The Spanish Armada was a large fleet assembled by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 to carry out an invasion of England, in order to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and end English support for the Protestant Dutch rebels and attacks on Spanish shipping. The fleet, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, sailed from Lisbon in May and was met by the English navy in the Channel, where the two sides fought a series of battles. English fireships forced the Armada to break formation off Calais, and it was defeated at Gravelines. Unable to return through the Channel, the Spanish ships sailed around Scotland and Ireland, where storms and wrecks destroyed many of them. The defeat became a symbol of English naval power and a national triumph, although Spain continued to be a major power for decades afterwards.
Before and after
- 9 September 1585Birth of Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
- from 1587 to 1589War of the Three Henrys
- from 12 April 1587 to 6 July 1587Singeing the King of Spain's Beard
- 5 April 1588Birth of Thomas Hobbes
- from 25 April 1588 to 1 August 1588Spanish Armada
- 17 July 1588Death of Mimar Sinan
- 1589Construction of Harmandir Sahib
- from April 1589 to July 1589English Armada
- 30 April 1589Construction of Apostolic Palace
More in Wars, politics & history
- 25 September 1555Peace of Augsburg
- from 1683 to 1699Great Turkish War
- from September 1688 to September 1697Nine Years' War
- 26 January 1699Treaty of Karlowitz
- 1713Pragmatic Sanction of 1713
- 22 February 1732Birth of George Washington
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.