Directory

1580 CE

The Lipizzan stud is established by Charles II, Archduke of Austria. The Ostrog Bible, the first complete printed Bible translation into a Slavic language (Old Church Slavonic), is first printed at Ostroh in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (modern-day Ukraine) by Ivan Fyodorov. Francis Drake returns to Plymouth, England from his voyage of circumnavigation (westbound) on the Golden Hind, the second completed in a continuous voyage, and the first under its original commander.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • March 25 – Iberian Union: King Philip II of Spain becomes King of Portugal under the name Philip I, following the death without heirs of King Henry of Portugal, in a personal union of the crowns, thus maintaining Portuguese independence (in Europe and throughout the Portuguese Empire). The Philippine Dynasty rule lasts until 1640.source
  • June 21 (8 Cemazi ul-evvel 988 AH) – England signs a commercial treaty with the Ottoman Empire, and Sultan Murad III sends a letter to Queen Elizabeth I informing her, "Just as the merchants of Poland and France and Venice come and go, the merchants of your domain also shall bring wares to our Well-Protected Domains and take away wares." In return, Murad III is able to purchase English metals (iron, brass and tin) for his war with Iran.source
  • September 29 – Five of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic (with the exception of Zeeland and Holland) sign the Treaty of Plessis-les-Tours, recognizing Francis, Duke of Anjou as the Republic's sovereign.source
  • October 4 – Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, the Spanish Count of Coruña, arrives in Mexico City to take office as the Viceroy of New Spain, administering Mexico and Central America on behalf of King Philip II.source

Conflict & Security

  • February 16 – The massacre of 20 artists at the Mardi Gras festivities, at the annual Carnaval de Romans during the festival, takes place in France at Romans-sur-Isère.source
  • March 3 – George de Lalaing, Count of Rennenberg defects from the Union of Utrecht and the Dutch Republic, and turns over the province of Groningen to King Philip II of Spain.source
  • April 9 – English Fury at Mechelen: English and Scottish mercenaries, assisting the Dutch Republic, storm the Spanish Netherlands city of Mechelen (in modern-day Belgium), killing 60 civilians and plundering the town's houses and churches.source
  • June 9 – Rebels of the Dutch Union of Utrecht, aided by French soldiers, make a surprise attack on the Spanish Netherlands city of Diest in the Duchy of Brabant, and overwhelm the strategic location, now in Belgium, in one day.source
  • August 25 – Battle of Alcântara: Spanish armies, led by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, defending the claim of King Philip II of Spain to the Portuguese throne, defeat the armies of Portuguese claimant António, Prior of Crato.source
  • October 18 – The Siege of Steenwijk in the Dutch Republic is started by the Spanish Netherlands. The siege will last four months and the Spanish troops will capture Steenwijk on February 23.source
  • October 24 – The War of the Portuguese Succession comes to an end as Spanish forces crush the final Portuguese resistance in the last stronghold in mainland Portugal, Porto. For the next 60 years, Portugal will be ruled by the Kings of Spain.source
  • November 10 – Second Desmond Rebellion: The Siege of Smerwick (now Ard na Caithne in County Kerry, Ireland) ends after three days when their commander surrenders to the English. Members of a group of at least 400 freelance soldiers, and perhaps as many as 700, for the Papal States are summarily executed on orders of the English Lord Deputy of Ireland, Baron Grey de Wilton.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • September 26 – Francis Drake returns to Plymouth, England from his voyage of circumnavigation (westbound) on the Golden Hind, the second completed in a continuous voyage, and the first under its original commander.source
  • The Old City of Zamość is established in Poland, by Jan Zamoyski.source

Religion & Belief

  • February 28 – Three Jesuit priests from Portuguese Goa, including Rodolfo Acquaviva, arrive in Agra on the mainland of India as guests of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great, who is curious about Christianity. The Emperor grants land to the Jesuit fathers for the building of the first Roman Catholic Church in the Mughal Empire.source
  • March 1 – Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. They are published later this year.source
  • May 29 – Stephen Báthory is formally crowned as Grand Duke of Lithuania at the Vilnius Cathedral.source
  • July 12 – The Ostrog Bible, the first complete printed Bible translation into a Slavic language (Old Church Slavonic), is first printed at Ostroh in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (modern-day Ukraine) by Ivan Fyodorov.source
  • The first session of the Jewish Vaad (Council of Four Lands) is held in Lublin, Poland; 70 delegates of Jewish local qahals meet to discuss taxation, and other issues important to Jewish communities.source

Crime & Justice

  • December 31 – James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, formerly the regent for King James VI of Scotland, is arrested during a meeting of Scotland's Privy Council at Holyrood on the accusation of James Stewart, Earl of Arran that the Earl of Morton had participated in the 1567 murder of Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and father of King James. Morton is taken to Dumbarton Castle and convicted of conspiracy to murder, and executed on June 2.source

Climate & Environment

  • April 6 – The Dover Straits earthquake occurs.source
  • The Billy Mitchell volcano, on the island of Bougainville, undergoes a catastrophic eruption (VEI 6).source

Culture & Society

  • May – The Lipizzan stud is established by Charles II, Archduke of Austria.source
  • June 25 – The Book of Concord, a collection of Lutheran confessional documents, is published.source
  • July 24 – Portuguese succession crisis of 1580: António, Prior of Crato, a grandson of the late King Manuel by Manuel's second son, the Duke of Beja is proclaimed King of Portugal by his supporters in the city of Santarém, and popular acclamation follows in Lisbon and other locations. Portugal's parliament, the Cortes, refuses to acknowledge Antonio and he is defeated 32 days later at Alcântara.source

Births

  • January 12 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist (d. 1644)source
  • January 30 – Gundakar, Prince of Liechtenstein, court official in Vienna (d. 1658)source
  • February 1 – Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland, English noble (d. 1629)source
  • February – John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, English diplomat (d. 1653)source
  • April 8 – Augusta of Denmark, Duchess Consort of Holstein-Gottorp (1596-1616) (d. 1639)source
  • April 8 – William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, English noble, courtier and patron of the arts (d. 1630)source
  • May 6 – Charles Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat, French noble (d. 1637)source
  • May 30 – Fadrique de Toledo, 1st Marquis of Villanueva de Valdueza, Spanish noble and admiral (d. 1634)source
  • June 6 – Godefroy Wendelin, Flemish astronomer (d. 1667)source
  • June 26 – Peter Claver, Spanish Jesuit priest (d. 1654)source
  • June 26 – Gaspar de Borja y Velasco, Spanish Catholic cardinal (d. 1645)source
  • September 14 – Francisco de Quevedo, Spanish writer (d. 1645)source
  • December 1 – Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, French astronomer (d. 1637)source
  • December 4 – Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (d. 1626)source

Deaths

  • January 18 – Archangelo de' Bianchi, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1516)source
  • January 31 – Portuguese succession crisis of 1580: The death of Henry, King of Portugal, with no direct heirs, leads to conflict between his potential successors, including King Philip II of Spain and Infanta Catherine, Duchess of Braganza.source
  • February 24 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, English nobleman (b. 1511)source
  • May 31 – Dorothea of Denmark, Electress Palatine, Princess of Denmark, Sweden and Norway (b. 1520)source
  • June 5 – In the Kingdom of Golconda (part of the modern-day Indian state of Telangana), 15-year-old Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah is proclaimed as the new Sultan upon the death of his father, Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali.source
  • June 10 – Luís de Camões, Portuguese poet (b. c. 1524)source
  • August 19 – Andrea Palladio, Italian architect (b. 1508)source
  • August 20 – Jerónimo Osório, Portuguese historian (b. 1506)source
  • August 28 – Antonín Brus of Mohelnice, Moravian Catholic archbishop (b. 1518)source
  • September 19 – Catherine Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, English noblewoman (b. 1519)source
  • September 20 – Honorat II of Savoy, French Navy admiral (b. 1511)source
  • September – Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, French royal mistress and cultural patron (b. 1508)source
  • October 26 – Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain (b. 1549)source
  • December 1 – Giovanni Morone, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1509)source