John Calvin died on 27 May 1564 in Geneva, aged 54. A French theologian and reformer, Calvin was trained in law and humanist studies before breaking with the Catholic Church and leaving France. In 1536 he published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a systematic account of Protestant doctrine, which he revised for the rest of his life. He settled in Geneva, where he built a church and civil order based on strict discipline and founded the Geneva Academy. His teachings, which emphasize the sovereignty of God and predestination, formed the basis of the Reformed tradition and shaped Protestantism in Scotland, the Netherlands and parts of Germany, France and later North America. His role in the execution of Michael Servetus remains controversial.
Before and after
- 15 February 1564Birth of Galileo Galilei
- 18 February 1564Death of Michelangelo
- 23 February 1564Birth of Christopher Marlowe
- April 1564Birth of William Shakespeare
- 27 May 1564Death of John Calvin
- 1565Construction of Agra Fort
- 1565The Hunters in the Snow
- from 1565 to 1898Spanish–Moro conflict
- 11 March 1565Founding of Rio de Janeiro
More in Art, literature & culture
- 31 October 1517Origins of Lutheranism
- 10 November 1517Origins of Protestantism
- 1532Publication of The Prince
- from 1545 to 1648Counter-Reformation
- 1563Construction of Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
- 1622Publication of Othello
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.