| 1552 AD Treaty of Passau -The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V attempted to force the Protestant Princes of Southern Germany to return to Catholicism at the point of the sword. Prince Henry II of France took advantage of the situation by allying himself with the Protestants and seizing Metz, Toul and Verdun. Charles was forced to leave Germany and sign the Treaty of Passau granting the Protestants religious liberty. In 1555 the Peace Augsburg was signed, under whose terms each German prince was allowed to pick a religion for his state. |
| 1554 AD Thomas Wyatt- Leads a Rebellion Against - Thomas Wyatt led a rebellion against Mary Queen of England. The cause of the rebellion the impending marriage of Mary to Phillip son of the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor. Mary was plannning to restore Catholicism to England. His army was defeated on February 9th and Wyatt was executed in April. Following Mary's marriage, Protestants and former Protestants were persecuted, with many being burned at the stake. |
| 1555 AD Jews Restricted to ghettos in Italy - In 1555 Pope Paul IV issued his bull Cum nimis absrudam. Under its terms Jews in the cities were restricted to their own quarters at night. Venice already had "ghettos" for the Jews. |
| 1555 AD Treaty of Amasya - In 1555 the Treaty of Amasya was signed between the Ottoman Empire and Persia. This brought to an end the war between the parties. Under its terms Persia recognized the Ottoman sovereignty over Iraq. |
| 1556 AD First Music Book Printed in the New World -An Ordinarium is published in a printing press in Mexico. The book includes music for church services. |
| 1556 AD Second Battle of Panipat In 1556 Jala-ud-Din returns from exile after his father Humayun the Mughal emperor dies. Jala-ud-Din rules as Akbar. He defeats Hindu forces at the Battle of Panipat on November 5th . He thus regains the Hindustani Empire. |
| 1557 AD Battle of Saint Quentin -Queen Mary of England comes to the support of her husband Phillip II in a conflict with France. The English and the Spanish defeat the French at the Battle of Saint Quentin. With Paris threatened the French are forced to recall their forces from Italy. |
| 1557 AD Macao Established Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) brought Tan Sen from the court of Reva to become his own court musician. Tan Sen is best known for his attempts to join Hindu and Muslim musical styles. While Tan Sen was a master of the ancient Hindu vocal style, Dhrupad, he also created a new genre, Dabari. |
| 1558 AD Elizabethian Age Begins - The Elizabethan Age in England begins with the death of Queen Mary and the ascension to the throne of Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII by Anne Boleyn. |
| 1559 AD Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis The Religious Wars that had gone on incessantly between England, France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire are ended by the Treaty of Cateau- Cambresis. Under its terms France renounces claims to Italy, and confirms Spanish control of much of Italy. |
| 1560 AD Treaty of Edinburgh - Mary, Queen of Scots declared herself Queen of England in 1559. The next year French troops in Scotland try to assert the claim of Mary against Elizabeth, who the Catholics claim is illegitimate (Elizabeth was the daugther of Henry and Anne Boleyn whose marriage to Henry was consider null by the Catholics). The French troops were beseiged at Leith, and the French were forced to sign the treaty of Edinburgh ceasing their interferance in the affairs of Scotland. |
| 1562 AD Tan Sen Made Court Musician in India Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) brought Tan Sen from the court of Reva to become his own court musician. Tan Sen is best known for his attempts to join Hindu and Muslim musical styles. While Tan Sen was a master of the ancient Hindu vocal style, Dhrupad, he also created a new genre, Dabari. |
| 1562 AD French Establish Settlement In Florida -The French first attempted to settle Florida in 1562. A group of Huguenots, under the direction of Jean Ribault, established a temporary settlement on the coast of what became South Carolina. When they were not resupplied, they abandoned the settlement. In 1864, a second group of Huguenots established a settlement at Ft. Caroline at the mouth of the St. Johns River. |
| 1562 AD First French War of Religion France became embroiled in a religious civil war between the Huguenots and Catholics. The war was touched off by the massacre of Hugenots at Vassy on March 1. The Hugenots retailiated by killing priests and raping nuns. The Hugenots maintained a hold on Orleans, Lyon and Rouen. Queen Elizabeth of England pledged her support to the Hugenots. |
| 1564 AD Michelangelo Dies -Michelangelo(properly Michelagniolo Buonarotti) died in 1567 His many works inlcudedthe sculpture Bacchus, Maddona and Moses as well as the painting Last Judgement on the back of the Sistine Chapel. |
| 1567 AD Rio de Janeiro Founded The Portuguese founded Rio de Janeiro. They first ousted the French colonists who were there. |
| 1567 AD Second French War Begins -A second religious civil war broke out in France between the Catholics and the Hugenonts. The war broke out when the Hugenots attempted the capture King Charles IX and his regent mother Catherine de Medicis. The war ended with the signing of the Peace of Longjumeau in 1568. |
| 1568 AD Eighty Years War BeginsA war that lasted for eighty years broke out when Flemish opponents to the Spanish inquisition were beheaded. 20 leading Flemish opponents inlcuding the Comte d' Egmont and Comte d' Horn were killed. The Flemish and Dutch then began a rebellion against Spanish rule. |
| 1569 AD Northern Rebellion -Dukes of Northern England revolted against Elizabeth in order to restore Catholicism to England. The rebels hoped to free Mary, Queen of Scotts from captivity. Elizabeth put down the rebellion, and her troops killed 3,000 of the rebels. |
| 1570 AD Third French War Begins The peace ended quickly when the Third French War broke out the next year. It lasted for two years and ended with the Peace of Saint Germain-en Laye. |
| 1571 AD Battle of Lepanto -On October 7th, 1571 the Ottoman fleet of 240 galleys was defeated by a fleet from the Maritime League. The League's fleet consisted of ships from Spain, Malta, Genoa and Venice. The Maritime league takes 4,000 prisoneers, frees 12,000 Chritstian slaves and kills 25,000 Otoman in the battle. |
| 1571 AD Manila Founded Miguel Lopez de Legazpe leading a Spanish force subjugated the Philippine natives. He went on to found Manila. |
| 1572 AD Brach Observes Super Nova -In 1572 Tycho Brache observed the first super nova. He showed that the nova was located beyond the moon. He was also the first to produce a modern star guide |
| 1572 AD St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre On August 23 and 24th Catholics in France killed 50,000 Hugenonts in Paris and the provinces. The massacre was called for by the queen mother Catherine de Medici and is applauded by Pope Gregory XIII. |
| 1574 AD Tunis Annexed by Ottomans -An Ottoman army under the command of Sinan Pasha retakes Tunisia. The Austians had driven the Ottomans out the year before. It is annexed to the Ottoman Empire. |
