 1545. He defeated the Mughal Empire, ...

defeats the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

emperor,

Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...

(Sher Shah goes on to form the

Sur Empire The Sur Empire was an empire ruled by the Afghan (ethnonym), Afghan-origin Sur dynasty in North India, northern India for nearly 16 or 18 years, between 1538/1540 and 1556, with Sasaram (in modern-day Bihar) serving as its capital. It was fou ...

, and take control of nearly all Mughal territory). *

June 28 Events Pre-1600 *1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha, Kerbogha of Mosul at the Battle of Antioch (1098), battle of Antioch. *1360 – Muhammed VI, Sultan of Granada, Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid dynasty, Nas ...

– The Six Articles, an Act of the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the Great Council of England, great council of Lords Spi ...

, is given

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

reaffirms certain

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

principles in

Henry VIII 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. ...

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

July–September

July 13 Events Pre-1600 *1174 – William the Lion, William I of Scotland, a key Rebellion, rebel in the Revolt of 1173–74, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Henry II of England. *1249 – Coronation of Alexander III of Scotland, Ale ...

–

Lütfi Pasha Lütfi Pasha (, ''Luṭfī Paşa''; Modern Turkish: ''Lütfi Paşa'', more fully ''Damat Çelebi Lütfi Paşa''; 1488 – 27 March 1564, Didymoteicho) was an Ottoman Albanian statesman, general, and Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire under Sule ...

becomes the new

Grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire The grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire ( or ''Sadr-ı Azam'' (''Sadrazam''); Ottoman Turkish language, Ottoman Turkish: or ) was the ''de facto'' prime minister of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, sultan in the Ottoman Empire, with the absolute p ...

after being appointed by the Sultan

Suleiman the Great 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 Ottoman sultan between 1520 and his death in 1566. Under his adminis ...

following the death of Ayas Mehmed Pasha *

July 18 Events Pre-1600 * 477 BC – Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army. * 387 BC – Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, ...

– The

siege of Castelnuovo The siege of Castelnuovo was an engagement during the Ottoman-Habsburg struggle for control of the Mediterranean, which took place in July 1539 at the walled town of Castelnuovo, present-day Herceg Novi, Montenegro. Castelnuovo had been conquer ...

(now the town of

Herceg Novi Herceg Novi (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Херцег Нови, ) is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of ...

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

) is started by General

Hayreddin Barbarossa Hayreddin Barbarossa (, original name: Khiḍr; ), also known as Hayreddin Pasha, Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1483 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy. Barbarossa's ...

, leader of the Ottoman Empire's Army, after the Spanish commanding officer, Francisco de Sarmiento, rejects an offer of honorable surrender with safe passage. Spain had taken the city in war from the Ottomans in 1538, giving the Christian Europeans control of the eastern Mediterranean sea and access to the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

. With 50,000 Ottomans against less than 4,000 Spanish defenders, Castelnuovo falls in less than three weeks. *The

ends after 19 days and the deaths of as many as 20,000 of the Ottoman attackers. After the city falls, almost all of the surviving Spanish defenders are executed, including Spain's General de Sarmiento. *

August 15 Events Pre-1600 * 636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins. * 717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Consta ...

– King

issues the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêt, that places the whole of

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 ...

under the jurisdiction of the royal law courts, and makes

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

the language of those courts, and the official language of legal discourse. *

August 17 Events Pre-1600 * 310 – Pope Eusebius dies, possibly from a hunger strike, shortly after being banished by the Emperor Maxentius to Sicilia (Roman province), Sicily. * 682 – Pope Leo II begins his pontificate. * 986 – Byzanti ...

– The revolt of Ghent begins in 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 ...

(now

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

) as members of the city's

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

s demand the right to choose their own leaders, and the resignation of the Spanish-sponsored city leaders. Within four days, the city is under the control of nine guild leaders. *

September 7 Events Pre-1600 * 878 – Louis the Stammerer is crowned as king of West Francia by Pope John VIII. * 1159 – Cardinal Rolando Bandinelli is elected Pope Alexander III, prompting the election of Cardinal Octaviano Monticelli as Anti ...

–

Guru Angad Dev Guru Angad (31 March 1504 – 29 March 1552; , ) was the second of the ten Sikh gurus of Sikhism. After meeting Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, becoming a Sikh, and serving and working with Nanak for many years, Nanak gave Lehna the name A ...

becomes the second Guru of the

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

October–December

October 4 Events Pre-1600 *AD 23 – Rebels sack the Chinese capital Chang'an during a peasant rebellion. * 1209 – Otto IV is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III. * 1302 – The Byzantine–Venetian War comes ...

–

contracts to marry

Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (; 28 June or 22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the Wives of Henry VIII, fourth wife of Henry VIII. Little is known about Anne before 1527, ...

. *

November 1 Events Pre-1600 * 365 – The Alemanni cross the Rhine and invade Gaul. Emperor Valentinian I moves to Paris to command the army and defend the Gallic cities. * 996 – Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freisin ...

–

Joachim II Hector Joachim II ( or ''Hektor''; 13 January 1505 – 3 January 1571) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1535–1571), the sixth member of the House of Hohenzollern. Joachim II was the eldest son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Br ...

introduces Lutheranism in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, becoming the second Prince-Elector after the Prince-Elector of Saxony to turn Protestant. *

November 26 Events Pre-1600 * 783 – The Asturian queen Adosinda is held at a monastery to prevent her nephew from retaking the throne from Mauregatus. * 1161 – Battle of Caishi: A Song dynasty fleet fights a naval engagement with Jin dy ...

– Abbot Marmaduke Bradley and 31 monks sign the deed surrendering

Fountains Abbey Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercians, Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operat ...

to the English Crown. *

December 7 Events Pre-1600 *43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius. * 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius and proclaims him ...

–

Juan Pardo de Tavera Juan Pardo de Tavera (26 May 1472 – 1 August 1545) was a Spanish Roman Catholic cardinal who was Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain (1534–1545) and Grand Inquisitor of Spain (1539–1545). He had previously been Archbishop of Santia ...

, Archbishop of Toledo, begins his administration as the Grand Inquisitor of Spain. *

December 15 Events Pre-1600 * 533 – Vandalic War: Byzantine Empire, Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum. * 687 – Pope Sergius I is elected as a compromise between antipopes P ...

– In the Spanish colony of Nueva Granada (now the Republic of

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 ...

, Spanish conquistador

Baltasar Maldonado Baltasar Maldonado, also written as Baltazar Maldonado,
– Bank of the Republic (Colombia), Banc ...

and his troops fight a final battle at

Duitama Duitama () is a city and municipality in the department of Boyacá. It's the capital of the Tundama Province. Duitama is located northeast of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia and northeast of Tunja, the capital of Boyacá. In 2023 Duitama had ...

(now the

Boyacá Department Boyacá () is one of the thirty-two departments of Colombia, and the remnant of Boyacá State, one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia". Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mount ...

) against the indigenous armies of the

Muisca Confederation The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of what is today Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanis ...

, led by

Tundama Tundama or Saymoso (15th century – late December 1539 in Duitama) was a ''cacique'' of the Muisca Confederation, a loose confederation of different rulers of the Muisca who inhabited the central highlands (Altiplano Cundiboyacense) of the Co ...

. *

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 ...

–

arrives in

in fulfillment of the October 4 contract for marriage to King Henry VIII and the payment of a dowry of 100,000

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin (in Italian ''Fiorino d'oro'') struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains () of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a pu ...

s to her brother. The Anne and Henry are married 10 days later, but the marriage is annulled on July 12.

Undated

is forcibly introduced into

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

, despite the opposition of Bishop

Jón Arason Jón Arason (1484 – November 7, 1550) was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet, who was executed in his struggle against the Reformation in Iceland. Background Jón Arason was born in Gryta, educated at Munkaþverá, the Benedictine ...

. **

Beaulieu Abbey Beaulieu Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1203–1204 by John of England, King John and (uniquely in England in the Middle Ages, Britain) populated by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the ...

Bolton Abbey Bolton Abbey Estate in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, takes its name from a 12th-century Augustinian monastery of canons regular, now known as Bolton Priory. The priory, which was closed in the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasterie ...

, Colchester Abbey,

Newstead Abbey Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, was formerly an Augustinian priory. Converted to a domestic home following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. The Abbey is on the national ...

St Albans Abbey St Albans Cathedral, officially the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, also known as "the Abbey", is a Church of England cathedral in St Albans, England. Much of its architecture dates from Norman times. It ceased to be an abbey follo ...

St Mary's Abbey, York The Abbey of St Mary is a ruined Benedictine abbey in York, England and a scheduled monument. History Once one of the most prosperous abbeys in Northern England,Dean, G. 2008. ''Medieval York''. Stroud: History Press. p. 86 its remains li ...

and Hartland Abbey (the last) fall prey to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England. ** The first edition of the

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

Genevan Psalter The ''Genevan Psalter'', also known as the ''Huguenot Psalter'', is a 1539 metrical psalter in French created under the supervision of John Calvin for liturgical use by the Reformed churches of the city of Geneva in the sixteenth century. Backg ...

'' is published. * In

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

province,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, a severe drought with swarms of locusts is made worse, by a major

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infection ...

outbreak of the plague. * The first printing press in

is set up in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

. * Teseo Ambrogio's ''Introductio in Chaldaicam lingua, Syriaca atq Armenica, & dece alias linguas'', published in

Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...

, introduces several Middle Eastern languages to western Europe for the first time.

Births

January 28 Events Pre-1600 *AD 98, 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany. * 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accessi ...

– Nicolò Donato, Doge of Venice (d.

1618 Events January–March * January 6 ** Jahangir, ruler of the Mughal Empire in northern India, gives an audience for the first time to a representative of the British East India Company, receiving Sir Thomas Roe at the capital at ...

) *

February 13 Events Pre-1600 * 962 – Emperor Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I and Pope Pope John XII, John XII co-sign the ''Diploma Ottonianum'', recognizing John as ruler of Rome. *1258 – Siege of Baghdad (1258), Siege of Baghdad: Hulegu Kh ...

– Elisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatine by marriage (1576-1582) (d.

1582 1582 ( MDLXXXII) was a common year starting on Monday in the Julian calendar, and a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. This year saw the beginning of the Gregorian calendar ...

) *

February 23 Events Pre-1600 * 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution. * 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone o ...

** Henry XI of Legnica, thrice Duke of Legnica (d.

1588 Events January–March * January 22 – Pope Sixtus V issues the papal bull '' Immensa aeterni Dei'', a major reorganization of the Roman Curia creating 15 congregations of cardinals, including the Congregation of the ''Index ...

) **

Salima Sultan Begum Salima Sultan Begum (23 February 1539 – 2 January 1613) was the third wife and chief consort of the Mughal emperor Akbar, and a granddaughter of Babur. Salima was the daughter of Akbar's paternal aunt, Gulrukh Begum, and her husband, the Vic ...

, Empress of the Mughal Empire as a wife of Emperor Akbar (d.

1613 Events January–March * January 11 – Workers in a sandpit in the Dauphiné region of France discover the skeleton of what is alleged to be a 30-foot tall man (the remains, it is supposed, of the giant Teutobochus, a legendar ...

) *

February 27 Events Pre-1600 * 380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity. * 425 – The University of Constantin ...

–

Franciscus Raphelengius Frans van Ravelingen Latinized Franciscus Raphelengius (February 27, 1539 – July 20, 1597), was a Flemish-born scholar, printer and publisher, working in Antwerp and later in Leiden. During the last decade of his life he was professor of He ...

, Dutch printer (d.

1597 Events January–March * January 4 – Japan's Chancellor of the Realm, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, sends 26 European Christians, arrested on December 8, 1596, on a forced march from Kyoto to Nagasaki. * January 24 – Battle of Turnhout: M ...

) *

March 5 Events Pre-1600 * 363 – Roman emperor Julian leaves Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sasanian Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death. * 1046 – Nasir Khusraw begins the seven-year Middle Easte ...

– Christoph Pezel, German theologian (d.

1604 Events January–March * January 1 – The earliest recorded performance of William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' takes place at Hampton Court prior to the main presentation, ''The Masque of Indian and China K ...

) *

March 18 Events Pre-1600 * 37 – Roman Senate annuls Tiberius' will and proclaims Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ''(aka Caligula = Little Boots)'' emperor.Tacitus, ''Annals'' V.10. * 1068 – An earthquake in the Levant and the Ar ...

– Maria of Nassau, Countess of Nassau (d.

1599 __NOTOC__ Events January–March * January 8 – The Jesuit educational plan, known as the '' Ratio Studiorum'', is issued. * January 22 – The Acoma Massacre begins in what is now northern New Mexico in the U.S., as Santa Fe de Nuev ...

) *

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 ...

–

George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach George Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach (; 5 April 1539 in Ansbach – 25 April 1603) was Margrave of Ansbach and Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenz ...

(d.

1603 Events January–March * January 24 – Anglo-Spanish War: English Admiral Christopher Newport leads an unsuccessful attempt to take the Spanish-controlled Caribbean island of Jamaica, where he was attempting to pillage the area t ...

) *

April 6 Events Pre–1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus. * 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. * ...

–

Amalia of Neuenahr Countess Amalia of Neuenahr-Alpen (6 April 1539 – 10 April 1602) was Electress of the Palatinate of Rhine. Early life and ancestry Amalia was born into an old German nobility, as the eldest child and only daughter of Count Gumprecht IV of Neu ...

, German noble (d.

1602 Events January–March * January 3 – Battle of Kinsale: The English defeat Irish rebels and their Spanish allies. (The battle happens on this date according to the Gregorian calendar used by the Irish and Spanish but on Thursday, 24 Dece ...

) *

April 7 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning the town. * 529 – First '' Corpus Juris Civilis'', a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Em ...

Tobias Stimmer Tobias Stimmer (7 April 1539 – 4 January 1584In the old style.) was a Switzerland, Swiss painter and illustrator. His most famous work is the paintings on the Strasbourg astronomical clock. Biography He was born in Schaffhausen, and was a ...

, Swiss artist (d.

1584 Events January–March * January 11 – Sir Walter Mildmay is given a royal licence to found Emmanuel College, Cambridge in England. * January 16 – Roman Catholic priest George Haydock, imprisoned in the Tower of London ...

) **

Strange Jørgenssøn Strange Jørgenssøn (7 April 1539 – 5 February 1610) was a Danish/Norwegian businessman and bailiff. He was born in Faaborg; the son of Jørgen van der Huus and Margrethe Bullgers. He served as bailiff of Lyse Abbey, Munkeliv Abbey, Giske, and ...

, Norwegian businessman (d.

1610 Some have suggested that 1610 may mark the beginning of the Anthropocene, or the 'Age of Man', marking a fundamental change in the relationship between humans and the Earth system, but earlier starting dates (ca. 1000 C.E.) have received broa ...

) *

April 30 Events Pre-1600 * 311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends. * 1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois. *1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus ...

–

Archduchess Barbara of Austria Barbara of Austria (30 April 1539 – 19 September 1572), was an Archduchess of Austria as a member of the House of Habsburg and by marriage List of Ferrarese consorts, Duchess consort of Ferrara, List of Modenese consorts, Modena and Reggio d ...

, Austrian archduchess (d.

1572 Year 1572 ( MDLXXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 16 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, is tried for treason, for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholi ...

) *

May 22 Events Pre-1600 * 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu. * 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt. ...

–

Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Baron Beauchamp, KG (22 May 1539 – 6 April 1621), of Wulfhall and Totnam Lodge in Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, of Hatch Beauchamp in Somerset, of Netley Abbey, Hampshire, and of Hertford House, Ca ...

(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 ...

) *

May 29 Events Pre-1600 * 363 – The Roman emperor Julian defeats the Sasanian army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sasanian capital, but is unable to take the city. * 1108 – Battle of Uclés: Almoravid troops unde ...

–

Thomas Pounde Thomas Pounde (29 May 1539 – 5 March 1614) was an English Jesuit lay brother. Life Pounde was born at Belmont (Beaumond), Farlington, Hampshire. He was the eldest son of William Pounde and Helen/Anne, the sister or half-sister to Thomas Wrio ...

, English Jesuit lay brother (d.

) *

June 6 Events Pre-1600 * 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointe ...

–

Catherine Vasa Catherine Vasa of Sweden (; 6 June 1539 – 21 December 1610) was a Swedish princess, and the Countess consort of East Frisia as the spouse of Edzard II, Count of East Frisia. She was the oldest daughter of Gustav Vasa and Margareta Leijonhufvu ...

, Regent of East Frisia (1599-1610) (d.

) *

June 13 Events Pre-1600 * 313 – The decisions of the Edict of Milan, signed by Constantine the Great and co-emperor Valerius Licinius, granting religious freedom throughout the Roman Empire, are published in Nicomedia. * 1325 – Ibn ...

–

Jost Amman Jost Amman (June 13, 1539 – March 17, 1591) was a Old Swiss Confederacy, Swiss-German artist, celebrated chiefly for his woodcuts, done mainly for book illustrations. Early life Amman was born in Zürich, the son of a professor of Cl ...

, Swiss printmaker (d.

1591 Events January–March * January 27 – Scottish schoolmaster John Fian becomes the first person to be executed after the North Berwick witch trials, following his conviction for the crime of witchcraft. Fian is taken to the Ca ...

) *

June 23 Events Pre-1600 * 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu. * 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships. * 1280 – The Spanish ...

–

William Darrell of Littlecote William Darrell (23 June 1539 – 1 October 1589) of Littlecote House, Wiltshire, later of Warwick Lane, London; was an English Member of Parliament for the constituency of Downton in 1572. Biography Darrell was the son of Sir Edward Darrell a ...

, English politician (d.

1589 Events January–March * January 5 – The reign of Catherine de' Medici as Countess of Auvergne ends after 64 years and she is succeeded by her grandson, Charles de Valois. * January 7 – The College of Sorbonne votes a re ...

) *

July 4 Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and procla ...

–

Louis VI, Elector Palatine Louis VI, Elector Palatine (4 July 1539 in Simmern – 22 October 1583 in Heidelberg), was an Elector from the Palatinate-Simmern branch of the house of Wittelsbach. He was the first-born son of Frederick III, Elector Palatine and Marie of Br ...

(d.

1583 Events January–March * January 1 – The Duchy of Savoy adopts the Gregorian Calendar, replacing the Julian Calendar. * January 18 – François, Duke of Anjou, attacks Antwerp. * February 4 – Gebhard Truchsess von ...

) *

September 18 Events Pre-1600 * 96 – Emperor Domitian is assassinated as a result of a plot by his wife Domitia and two Praetorian prefects. Nerva is then proclaimed as his successor. * 324 – Constantine the Great decisively defeats Licinius i ...

–

Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also ...

, Italian-French dignitary and diplomat (d.

1595 Events January–March * January 16 – Mehmed III succeeds Murad III, as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and begins a reign of almost nine years. Upon ascending the throne, Mehmed orders that all 19 of the other sons of Murad III a ...

) *

October 1 Events Pre-1600 * 331 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. * 366 – Pope Damasus I is consecrated. * 959 – Edgar the Peaceful becomes king of all England, in succession to E ...

–

Peter Vok Peter Vok of Rosenberg (; 1 October 1539 – 6 November 1611) was a nobleman of the House of Rosenberg, descended from the Vítkovci. Rožmberk was a leading Protestant in the unsettled years before Battle of White Mountain. Life Peter Vok was b ...

, Czech noble (d.

1611 Events January–March * January 26 – Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully is forced by Queen regent Marie's Regency Council to resign as chief minister of France. He is replaced by Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Vill ...

) *

–

Pierre Pithou Pierre Pithou (1 November 1539 – 1 November 1596) was a French lawyer and scholar. He is also known as Petrus Pithoeus. Life He was born at Troyes. From childhood he loved literature, and his father Pierre encouraged this interest. Young P ...

, French lawyer and scholar (d.

1596 Events January–March * January 6 – Drake's Assault on Panama: Sir Francis Drake, General Thomas Baskerville and an English force of 15 ships land at the Atlantic Ocean port of Nombre de Dios in an attempt to capture the Isthmus o ...

) *

December 5 Events Pre-1600 *63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations. * 633 – Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville. *1033 – The 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake, Jordan Rift Val ...

–

Fausto Paolo Sozzini Fausto Paolo Sozzini (; ; 5 December 1539 – 4 March 1604), often known in English by his Latinized name Faustus Socinus ( ), was an Italian Renaissance humanist and theologian, and, alongside his uncle Lelio Sozzini, founder of the Nontrinita ...

, Italian theologian (d.

) *

December 20 Events Pre-1600 *AD 69 – Antonius Primus enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor for Nero's former general Vespasian. * 1192 – Richard I of England is captured and imprisoned by Leopold V of Austria on his way home to England ...

–

Paulus Melissus Paulus Melissus (also: ''Paul Melissus,'' ''Paul Schede'', or ''Paulus Schedius Melissus''; 20 December 1539 – 3 February 1602) was a humanist Neo-Latin writer, translator and composer. Life Melissus was born in Mellrichstadt. He studied ...

, German composer (d.

) *

December 31 It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve or Old Year's Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the followi ...

– John Radcliffe, English politician (d.

1568 Year 1568 ( MDLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 6 – In the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom, the delegates of Unio Trium Nationum to the Diet of Torda convene i ...

) * ''date unknown'' ** José Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva, Portuguese explorer (d.

1590 Events January–March * January 6 – García Hurtado de Mendoza becomes the new Viceroy of Peru (nominally including most of South America except for Brazil). He will serve until 1596. * January 10 – Construction of th ...

) **

Hasegawa Tōhaku was a Japanese Painting, painter and founder of the Hasegawa school. He is considered one of the great painters of the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573-1603), and he is best known for his folding screens, such as ''Shōrin-zu byōbu, Pine Trees ...

, Japanese painter (d.

) **

Laurence Tomson Laurence Tomson (1539 – 29 March 1608) was an English politician, author, and translator. He acted as the personal secretary of Sir Francis Walsingham, the secretary of state to Elizabeth I of England. Tomson revised both the text and the ...

, English Calvinist (d.

1608 Events January–March *January 2 – The first of the Jamestown supply missions returns to the Colony of Virginia with Christopher Newport commanding the ''John and Francis'' and the ''Phoenix'' bringing about 100 new settlers to ...

) **

Humphrey Gilbert Sir Humphrey Gilbert (c. 1539 – 9 September 1583) was an English adventurer, explorer, member of parliament and soldier who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was a pioneer of the English colonial empire in North Ameri ...

, English adventurer, explorer, member of Parliament and soldier (d.

)

Deaths

January 24 Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. * 1438 – The Co ...

–

Anneke Esaiasdochter Anneke Esaiasdochter (also ''Anna Jansz'', ''Anneken Jans'' or ''Anneke van Rotterdam''; 1509–1539), was a Dutch Anabaptist executed as a heretic and at the time regarded as a Protestant martyr. Life Anna Jansz was born in Brielle on the Dutch i ...

, Dutch Anabaptist writer (b.

1509 Year 1509 (Roman numerals, MDIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 21 – The Kingdom of Portugal, Portuguese first arrive at the Seven Islands of Bombay and land at M ...

) * February –

Narapati of Prome Narapati of Prome (, ; died February 1539) was king of Prome from 1532 to 1539. He seized the throne after his father Bayin Htwe was taken captive by the Confederation of Shan States in 1532 back to Upper Burma. Bayin Htwe escaped after the Conf ...

, king of

Prome Pyay, and formerly anglicised as Prome, is the principal town of Pyay Township in the Bago Region in Myanmar. Pyay is located on the bank of the Irrawaddy River, north-west of Yangon. It is an important trade center for the Ayeyarwady Delta, Cent ...

in Burma. *

February 6 Events Pre-1600 * 590 – Hormizd IV, king of the Sasanian Empire, is overthrown and blinded by his brothers-in-law Vistahm and Vinduyih. * 1579 – The Diocese of Manila is erected by papal bull, with Domingo de Salazar appointe ...

–

John III, Duke of Cleves John III, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark ( German: ''Johann III der Friedfertige''; 10 November 1490 – 6 February 1539), known as John the Peaceful, was the Lord of Ravensberg, Count of Mark, and founder of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cl ...

(b. 1491) *

–

Isabella d'Este Isabella d'Este (19 May 1474 – 13 February 1539) was the Marchioness of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion ...

, Marquise of Mantua (b.

1474 Year 1474 ( MCDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February – The Treaty of Utrecht puts an end to the Anglo-Hanseatic War. * March 19 – The Senate of the Republic of Venice ...

) *

–

Nuno da Cunha Nuno da Cunha ( – 5 March 1539) was a Portuguese admiral who was governor of Portuguese possessions in India from 1529 to 1538. He was the governor of Portuguese Asia that ruled for more time in the sixteenth century in a total of nine years. ...

, Portuguese governor in India (b.

1487 Year 1487 ( MCDLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 29 – Richard Foxe becomes Bishop of Exeter. * March – Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, largely on the ...

) *

March 12 Events Pre-1600 * 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius. * 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of th ...

–

Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire, 1st Earl of Ormond, 1st Viscount Rochford KG KB ( – 12 March 1539), of Hever Castle in Kent, was an English diplomat and politician who was the father of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, ...

, English diplomat and politician (b.

1477 Year 1477 ( MCDLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 5 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold of Burgundy is again defeated, and this time is killed; this marks ...

) *

March 19 Events Pre-1600 * 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire. * 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen en ...

–

Lord Edmund Howard Lord Edmund Howard ( – 19 March 1539) was the third son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, and his first wife, Elizabeth Tilney. His sister, Elizabeth, was the mother of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, and he was the father of th ...

, English nobleman (b. c.

1478 Year 1478 ( MCDLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 14 – Novgorod surrenders to Ivan III, Grand Prince of Moscow. * January 15 – Richard of Shrewsbury, ...

)) *

–

George, Duke of Saxony George the Bearded ( Meissen, 27 August 1471 – Dresden, 17 April 1539) was Duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539 known for his opposition to the Reformation. While the Ernestine line embraced Lutheranism, the Albertines (headed by George) were ...

(b.

1471 Year 1471 ( MCDLXXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January – Portuguese navigators João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar reach the gold-trading centre of Elmina on t ...

) *

– Katarzyna Weiglowa, Jewish martyr (b.

1460 Year 1460 ( MCDLX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar, the 1460th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 460th year of the 2nd millennium, the 60th year of the 15th century, and the 1st year ...

) *

–

John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath (20 July 1470 – 30 April 1539) was created Earl of Bath in 1536. He was the feudal barony of Bampton, feudal baron of Bampton in Devon. Origins Bourchier was born in Essex, England, the eldest son and heir of F ...

, English noble (b.

1470 Year 1470 ( MCDLXX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 12 – Wars of the Roses in England – Battle of Losecoat Field: The House of York defeats the House of Lanc ...

) *

May 1 Events Pre-1600 * 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor. * 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. * 1169 & ...

–

Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (; 24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was the empress consort of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Duke of Burgundy. She was Queen of Spain and Germany, and Lady of the Netherlands fr ...

, Holy Roman Empress (b.

1503 __NOTOC__ Year 1503 ( MDIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 20 – Seville in Castile is awarded exclusive rights to trade with the New World. * January 24 – Con ...

) *

May 7 Events Pre-1600 * 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. * 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I im ...

–

Ottaviano Petrucci Ottaviano Petrucci ( Fossombrone, 18 June 1466 – Venice, 7 May 1539) was an Italian printer. His '' Harmonice Musices Odhecaton'', a collection of chansons printed in 1501, is commonly misidentified as the first book of sheet music printed from ...

, Italian printer (b.

1466 Year 1466 ( MCDLXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events * The Kingdom of Georgia collapses into anarchy, and fragments into rival states of Kartli, Kakheti, Imereti, Samtskhe-Saatabago and a number of pr ...

) *

September 22 Events Pre-1600 * 904 – The warlord Zhu Quanzhong kills Emperor Zhaozong, the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty, after seizing control of the imperial government. * 1236 – The Samogitians defeat the Livonian Brothers of the ...

–

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...

, founder of Sikhism (b.

1469 Year 1469 ( MCDLXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 4 – Battle of Qarabagh: Uzun Hasan decisively defeats the Timurids of Abu Sa'id Mirza. * July 24 – ...

) *

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 ...

–

Philip III, Count of Waldeck Philip III, Count of Waldeck (9 December 1486, at Waldeck Castle in Waldeck – 20 June 1539, in Bad Arolsen), was from 1524 to 1539 Count of Waldeck-Eisenberg. Life He was a son of Count Philip II of Waldeck-Eisenberg and his first wife, Cat ...

-Eisenberg (1524–1539) (b.

1486 Year 1486 ( MCDLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday. Events January–December * January 18 – King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York are married, uniting the House of Lancaster and the House of York, after th ...

) *

July 5 Events Pre-1600 * 328 – The official opening of Constantine's Bridge built over the Danube between Sucidava ( Corabia, Romania) and Oescus ( Gigen, Bulgaria) by the Roman architect Theophilus Patricius. * 1316 – The Burgundian ...

– St Anthony Maria Zaccaria, Italian saint (b.

1502 Year 1502 ( MDII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – Portuguese explorers, led by Gonçalo Coelho, sail into Guanabara Bay, Brazil, mistaking it for the mouth of ...

) *

July 9 Events Pre-1600 * 118 – Hadrian, who became emperor a year previously on Trajan's death, makes his entry into Rome. * 381 – The end of the First Council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople by the Roman emperor Theodo ...

–

Adrian Fortescue Adrian Henry Timothy Knottesford Fortescue (14 January 1874 – 11 February 1923) was an Catholic Church in England and Wales, English Catholic priest and polymath. An influential liturgist, artist, calligrapher, composer, Polyglot (person ...

, English Roman Catholic martyr (b.

1476 Year 1476 ( MCDLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 1 – Battle of Toro ( War of the Castilian Succession): Although militarily inconclusive, this ensures the Catho ...

) *

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...

–

Vannoccio Biringuccio Vannoccio Biringuccio, sometimes spelled Vannocio Biringuccio (c. 1480 – c. 1539), was an Italian metallurgist. He is best known for his manual on metalworking, ''De la pirotechnia'', published posthumously in 1540. 20th Century translation by ...

, Italian metallurgist (b.

1480 Year 1480 ( MCDLXXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 6 – Treaty of Toledo: Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain recognize the African conquests of Afonso V of Portugal, ...

) *

September 8 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – After the capture of Herod's Palace the previous day, a Roman army under Titus secures and plunders the city of Jerusalem. * 617 – Battle of Huoyi: Li Yuan defeats a Sui dynasty army, opening the path ...

–

John Stokesley John Stokesley (8 September 1475 – 8 September 1539) was an English clergyman who was Bishop of London during the reign of Henry VIII. Life Stokesley was born at Collyweston in Northamptonshire, and became a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford ...

, English prelate (b.

1475 Year 1475 ( MCDLXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 10 – Battle of Vaslui (Moldavian–Ottoman Wars): Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire, which is le ...

) *

November 14 Events Pre-1600 * 332 BC – Alexander the Great is crowned pharaoh of Egypt. 1601–1900 * 1680 – German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope. *1770 – Ja ...

–

Hugh Cook Faringdon Hugh Faringdon, (died 14 November 1539), earlier known as Hugh Cook, later as Hugh Cook alias Faringdon and Hugh Cook of Faringdon, was an English Benedictine monk who presided as the last Abbot of Reading Abbey in the town of Reading in Be ...

, English Abbot of Reading *

December 12 Events Pre-1600 * 627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh. * 1388 – Maria of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia ...

–

Bartolomeo degli Organi Bartolomeo degli Organi (24 December 1474 – 12 December 1539) was an Italian composer, singer and organist of the Renaissance music, Renaissance. Living in Florence, he was closely associated with Lorenzo de' Medici, and was music teacher both ...

, Italian musician (b.

) *

– Johannes Lupi, Flemish composer (b. c.

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. ...

) * ''date unknown'' **

James Beaton James Beaton (or Bethune) ( – 15 February 1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. Life James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton ...

, Scottish church leader (b.

1473 Year 1473 ( MCDLXXIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 12 – The first complete Inside edition of Avicenna's ''The Canon of Medicine'' (Latin translation) is publish ...

) **

Cura Ocllo Cura Ocllo (died 1539) was an Inca queen consort, or ''coya'', as the wife and full sister of the Inca emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui,Titu Cusi Yupanqui, 2005, An Inca Account of the Conquest of Peru, Boulder: University Press of Colorado, whose r ...

, Inca queen

References

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