| 1576 AD Treaty of Ghent -In November 1576 Spanish garrisons in the lowlands who had not been paid for a period of time revolted and vented their rage on the native nation. In Antwerp alone they massacred 6,000 men, women and children and burned 800 houses. As a result of the decision, William of Orange persuaded the 17 provinces of the Lowlands to unite under the treaty of Ghent, putting aside their differences to fight the Spanish inquisition and restore their liberties. |
| 1577 AD Sixth War of Religion -A Sixth war of Religion broke out between Catholics and Hugenots in 1577. The war was brief and Henri III offered the Hugenots generous terms as a settlement. |
| 1578 AD Portuguese Army Defeated in Morocco - Sebastian, the King of Portugal leads an army to restore the deposed sultan of Morocco. Moroccans at the Battle of Alcazarquivir annihilated the Portuguese army. Sebastian was killed in the battle. |
| 1581 AD Battle of Pskov - Stepen Bathory led the Poles to a victory over the forces of Ivan the Terrible at the battle of Pskov. The Polish victory forced Ivan to agree to a peace accord in which he ceded Livonia on the Baltic. |
| 1581 AD Tartar Khanate of Siberia- Russian -The Russians doubled the size of their country by taking control of the Tartar Khanate of Siberia. The Khanate was subdued by Ermak Timofeev and his peasant soldiers who were hired by Ivan the Terrible. |
| 1584 AD Russian Czar Ivan the Terrible Dies On March 18th 1584 Ivan the Terrible the Czar of Russia died at the age of 53. Ivan had been the Russian Czar for 34 years. He was seceded by his son Fedor Ivanovich who was considered feebleminded. |
| 1585 AD Eighth War of Religion- The Eighth Religious War otherwise known as the War of the Three Henry’s began when the Holy League vowed to deny Henri of Navarre the French throne. Henri II of Valoois and Henri of Guise, both Catholics, battled Henri of Navarre. The Catholics were victorious. |
| 1587 AD Drake attacks Spanish Court of Cadiz The Spanish plans under Philip II to invade England were delayed when Sir Francis Drake attacked the Bay of Cadiz. Drake destroyed 10,000 tons of Spanish shipping and delayed the Spanish assault for a year. |
| 1588 AD Rakuware Pottery Developed - Rakuware a renowned Japanese pottery style was so named when a prize with that name was given to the family who helped develop the process that made it possible. |
1588 AD Spanish Armada The Spanish fleet sailed on July 12, 1588. It consisted of 128 ships carrying 29,522 sailors. The British fleet consisted of 116 large ships and numerous coastal vessels.
On the morning of the 21st, elements of the British fleet attacked superior Spanish forces to forestall their landing troops. The British fleet succeeded in sowing confusion amongst the Spanish fleet, causing many a Spanish ship to collide . The fight continued on and off for five days. There were no decisive battles, just continued engagements in which the English consistently achieved the upper hand. After five days of battering, the Spanish armada which was running low on provisions decided to withdraw. Their path back to Spain became littered with wrecks of additional ships that never made it home. |
| 1590 AD Japan Unified - Japan is unified by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A series of military campaigns together with his vassal Tokugawa Ieyasu leads to a single unified government. |
| 1592 AD Japan Invades Korea The Japanese, under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, invaded Korea after the Koreans rejected Japanese terms for a trade agreement. The Japanese quickly captured Seoul. The Chinese then intervene first by sea and then by sending troops across the Yalu River. They force the Japanese south. |
| 1595 AD Battle of Fontaine- Francaise -The French House of Bourbon was officially established on February 27, 1594 with the official Roman Catholic coronation of Henri of Bourbon. The next year Henri IV declared war on Spain. He won an important battle at Fontaine-Francaise near Dijon. The Catholic League then abandoned by the Spanish. |
| 1595 AD Dutch East Indies Company Begins Trading in Asia The Dutch East Indies Company sent its first ships to the Orient to trade. It soon became an important factor in trading in Asia. |
| 1597 AD Jesuits Crucified in Japan -Toyotomi Hideyoshi orders the crucifixion of 3 Jesuits, 6 Franciscans and 17 Japanese converts to Christianity. He then orders the remaining missionaries to leave the country. When they do not he backs off, fearing an end to Portuguese trading, trading that has become more important now that he was at war with China. |
| 1597 AD Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" Published In 1597 Love's Labour's Lost, the first play under William Shakespeare's name was published. |
| 1598 AD Edict of Nantes -Henry IV King of France issued on April 13, 1598 the Edict of Nantes. The edict gave full civil rights to Protestants in France. It did not provide them with full religious freedom, but did allow them to gather and pray in select locations. |
| 1598 AD Revolt Against the English Irish forces under the leadership of Hugh O’Neill, defeated the English at the Battle of Yellow River on August 14, 1598. The battle began a revolt that swept through Ireland. In April 1599 English forces led by Robert Devereux landed in Dublin to put down the revolt. He was defeated in September 1599. |
