Chronyas has 4,820 events dated to the 16th century (1501 to 1600 CE), during the Early modern world. Below are the most notable ones, in date order.
Most of the events in this century belong to Art, literature & culture and Civilizations & archaeology.
Open this century on the timeline
- from 1501 to 1736Safavid dynasty
- c. 1500sMona Lisa
- 8 September 1504Michelangelo's David is unveiled
- 18 April 1506Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
- 1511The Creation of Adam
- 1512The School of Athens
- 1515Construction of Hampton Court Palace
- 1515Construction of Belém Tower
- 1515Construction of Melilla la Vieja
- from 31 October 1517 to 1 January 1648Protestant Reformation
- 31 October 1517Ninety-five Theses
- 31 October 1517Origins of Lutheranism
- 10 November 1517Origins of Protestantism
- 1 January 1519Origins of Reformed Christianity
- 1519Construction of Château de Chambord
- from 1520 to 1600Mannerism
- 6 September 1522Magellan's expedition completes the first circumnavigation
- from 1524 to 1525German Peasants' War
- from 1525 to 1947Prussia
- from 1526 to 1857Mughal Empire
- from 29 August 1526 to 12 November 1918Habsburg monarchy
- 1532Publication of The Prince
- from 1534 to 1980French colonial empire
- 1534Henry VIII becomes head of the Church of England
- 6 August 1538Founding of Bogotá
- 1540Construction of Westminster Abbey
- 1541Founding of Santiago
- from 1543 to 1687Scientific Revolution
- 1543Copernicus publishes On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
- 1543Vesalius publishes De humani corporis fabrica
- from 1545 to 1648Counter-Reformation
- from 13 December 1545 to 21 February 1563Council of Trent
- from 1547 to 1721Tsardom of Russia
- 1550Construction of Süleymaniye Mosque
- 12 June 1550Founding of Helsinki
- 25 January 1554Founding of São Paulo
- 1555Construction of St. Basil's Cathedral
- 25 September 1555Peace of Augsburg
- 23 January 15561556 Shaanxi earthquake
- 1557Discovery of platinum
- from 17 January 1558 to 26 May 1583Livonian War
- 1559Founding of University of Geneva
- 1560Construction of Humayun's Tomb
- from 2 April 1562 to 30 April 1598French Wars of Religion
- 1563Construction of Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
- from 1564 to 1883Construction of Tuileries Palace
- 15 February 1564Birth of Galileo Galilei
- April 1564Birth of William Shakespeare
- 1565Construction of Agra Fort
- 11 March 1565Founding of Rio de Janeiro
- 1567Construction of Stari Most
- from 1568 to 1918Russo-Turkish Wars
- from 23 May 1568 to 30 January 1648Eighty Years' War
- 1569Invention of Mercator projection
- from 11 June 1569 to 24 October 1795Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
- 1 July 1569Union of Lublin
- 1570Construction of Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
- 1572Wilhelmus
- 24 August 1572St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
- 1574Construction of Selimiye Mosque
- 8 February 1575Founding of Leiden University
- 1577Construction of Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge
- 11 June 1580Founding of Buenos Aires
- 1581Construction of Uffizi Gallery
- from 26 July 1581 to 19 January 1795Dutch Republic
- 24 February 1582Pope Gregory XIII reforms the calendar
- 1583Founding of University of Edinburgh
- from c. 1583 to 1997British Empire
- 1585Founding of Frankfurt Stock Exchange
- from 25 April 1588 to 1 August 1588Spanish Armada
- 1589Construction of Harmandir Sahib
- 30 April 1589Construction of Apostolic Palace
- 1591Construction of Rialto Bridge
- 1592Publication of Journey to the West
- 1595Construction of Naqsh-e Jahan Square
- 13 April 1598Edict of Nantes
- 1600Publication of A Midsummer Night's Dream
- 1600Publication of The Merchant of Venice
- 1600Rise of Baroque music
- from 31 December 1600 to 1 June 1874Founding of East India Company