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As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 through 1600.

See also: 16th century in literature

Events

1500s

• 1500s: Mississippian culture disappears.
• 1501: Safavids rules Iran until 1736.
• 1503: Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the Mona Lisa and completes it three or four years later.
• 1506: Christopher Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain.
• 1509: The Battle of Diu (1509) marks the beginning of Portuguese dominance of the Spice trade.

1510s

• 1513: The Portuguese mariner Jorge Álvares lands at Macau, China, during the Ming Dynasty.
• 1514: The Battle of Orsha halts Muscovy expansion into Eastern Europe.
• 1515: The Ottoman Empire wrests Eastern Anatolia from the Safavids after the Battle of Chaldiran.
• 1516-1517: The Ottoman Empire defeat the Mamluks and gain control of Egypt, Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant.
• 1517: The Protestant Reformation begins when Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses in Saxony.
• 1518: Mir Chakar Khan Rind left Balochistan (region) and settled in Punjab region.
• 1519: Leonardo da Vinci died of natural causes at May 2.
• 1519: Wang Yangming, the Chinese philosopher and governor of Jiangxi province, describes his intent to use the fire power of the fo-lang-ji, a breech-loading Portuguese culverin, in order to suppress the rebellion of Prince Zhu Chen-hao.
• 1519-1521: Hernán Cortés leads the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
• 1519-1522: Spanish expedition commanded by Magellan and Elcano first to Circumnavigation

1520s

• 1520-1650: Commercial Revolution in Europe
• 1520-1566: The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent marks the zenith of the Ottoman Empire.
• 1521: Belgrade is captured by the Ottoman Empire.
• 1521: After building fortifications at Tuen Mun, the Portuguese attempt to invade Ming Dynasty China, but are expelled by Chinese naval forces.
• 1523: Sweden Foundation of Modern Sweden from the Kalmar Union.
• 1524-1525: Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire.
• 1526: The Ottomans conquer the Kingdom of Hungary at the Battle of Mohács.
• 1526: Mughal Empire, founded by Babur, rules India until 1739 and hold titles until 1857.
• 1527: Sack of Rome (1527) is considered the end of the Italian Renaissance.
• 1527: Protestant Reformation begins in Sweden.
• 1529: The Siege of Vienna marks the Ottoman Empire's furthest advance into Europe.

.

1530s

• 1531-1532: The History of the Church of England breaks away from the Roman Catholic Church and recognizes Henry VIII of England as the head of the Church.
• 1532: Francisco Pizarro leads the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.
• 1534: Jacques Cartier claims Quebec for France.
• 1534: The Ottomans capture Baghdad.
• 1539: Hernando de Soto (explorer) explores inland North America

1540s

• 1543: The Nanban trade period begins after Portuguese traders make contact with Japan.

1550s

• 1550-1551: Valladolid debate concerning the existence of souls in Indigenous people of the Americas
• 1552: Russia conquers the Khanate of Kazan.
• 1553: Portuguese founded a settlement at History of Macau.
• 1555: The Muscovy Company is the first major English Joint stock company trading company.
• 1556: Publication in Venice of Delle Navigiationi et Viaggi (terzo volume) by Giovanni Battista Ramusio, secretary of Council of Ten, with plan La Terra de Hochelaga, an illustration of Indian village Hochelaga. See
• 1556: The Shaanxi Earthquake in China is history's deadliest known earthquake.
• 1556: Georgius Agricola, the "Father of Mineralogy", publishes his De re metallica.
• 1556: Russia conquers the Astrakhan Khanate.
• 1556-1605: During his reign, Akbar expands the Mughal Empire in a series of conquests.
• 1556: Mir Chakar Khan Rind captured Delhi with Emperor Humayun.
• 1556: Pomponio Algerio, radical theologian, is executed by boiling in oil as part of the Roman inquisition.
• 1557: The Portuguese people settle in Macau.
• 1558-1603: The Elizabethan era is considered the height of the English Renaissance.
• 1558-1583: Livonian War between Poland, Grand Principality of Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark and Russia.
• 1558: After 200 years, the Kingdom of England loses Calais to France.
• 1559: With the Peace of Cateau Cambrésis, the Italian Wars conclude.

.

1560s

• 1560: Erzsebet Bathory is born in Nyirbator, Hungary.
• 1561: Guido de Bres draws up the Belgic Confession of Protestant faith.
• 1562: Mughal Empire leader Akbar reconciles the Muslim and Hindu factions by marrying into the powerful Rajput Hindu caste.
• 1562-1598: French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Huguenots.
• 1562: Massacre of Wassy and Battle of Dreux in the French Wars of Religion.
• 1564: William Shakespeare baptized April 26
• 1565: Mir Chakar Khan Rind died age of 97.
• 1566-1648: Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands.
• 1567: Rising of the Northern Earls in England
• 1568-1600: The Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan.
• 1569: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is created with the Union of Lublin which lasts until 1795.

1570s

• 1571: Pope Pius V completes the Holy League (Mediterranean) as a united front against the Ottoman Empire.
• 1571: The Holy League (Mediterranean) defeats a force of Ottoman Empire galleys in the Battle of Lepanto.
• 1571: Spanish missionaries are murdered by Indians at the later Jamestown Settlement, Virginia.
• 1572: Brielle is taken from Habsburg Spain by Protestant Watergeuzen in the Capture of Brielle, in the Eighty Years' War.
• 1572: Conquistador apprehend the last Inca Empire leader Tupak Amaru at Vilcabamba, Peru, and execute him in Cuzco.
• 1572: Catherine de' Medici instigates the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre which takes the lives of Protestant leader Gaspard de Coligny and thousands of Huguenots. The violence spreads from Paris to other cities and the countryside.
• 1577-1580: Francis Drake Circumnavigation
• 1579: The Union of Utrecht unifies the northern Netherlands, a foundation for the later Dutch Republic.
• 1580: Francis Drake's royal reception after his attacks on Spanish possessions, influences Philip II of Spain to build up the Spanish Armada. English ships in Spanish harbours are impounded.
• 1580: Spain unifies with Portugal under Philip II of Spain. The struggle for the throne of Portugal ends the Portuguese Empire. The Spanish and Portuguese crowns are Iberian Union for 60 years, i.e. until 1640.

1580s

• 1582: Pope Gregory XIII issues the Gregorian calendar.
• 1582: Yermak Timofeyevich conquers the Siberia Khanate on behalf of the Stroganovs.
• 1584-1585: After the Siege of Antwerp (1584-1585), many of its merchants flee to Amsterdam.
• 1585-1604: The Anglo-Spanish War (1585) is fought on both sides of the Atlantic.
• 1588: England repulses the Spanish Armada.
• 1589: Spain repulses the English Armada.

1590s

• 1592-1598: Korea, with the help of Ming Dynasty China, repelled Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea.
• 1598: The Edict of Nantes ended the French Wars of Religion.
• 1598-1613: Russia descended into anarchy during the Time of Troubles.

Significant people .

• Henry VII of England, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Introduced ruthlessly efficient mechanisms of taxation which restored the kingdom after a state of virtual bankruptcy due to the effects of the Wars of the Roses (1457 - 1509).
• Leonardo da Vinci famous artist and inventor and scientist (1452 – 1519).
• Pedro Álvares Cabral, first European to arrive in Brazil in 22 April, 1500 (c. 1467 - 1520).
• Zygmunt I the Old, King of Poland, established a conscription army and the bureaucracy needed to finance it (1467 - 1548).
• Vasco da Gama, Portuguese navigator, first one to sail around the Cape of Good Hope (c. 1469 - 1524).
• György Dózsa, leader of the peasants' revolt in Hungary (1470 - 1514)
• Nicolaus Copernicus, developed the heliocentrism (Sun-centered) theory using science methods (1473 - 1543).
• Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian painter and sculptor (1475 - 1564)..
• Thomas More, English politician and author (1478 - 1535).
• Ferdinand Magellan Portuguese navigator who sailed around the world (1480 - 1521).
• Martin Luther, German religious reformer (1483 - 1546).
• Hernán Cortés, Spanish Conquistador (1485 - 1547).
• King Henry VIII of England, founder of Anglicanism (1491 - 1547).
• Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (1491 - 1556).
• François Rabelais, French author (c. 1493 - 1553).
• King Francis I of France, considered the first Renaissance monarch of his Kingdom (1494 - 1547).
• Suleiman the Magnificent, List of Ottoman Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Conqueror and legal reformer (1494 - 1566).
• King Gustav I of Sweden, restored Swedish sovereignty and introduced Protestantism in Sweden (1496-1560).
• Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and the first to reign as List of Spanish monarchs. Involved in almost constant conflict with France and the Ottoman Empire while promoting the Spanish colonization of the Americas (1500 - 1558).
• Cuauhtémoc, the last Tlatoani of the Aztec, led the native resistance against the Conquistadores (1502 - 1525).
• Michel Nostradamus, French astrologer and doctor, author of Les Propheties, a book of world prophecies (1503 - 1566).
• Qiu Ying, Chinese painter who belonged to the Wu School and used gongbi brush style (1494 - 1552)
• Mikolaj Rej, Polish writer (1505 - 1569).
• Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi, Somali people Imam and general (1507 - 1543).
• John Calvin, theologian, and reformer. Founder of Calvinism (1509 - 1564).

.

• Mary I of England. Attempted to counter the Protestant Reformation in her domains. Nick-named Bloody Mary (person) for her Religious persecution (1516 - 1558).
• Luís de Camões, Portuguese poet (c. 1524 –1580).
• Pierre de Ronsard, French poet. Called the 'Prince of poets' of his generation. (1524 – 1585).
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian Composer (1525 - 1594)
• King Philip II of Spain, self-proclaimed leader of Counter-Reformation (1527 - 1598).
• Ivan IV of Russia, first Russian tsar (1533-1584).
• William the Silent, William I of Orange-Nassau, main leader of the Netherlands revolt against the Spain (1533-1584).
• Wanli Emperor, Emperor of China during the Ming Dynasty, aided Korea in the Imjin War, (1563 - 1620)
• Michel de Montaigne, French essayist (1533 – 1592).
• Elizabeth I of England, central figure of the Elizabethan era (1533 - 1603).
• Oda Nobunaga , daimyo of the Sengoku period of Japanese civil war. First ruler of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1534 - 1582).
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi , daimyo of the Sengoku period of Japanese civil war. Second ruler of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1536 - 1598).
• Edward VI of England, notable for further differentiating Anglicanism from the practices of the Roman Catholic Church (1537 - 1553).
• Lady Jane Grey, Queen regnant of England and Ireland. Notably deposed by popular revolt (1537 - 1554).
• Mary I of Scotland, First female head of the House of Stuart (1542 - 1587).
• Admiral Yi Sun-sin , Korean admiral, respected as one of the greatest admirals in world history. (1545 - 1598).
• Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author (1547 - 1616).
• Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher and astronomer/astrologer (1548 - 1600).
• King Henry IV of France and Navarre, ended the French Wars of Religion and reunited the kingdom under his command (1553 - 1610).
• Michael the Brave, ruler of Walachia, national symbol of Romanians for uniting the three provinces under his rule in 1600 (1558 - 1601)
• Lope and special litlle Lilliann de Vega, Spanish dramatist (1562 – 1635).
• Christopher Marlowe, English poet and dramatist (1564 – 1593).
• William Shakespeare, English author (1564 - 1616).
• John Donne, English Metaphysical poetry (1572 - 1631)
• Miyamoto Musashi, famous warrior in Japan, author of The Book of Five Rings, a treaty on strategy and martial combat. (1584 - 1645)
• Giovanni Battista Ramusio, diplomat and secretary of council of Ten of Venice Italy, author of Delle Navigationi et Viaggi. Third volume (terzo volume) containing plan La Terra de Hochelaga showing village of Hochelaga (1585 - 1657). See
• John Ford (dramatist), English dramatist (1586 - c. 1640).
• Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit who traveled to Macau, China in 1582, and died in Beijing, (1552 - 1610)
• Andrea Amati, (ca. 1520 – ca. 1578) was the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today.

Inventions, discoveries, introductions Related article: Timeline of invention#16th century.

• The Columbian Exchange introduces many plants, animals and diseases to the Old World and New Worlds.
• Introduction of the spinning wheel revolutionizes textile production in Europe.
• Modern square root symbol (√ )
• The letter J is introduced into the English alphabet.
• Nicolaus Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun (1543)
• Gregorian Calendar adopted by Catholic countries (1582)
• 1513: Juan Ponce de León sights Florida and Vasco Núñez de Balboa sights the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean.
• 1519-1522: Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano lead the first circumnavigation of the World.
• 1519-1540: In America, Hernando de Soto expeditions map the Gulf of Mexico coastline and bays.
• 1540: Francisco Vásquez de Coronado sights the Grand Canyon.
• 1541-1542: Francisco de Orellana sails the length of the Amazon River.
• 1559-1562: Spanish settlements in Alabama/Florida and Georgia (U.S. state confirm dangers of hurricanes and local native warring tribes.
• 1565: Spanish settlers outside New Spain (Mexico) colonize Florida's coastline at St. Augustine, Florida.
• 1597: Opera in Florence by Jacopo Peri.
• 1500: First portable watch is created by Peter Henlein of Germany.
• 1545: Theory of complex numbers is first developed by Gerolamo Cardamo of Italy.
• 1558: Camera obscura is first used by Giambattista della Porta of Italy.
• 1565: Invention of the graphite pencil (in a wooden holder) by Conrad Gesner. Modernized in 1812.
• 1568: Gerardus Mercator creates the first Mercator Projection map.
• 1572: Supernova SN 1572 is observed by Tycho Brahe in the Milky Way.
• 1582: Gregorian calendar is introduced in Europe by Pope Gregory XIII.
• c. 1583: Galileo Galilei of Pisa, Italy identifies the constant swing of a pendulum, leading to development of reliable timekeepers.
• 1585: earliest known reference to the 'Wheelbarrow#The Chinese Sailing Carriage' in China.
• 1589: William Lee invents the stocking frame.
• 1591: First flush toilet is introduced by Sir John Harrington of England, the design published under the title 'The Metamorphosis of Ajax'.
• 1593 - Galileo Galilei invents a thermometer.
• 1596: William Barents discovers Spitsbergen.

Decades and Years As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 through 1600.

See also: 16th century in literature

Events

1500s

• 1500s: Mississippian culture disappears.
• 1501: Safavids rules Iran until 1736.
• 1503: Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the Mona Lisa and completes it three or four years later.
• 1506: Christopher Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain.
• 1509: The Battle of Diu (1509) marks the beginning of Portuguese dominance of the Spice trade.

1510s

• 1513: The Portuguese mariner Jorge Álvares lands at Macau, China, during the Ming Dynasty.
• 1514: The Battle of Orsha halts Muscovy expansion into Eastern Europe.
• 1515: The Ottoman Empire wrests Eastern Anatolia from the Safavids after the Battle of Chaldiran.
• 1516-1517: The Ottoman Empire defeat the Mamluks and gain control of Egypt, Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant.
• 1517: The Protestant Reformation begins when Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses in Saxony.
• 1518: Mir Chakar Khan Rind left Balochistan (region) and settled in Punjab region.
• 1519: Leonardo da Vinci died of natural causes at May 2.
• 1519: Wang Yangming, the Chinese philosopher and governor of Jiangxi province, describes his intent to use the fire power of the fo-lang-ji, a breech-loading Portuguese culverin, in order to suppress the rebellion of Prince Zhu Chen-hao.
• 1519-1521: Hernán Cortés leads the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
• 1519-1522: Spanish expedition commanded by Magellan and Elcano first to Circumnavigation

1520s

• 1520-1650: Commercial Revolution in Europe
• 1520-1566: The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent marks the zenith of the Ottoman Empire.
• 1521: Belgrade is captured by the Ottoman Empire.
• 1521: After building fortifications at Tuen Mun, the Portuguese attempt to invade Ming Dynasty China, but are expelled by Chinese naval forces.
• 1523: Sweden Foundation of Modern Sweden from the Kalmar Union.
• 1524-1525: Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire.
• 1526: The Ottomans conquer the Kingdom of Hungary at the Battle of Mohács.
• 1526: Mughal Empire, founded by Babur, rules India until 1739 and hold titles until 1857.
• 1527: Sack of Rome (1527) is considered the end of the Italian Renaissance.
• 1527: Protestant Reformation begins in Sweden.
• 1529: The Siege of Vienna marks the Ottoman Empire's furthest advance into Europe.

.

1530s

• 1531-1532: The History of the Church of England breaks away from the Roman Catholic Church and recognizes Henry VIII of England as the head of the Church.
• 1532: Francisco Pizarro leads the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.
• 1534: Jacques Cartier claims Quebec for France.
• 1534: The Ottomans capture Baghdad.
• 1539: Hernando de Soto (explorer) explores inland North America

1540s

• 1543: The Nanban trade period begins after Portuguese traders make contact with Japan.

1550s

• 1550-1551: Valladolid debate concerning the existence of souls in Indigenous people of the Americas
• 1552: Russia conquers the Khanate of Kazan.
• 1553: Portuguese founded a settlement at History of Macau.
• 1555: The Muscovy Company is the first major English Joint stock company trading company.
• 1556: Publication in Venice of Delle Navigiationi et Viaggi (terzo volume) by Giovanni Battista Ramusio, secretary of Council of Ten, with plan La Terra de Hochelaga, an illustration of Indian village Hochelaga. See
• 1556: The Shaanxi Earthquake in China is history's deadliest known earthquake.
• 1556: Georgius Agricola, the "Father of Mineralogy", publishes his De re metallica.
• 1556: Russia conquers the Astrakhan Khanate.
• 1556-1605: During his reign, Akbar expands the Mughal Empire in a series of conquests.
• 1556: Mir Chakar Khan Rind captured Delhi with Emperor Humayun.
• 1556: Pomponio Algerio, radical theologian, is executed by boiling in oil as part of the Roman inquisition.
• 1557: The Portuguese people settle in Macau.
• 1558-1603: The Elizabethan era is considered the height of the English Renaissance.
• 1558-1583: Livonian War between Poland, Grand Principality of Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark and Russia.
• 1558: After 200 years, the Kingdom of England loses Calais to France.
• 1559: With the Peace of Cateau Cambrésis, the Italian Wars conclude.

.

1560s

• 1560: Erzsebet Bathory is born in Nyirbator, Hungary.
• 1561: Guido de Bres draws up the Belgic Confession of Protestant faith.
• 1562: Mughal Empire leader Akbar reconciles the Muslim and Hindu factions by marrying into the powerful Rajput Hindu caste.
• 1562-1598: French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Huguenots.
• 1562: Massacre of Wassy and Battle of Dreux in the French Wars of Religion.
• 1564: William Shakespeare baptized April 26
• 1565: Mir Chakar Khan Rind died age of 97.
• 1566-1648: Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands.
• 1567: Rising of the Northern Earls in England
• 1568-1600: The Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan.
• 1569: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is created with the Union of Lublin which lasts until 1795.

1570s

• 1571: Pope Pius V completes the Holy League (Mediterranean) as a united front against the Ottoman Empire.
• 1571: The Holy League (Mediterranean) defeats a force of Ottoman Empire galleys in the Battle of Lepanto.
• 1571: Spanish missionaries are murdered by Indians at the later Jamestown Settlement, Virginia.
• 1572: Brielle is taken from Habsburg Spain by Protestant Watergeuzen in the Capture of Brielle, in the Eighty Years' War.
• 1572: Conquistador apprehend the last Inca Empire leader Tupak Amaru at Vilcabamba, Peru, and execute him in Cuzco.
• 1572: Catherine de' Medici instigates the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre which takes the lives of Protestant leader Gaspard de Coligny and thousands of Huguenots. The violence spreads from Paris to other cities and the countryside.
• 1577-1580: Francis Drake Circumnavigation
• 1579: The Union of Utrecht unifies the northern Netherlands, a foundation for the later Dutch Republic.
• 1580: Francis Drake's royal reception after his attacks on Spanish possessions, influences Philip II of Spain to build up the Spanish Armada. English ships in Spanish harbours are impounded.
• 1580: Spain unifies with Portugal under Philip II of Spain. The struggle for the throne of Portugal ends the Portuguese Empire. The Spanish and Portuguese crowns are Iberian Union for 60 years, i.e. until 1640.

1580s

• 1582: Pope Gregory XIII issues the Gregorian calendar.
• 1582: Yermak Timofeyevich conquers the Siberia Khanate on behalf of the Stroganovs.
• 1584-1585: After the Siege of Antwerp (1584-1585), many of its merchants flee to Amsterdam.
• 1585-1604: The Anglo-Spanish War (1585) is fought on both sides of the Atlantic.
• 1588: England repulses the Spanish Armada.
• 1589: Spain repulses the English Armada.

1590s

• 1592-1598: Korea, with the help of Ming Dynasty China, repelled Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea.
• 1598: The Edict of Nantes ended the French Wars of Religion.
• 1598-1613: Russia descended into anarchy during the Time of Troubles.

Significant people .

• Henry VII of England, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Introduced ruthlessly efficient mechanisms of taxation which restored the kingdom after a state of virtual bankruptcy due to the effects of the Wars of the Roses (1457 - 1509).
• Leonardo da Vinci famous artist and inventor and scientist (1452 – 1519).
• Pedro Álvares Cabral, first European to arrive in Brazil in 22 April, 1500 (c. 1467 - 1520).
• Zygmunt I the Old, King of Poland, established a conscription army and the bureaucracy needed to finance it (1467 - 1548).
• Vasco da Gama, Portuguese navigator, first one to sail around the Cape of Good Hope (c. 1469 - 1524).
• György Dózsa, leader of the peasants' revolt in Hungary (1470 - 1514)
• Nicolaus Copernicus, developed the heliocentrism (Sun-centered) theory using science methods (1473 - 1543).
• Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian painter and sculptor (1475 - 1564)..
• Thomas More, English politician and author (1478 - 1535).
• Ferdinand Magellan Portuguese navigator who sailed around the world (1480 - 1521).
• Martin Luther, German religious reformer (1483 - 1546).
• Hernán Cortés, Spanish Conquistador (1485 - 1547).
• King Henry VIII of England, founder of Anglicanism (1491 - 1547).
• Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (1491 - 1556).
• François Rabelais, French author (c. 1493 - 1553).
• King Francis I of France, considered the first Renaissance monarch of his Kingdom (1494 - 1547).
• Suleiman the Magnificent, List of Ottoman Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Conqueror and legal reformer (1494 - 1566).
• King Gustav I of Sweden, restored Swedish sovereignty and introduced Protestantism in Sweden (1496-1560).
• Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and the first to reign as List of Spanish monarchs. Involved in almost constant conflict with France and the Ottoman Empire while promoting the Spanish colonization of the Americas (1500 - 1558).
• Cuauhtémoc, the last Tlatoani of the Aztec, led the native resistance against the Conquistadores (1502 - 1525).
• Michel Nostradamus, French astrologer and doctor, author of Les Propheties, a book of world prophecies (1503 - 1566).
• Qiu Ying, Chinese painter who belonged to the Wu School and used gongbi brush style (1494 - 1552)
• Mikolaj Rej, Polish writer (1505 - 1569).
• Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi, Somali people Imam and general (1507 - 1543).
• John Calvin, theologian, and reformer. Founder of Calvinism (1509 - 1564).

.

• Mary I of England. Attempted to counter the Protestant Reformation in her domains. Nick-named Bloody Mary (person) for her Religious persecution (1516 - 1558).
• Luís de Camões, Portuguese poet (c. 1524 –1580).
• Pierre de Ronsard, French poet. Called the 'Prince of poets' of his generation. (1524 – 1585).
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian Composer (1525 - 1594)
• King Philip II of Spain, self-proclaimed leader of Counter-Reformation (1527 - 1598).
• Ivan IV of Russia, first Russian tsar (1533-1584).
• William the Silent, William I of Orange-Nassau, main leader of the Netherlands revolt against the Spain (1533-1584).
• Wanli Emperor, Emperor of China during the Ming Dynasty, aided Korea in the Imjin War, (1563 - 1620)
• Michel de Montaigne, French essayist (1533 – 1592).
• Elizabeth I of England, central figure of the Elizabethan era (1533 - 1603).
• Oda Nobunaga , daimyo of the Sengoku period of Japanese civil war. First ruler of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1534 - 1582).
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi , daimyo of the Sengoku period of Japanese civil war. Second ruler of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1536 - 1598).
• Edward VI of England, notable for further differentiating Anglicanism from the practices of the Roman Catholic Church (1537 - 1553).
• Lady Jane Grey, Queen regnant of England and Ireland. Notably deposed by popular revolt (1537 - 1554).
• Mary I of Scotland, First female head of the House of Stuart (1542 - 1587).
• Admiral Yi Sun-sin , Korean admiral, respected as one of the greatest admirals in world history. (1545 - 1598).
• Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author (1547 - 1616).
• Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher and astronomer/astrologer (1548 - 1600).
• King Henry IV of France and Navarre, ended the French Wars of Religion and reunited the kingdom under his command (1553 - 1610).
• Michael the Brave, ruler of Walachia, national symbol of Romanians for uniting the three provinces under his rule in 1600 (1558 - 1601)
• Lope and special litlle Lilliann de Vega, Spanish dramatist (1562 – 1635).
• Christopher Marlowe, English poet and dramatist (1564 – 1593).
• William Shakespeare, English author (1564 - 1616).
• John Donne, English Metaphysical poetry (1572 - 1631)
• Miyamoto Musashi, famous warrior in Japan, author of The Book of Five Rings, a treaty on strategy and martial combat. (1584 - 1645)
• Giovanni Battista Ramusio, diplomat and secretary of council of Ten of Venice Italy, author of Delle Navigationi et Viaggi. Third volume (terzo volume) containing plan La Terra de Hochelaga showing village of Hochelaga (1585 - 1657). See
• John Ford (dramatist), English dramatist (1586 - c. 1640).
• Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit who traveled to Macau, China in 1582, and died in Beijing, (1552 - 1610)
• Andrea Amati, (ca. 1520 – ca. 1578) was the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today.

Inventions, discoveries, introductions Related article: Timeline of invention#16th century.

• The Columbian Exchange introduces many plants, animals and diseases to the Old World and New Worlds.
• Introduction of the spinning wheel revolutionizes textile production in Europe.
• Modern square root symbol (√ )
• The letter J is introduced into the English alphabet.
• Nicolaus Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun (1543)
• Gregorian Calendar adopted by Catholic countries (1582)
• 1513: Juan Ponce de León sights Florida and Vasco Núñez de Balboa sights the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean.
• 1519-1522: Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano lead the first circumnavigation of the World.
• 1519-1540: In America, Hernando de Soto expeditions map the Gulf of Mexico coastline and bays.
• 1540: Francisco Vásquez de Coronado sights the Grand Canyon.
• 1541-1542: Francisco de Orellana sails the length of the Amazon River.
• 1559-1562: Spanish settlements in Alabama/Florida and Georgia (U.S. state confirm dangers of hurricanes and local native warring tribes.
• 1565: Spanish settlers outside New Spain (Mexico) colonize Florida's coastline at St. Augustine, Florida.
• 1597: Opera in Florence by Jacopo Peri.
• 1500: First portable watch is created by Peter Henlein of Germany.
• 1545: Theory of complex numbers is first developed by Gerolamo Cardamo of Italy.
• 1558: Camera obscura is first used by Giambattista della Porta of Italy.
• 1565: Invention of the graphite pencil (in a wooden holder) by Conrad Gesner. Modernized in 1812.
• 1568: Gerardus Mercator creates the first Mercator Projection map.
• 1572: Supernova SN 1572 is observed by Tycho Brahe in the Milky Way.
• 1582: Gregorian calendar is introduced in Europe by Pope Gregory XIII.
• c. 1583: Galileo Galilei of Pisa, Italy identifies the constant swing of a pendulum, leading to development of reliable timekeepers.
• 1585: earliest known reference to the 'Wheelbarrow#The Chinese Sailing Carriage' in China.
• 1589: William Lee invents the stocking frame.
• 1591: First flush toilet is introduced by Sir John Harrington of England, the design published under the title 'The Metamorphosis of Ajax'.
• 1593 - Galileo Galilei invents a thermometer.
• 1596: William Barents discovers Spitsbergen.

Decades and Years

16th century - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century lasted from 1501 through 1600.

Periods > 16th century | British History Online
Digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Created by the Institute of Historical ...

THE 16th CENTURY
The 16th Century was perhaps the most turbulent in the long and bloody history of Scotland. It opened with the death of James IV and most of the Scottish nobility on the blood ...

16th century Lords Lieutenant - Buckinghamshire County Council
16th century Lord Lieutenants ... 16th century Lords Lieutenant 1545 - Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk KG (1484 - 1545)

The Marks - 16th century farmhouse accommodation in peaceful rural ...
16th century dower house on working farm, with details of the facilities, photographs and booking form and location in countryside east of Kirkcudbright.

The Sun Hotel, Coniston - accommodation in the english lake district
About 100 years ago, a local brewery thought it would be a fine idea to attach a hotel to the end of the 16th Century pub which sits on the hill leading up to Coniston Old Man.

Gazetteer for Scotland: Scottish History Timeline: 16th Century
Scottish History Time-line (16th Century) Note that, within a single year, events are not necessarily presented in chronological order.

BBC NEWS | England | Devon | 16th century bridge plans opposed
Plans to strengthen a 16th Century bridge in Devon are being opposed by a group of residents. ... Controversial plans to strengthen an historic bridge in a north Devon town have ...

BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | 16th Century castle up for sale
The remains of a former 16th Century castle and its grounds are to go under the hammer later this month.

16th century
A page facsimile of an old edition including musical notation (bottom of page).