Wikipedia: 16th century

16th century
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

(15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries)

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

Events

The modern square root symbol is first used.
Poland is the largest state in Europe and has its Polish Golden Age.
Portugal conquers the Malacca Sultanate 1511. Start of European colonisation in South-East Asia.
Castile invades the kingdom of Navarre (1512).
The Ottoman Empire reaches its peak during the reign of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (reigned 1520-1566). Troops of the Ottoman Empire lay siege upon Vienna, but fail to conquer the city (1529)
European explorers explore the New World. Spain conquers the Aztec Empire in Central America (1521) and the Incan Empire in South America (1533), resulting in the destruction of the native civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Andes. Vast increase in amount of gold in circulation in Europe. The horse introduced to the Americas.
First circumnavigation of the globe by a ship of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition. Only one ship survived the journey, under the command of the Basque captain Sebastian Elkano (1522).
Protestant reform of the Christian church in several countries in Northern Europe.
- In the Diet of Speyer, a group of princes and imperial cities of the Holy Roman Empire sign a protestation against the Edict of Worms. This marks their support of Lutheranism (1529).
- Poland choose religious tolerance.
  - Polish writers are eager to discuss religious differences. They print their works in the Polish language for the first time.
- King Henry VIII of England breaks with Roman Catholic Church and forms Church of England (1533)
- French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Huguenots in France (1562 - 1598).
Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun (1543)
The Council of Trent (1545 - 1563), one of the ecumenical councils of the Catholic Church, defined a large number of new dogmas in response to the Protestant Reformation.
In the Dutch revolt of 1568-1648, a small nation gained independence from the superpower of the day (Spain).
Poland and Lithuania form the Commonwealth (1569 - 1795)
Gregorian Calendar adopted by Catholic countries (1582)
After the Fall of Antwerp (1585), many of its merchants fled to Amsterdam

Significant people

Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian painter and sculptor (1475 - 1564).
Thomas More, English politician and author (1478 - 1535).
Martin Luther, German religious reformer (1483 - 1546).
Hernán Cortés, Spanish Conquistador (1485 - 1547).
King Henry VIII of England, founder of Anglicanism (1491 - 1547).
King Francis I of France, considered the first Renaissance monarch of his Kingdom (1494 - 1547).
Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of theOttoman Empire. Conqueror and legal reformer (1494 - 1566).
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and the first to reign as King of Spain. Involved in almost constant conflict with France and the Ottoman Empire while promoting the Spanish colonization of the Americas (1500 - 1558).
King Philip II of Spain, self-proclaimed leader of Counter-Reformation (1527 - 1598).
Queen Elizabeth I of England, central figure of the Elizabethan era (1533 - 1603).
Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author (1547 - 1616).
King Henry IV of France and Navarre, ended the French Wars of Religion and reunited the kingdom under his command (1553 - 1610).
William Shakespeare, English author (1564 - 1616).

Inventions, Discoveries, Introductions

Introduction of the spinning wheel revolutionizes textile production.
New world crops such as maize corn, potatoes, chocolate, and tomatoes, become known to Europeans.

Decades and Years

1490s 1490 1491 1492 1493 1494 1495 1496 1497 1498 1499
1500s 1500 1501 1502 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509
1510s 1510 1511 1512 1513 1514 1515 1516 1517 1518 1519
1520s 1520 1521 1522 1523 1524 1525 1526 1527 1528 1529
1530s 1530 1531 1532 1533 1534 1535 1536 1537 1538 1539
1540s 1540 1541 1542 1543 1544 1545 1546 1547 1548 1549
1550s 1550 1551 1552 1553 1554 1555 1556 1557 1558 1559
1560s 1560 1561 1562 1563 1564 1565 1566 1567 1568 1569
1570s 1570 1571 1572 1573 1574 1575 1576 1577 1578 1579
1580s 1580 1581 1582 1583 1584 1585 1586 1587 1588 1589
1590s 1590 1591 1592 1593 1594 1595 1596 1597 1598 1599
1600s 1600 1601 1602 1603 1604 1605 1606 1607 1608 1609