Nostradamus was born on 14 December 1503 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. A French apothecary and astrologer born Michel de Nostredame, Nostradamus became famous for Les Propheties, a collection of rhyming quatrains published from 1555 that purport to foretell future events. He first gained local fame for treating victims of plague in southern France, and he served as a court astrologer to Catherine de' Medici. His verses are cryptic and rarely name dates or places, which has allowed generations of readers to link them to events after the fact, and there is no scientific evidence that they predict anything. The book has remained in print ever since.
Before and after
- from 1501 to 1736Safavid Iran
- 1501Birth of Ana Bolena
- 1 January 1502Birth of Gregory XIII
- c. 1500sMona Lisa
- 14 December 1503Birth of Nostradamus
- 17 January 1504Birth of Pius V
- 8 September 1504Michelangelo's David is unveiled
- from 16 March 1505 to 26 January 1517Mamluk–Portuguese conflicts
- 18 April 1506Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
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The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.