Directory

1552 CE

Pedro de Valdivia founds the Chilean city of Valdivia, as Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia. Simeon Sulaka arrives in Rome from the Middle Eastern city of Mosul and brings a letter asking Pope Julius III to appoint him as the Patriarch of the Church of the East, leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and top cleric of the Church of England, delivers the proposed Forty-two Articles to the Privy Council of King Edward VI.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • January 15 – Henry II of France and Maurice, Elector of Saxony, sign the Treaty of Chambord.source
  • February 24 – The privileges of the Hanseatic League are abolished in England.source
  • April 18 – King Henry II of France enters the city of Metz, ceded to France by Saxony by the January 15 Treaty of Chambord.source
  • August 2 – John Frederick, Elector of Saxony and Philipp I of Hesse, taken prisoner by Charles V in 1546, are released.source
  • September 24 – The Debatable Lands on the border of England and Scotland are divided between the two kingdoms by a commission creating the Scots' Dike in an unsuccessful attempt to halt lawlessness here, but giving both countries their modern borders.source

Conflict & Security

  • April 8 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony, liberates Augsburg and sets about to capture Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.source
  • May 20 – Learning of the rapid approach of the Elector Maurice, the Emperor Charles V flees from Innsbruck ahead of being captured.source
  • June 6 (14th waxing of Waso 914 ME) – Minye Sithu is appointed as the Burmese Viceroy of Martaban by his older brother, Bayinnaung, King of Burma.source
  • June 16 – Yuri of Uglich, the only brother of the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, is placed in charge of Russia's domestic affairs as Ivan departs Moscow to lead 150,000 troops in the Russo-Kazan War.source
  • July 6 – In Hungary, Drégely Castle is attacked by the Ottoman Empire. Captain György Szondy and c. 140 soldiers in the castle die, after 4 days of fighting against 8,000 Turkish raiders.source
  • July 27 – The Ottomans capture the city of Temesvar.source
  • September 9 – The Siege of Eger begins as thousands of Ottoman troops, led by General Kara Ahmed Pasha of the Ottoman Empire attack a greatly outnumbered force of Hungarian defenders, captained by István Dobó.source
  • October 2 – The Khanate of Kazan falls to troops of Ivan IV of Russia.source
  • October 17 – After heavy losses by the Ottoman Empire, the Siege of Eger in Hungary is broken off by the Ottomans.source
  • November 15 – Radu Ilie Haidăul becomes the new Prince of Wallachia in what is now Romania after defeating Prince Mircea the Shepherd at the battle of Mănești. Prince Mircea retakes the throne seven months later.source
  • Miguel de Buría leads the first African rebellion in South America's history. This may be because Buría has more slaves than other regions in Venezuela, of which most join Miguel, and is still being contested between the Europeans and the natives, who also join his side. During this insurrection he takes over the Gold mines de San Felipe de Buría, established within the area with the consent of the Spanish Crown, to pull out the ore that was discovered in the Buria river, a task that heavily depends on slave work.source
  • In the Persian Gulf, the Ottoman Empire Red Sea Fleet attacks the Portuguese stronghold of Hormuz, but fails to capture it.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • April 16 – Pedro de Valdivia founds the city of La Imperial, Chile.source

Religion & Belief

  • February 12 – Pedro de Valdivia founds the Chilean city of Valdivia, as Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia.source
  • March 26 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru.source
  • April 11 – Metz Cathedral is consecrated.source
  • April 15 – The Act of Uniformity is given royal assent and imposes use of the Protestant Book of Common Prayer on England.source
  • April 28 – The delegates to the Council of Trent adjourn for two years after learning that the Holy Roman Emperor is fleeing from Maurice of Saxony.source
  • August 2 – The Peace of Passau revokes the Augsburg Interim of 1548, and promises religious freedom to the Protestant princes.source
  • November 18 – Simeon Sulaka arrives in Rome from the Middle Eastern city of Mosul and brings a letter asking Pope Julius III to appoint him as the Patriarch of the Church of the East, leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church.source
  • November 24 – Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and top cleric of the Church of England, delivers the proposed Forty-two Articles to the Privy Council of King Edward VI.source
  • December 26 – Pope Julius III issues a papal brief revoking resolutions passed by the colegii Papal State of Bologna in Italy.source

Science & Discovery

  • In Italy, Bartolomeo Eustachi completes his Tabulae anatomicae, presenting his discoveries on the structure of the inner ear and heart, although, for fear of the Inquisition, it will not be published until 1714.source

Crime & Justice

  • June 22 – Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, the Spanish Governor of Luxembourg, is taken prisoner by France and remains captive for almost five years.source

Disasters & Accidents

  • June 24 – The Portuguese ship São João is wrecked off of the coast of South Africa. While 480 people survive initially, all but 25 of them die during the next 165 days while trying to reach the mouth of the Maputo River in what is now Mozambique.source

Culture & Society

  • King Edward VI of England founds 35 grammar schools by royal charter, including Shrewsbury; Leeds Grammar School is also established.source

Births

  • January 14 – Alberico Gentili, Italian jurist (d. 1608)source
  • February 1 – Edward Coke, English colonial entrepreneur and jurist (d. 1634)source
  • February 19 – Melchior Klesl, Austrian statesman and cardinal (d. 1630)source
  • February 28 – Joost Bürgi, Swiss clockmaker and mathematician (d. 1632)source
  • July 22 – Mary Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton, Lady of English peer and others (d. 1607)source
  • August 1 – Isabella Feltria della Rovere, Italian noblewoman (d. 1619)source
  • August 14 – Paolo Sarpi, Italian writer (d. 1623)source
  • August 21 – Muhammad Qadiri, Founder of the Naushahia branch of the Qadri order (d. 1654)source
  • August 24 – Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter (d. 1614)source
  • September 12 – Andreas Schott, Flemish academic, linguist, translator, editor and a Jesuit priest (d. 1629)source
  • September 27 – Flaminio Scala, Italian playwright and stage actor (d. 1624)source
  • November 20 – Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, English politician and Earl (d. 1616)source
  • December 27 – William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire, English politician and Earl (d. 1626)source
  • December 31 – Simon Forman, English occultist and astrologer (d. 1611)source

Deaths

  • January 10 – Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (b. 1479)source
  • January 22 – Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, English politician (b. 1509)source
  • February 6 – Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1479)source
  • February 20 – Anne Parr, Countess of Pembroke, English countess (b. 1515)source
  • March 29 – Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (b. 1504)source
  • April 18 – John Leland, English historian (b. 1502)source
  • April 19 – Olaus Petri, Swedish clergyman (b. 1493)source
  • April 21 – Petrus Apianus, German astronomer (b. 1495)source
  • May 26 – Sebastian Münster, German cartographer and cosmographer (b. 1488)source
  • July 9 – György Szondy, Hungarian soldiersource
  • August 15 – Hermann of Wied, German Catholic archbishop (b. 1477)source
  • September 23 – Barbara of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach, Landgravine of Leuchtenberg (b. 1495)source
  • October 17 – Andreas Osiander, German Protestant theologian (b. 1498)source
  • December 3 – Francis Xavier, Spanish Jesuit missionary and saint (b. 1506)source