16th century
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As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 through 1600.
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Literature
Literature in the 16th century was still the province of a happy few. Important books include Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais and Heptameron by the Queen of Navarre.
List of works
List of writers
- Baldassare Castiglione, Italian author (1478 – 1529)
- Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author (1547 – 1616).
- John Donne, English metaphysical poet (1572 – 1631)
- John Ford, English dramatist (1586 – c. 1640).
- Thomas Heywood, English dramatist (c, early 1570s – 1641)
- Ben Jonson, English dramatist c.1572 – 1637)
- Thomas Kyd, English dramatist (1558 – 1594)
- Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian author (1469 – 1527)
- Christopher Marlowe, English poet and dramatist (1564 – 1593).
- Michel de Montaigne, French essayist (1533 – 1592).
- Thomas More, English politician and author (1478 – 1535).
- François Rabelais, French author (c. 1493 – 1553).
- Pierre de Ronsard, French poet. Called the 'Prince of poets' of his generation. (1524 – 1585).
- William Shakespeare, English playwright (1564 – 1616).
- Edmund Spenser, English poet (c. 1552 – 1599)
- Lope de Vega, Spanish dramatist (1562 – 1635).
General culture
- The Renaissance, which started in Italy in the previous two century spreads all over Europe.
- General effects of the inventing of the printing press in the previous century.
- Anti-clericalism is one of the major popular forces underlying the reformation
- The Huguenot, members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France were a counterculture avant la lettre.
- During the century, in the visual arts the High Renaissance gave way to Mannerism
- Rise of the Puritans in the United Kingdom
- Gargantua and Pantagruel is published. Written by François Rabelais. There is much crudity and scatological humor as well as a large amount of violence.
- Leonardo da Vinci paints Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world.
- The Reformation sought to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. Many western Christians were troubled by what they saw as corruption within the Church, particularly involving the teaching and sale of indulgences.
- Medieval theatre gives way to Renaissance theatre with Morality plays and Everyman plays
- Towards the end of the century the Geocentric modelis gradually replaced by the heliocentric model of Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler.
- Amadis de Gaula, a landmark work among the knight-errantry Romances formed the earliest reading of many Renaissance and Baroque writers.
- See 16th century in literature
Significant people
- Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (sometimes known as Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam) (October 27, 1466/1469, Rotterdam– July 12, 1536 Basel was a Dutch Renaissance humanist and Catholic Christian theologian.
- Paracelsus (11 November or 17 December 1493 in Einsiedeln, Switzerland – 24 September 1541 in Salzburg, Austria)
- Henry VII of England, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Introduced ruthlessly efficient mechanisms of taxation which restored the kingdom after a state of virtual bankruptcy due to the effects of the Wars of the Roses (1457 – 1509).
- György Dózsa, leader of the peasants' revolt in Hungary (1470 – 1514)
- Martin Luther, German religious reformer (1483 – 1546).
- King Henry VIII of England, founder of Anglicanism (1491 – 1547).
- Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (1491 – 1556).
- King Francis I of France, considered the first Renaissance monarch of his Kingdom (1494 – 1547).
- Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Conqueror and legal reformer (1494 – 1566).
- King Gustav I of Sweden, restored Swedish sovereignty and introduced Protestantism in Sweden (1496-1560).
- Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and the first to reign as King of Spain. Involved in almost constant conflict with France and the Ottoman Empire while promoting the Spanish colonization of the Americas (1500 – 1558).
- Cuauhtémoc, the last Tlatoani of the Aztec, led the native resistance against the Conquistadores (1502 – 1525).
- Michel Nostradamus, French astrologer and doctor, author of Les Propheties, a book of world prophecies (1503 – 1566).
- Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi, Somali Imam and general (1507 – 1543).
- John Calvin, theologian, and reformer. Founder of Calvinism (1509 – 1564).
- Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564)
- Mary I of England. Attempted to counter the Protestant Reformation in her domains. Nick-named Bloody Mary for her Religious persecution (1516 – 1558).
- Andrea Amati, (c. 1520 – c. 1578) was the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today.
- John Knox (c. 1510 – 1572) was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination.
- King Philip II of Spain, self-proclaimed leader of Counter-Reformation (1527 – 1598).
- Ivan IV of Russia, first Russian tsar (1533-1584).
- William the Silent, William I of Orange-Nassau, main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish (1533-1584).
- Wanli Emperor, Emperor of China during the Ming Dynasty, aided Korea in the Imjin War, (1563 – 1620)
- Elizabeth I of England, central figure of the Elizabethan era (1533 – 1603). She was the granddaughter of the aforementioned Henry VII, daughter of Henry VIII and paternal half-sister of Mary I. Though some within her court thought of her merely as a bastard, due to the fact that her father executed her supposedly criminal mother Anne Boleyn, her reign is still considered one of the greatest ever in England's history.
- Oda Nobunaga , daimyo of the Sengoku period of Japanese civil war. First ruler of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1534 – 1582).
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi , daimyo of the Sengoku period of Japanese civil war. Second ruler of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1536 – 1598).
- Edward VI of England, notable for further differentiating Anglicanism from the practices of the Roman Catholic Church (1537 – 1553).
- Lady Jane Grey, Queen regnant of England and Ireland. Notably deposed by popular revolt (1537 – 1554).
- Mary I of Scotland, First female head of the House of Stuart (1542 – 1587).
- Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Dutch politician and Grand Pensionary, played a pivotal role in organizing the Dutch revolt against Spain (1542 – 1619).
- Admiral Yi Sun-sin , Korean admiral, respected as one of the greatest admirals in world history. (1545 – 1598).
- Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian painter and sculptor (1475 – 1564).
- Leonardo da Vinci famous artist and inventor and scientist (1452 – 1519).
- Raphael, Italian painter, (1483 – 1520)
- King Henry IV of France and Navarre, ended the French Wars of Religion and reunited the kingdom under his command (1553 – 1610).
- Michael the Brave, ruler of Walachia, national symbol of Romanians for uniting the three provinces under his rule in 1600 (1558 – 1601)
- Giovanni Battista Ramusio, diplomat and secretary of council of Ten of Venice Italy, author of Delle Navigationi et Viaggi. Third volume (terzo volume) containing plan La Terra de Hochelaga showing village of Hochelaga (1585 – 1657). See [1]
- Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit who traveled to Macau, China in 1582, and died in Beijing, (1552 – 1610)
- Andrea Palladio (November 30, 1508 – August 19, 1580), one of the most influential architect of the Western architecture
Exploration
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. 1475 – 1519) – Spanish explorer. The first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and view the Pacific ocean from American shores.
- Pedro Álvares Cabral, Portuguese navigator. The first European to arrive in Brazil in 22 April, 1500 (c. 1467 – 1520).
- Jacques Cartier (1491 – 1557) – French explorer. Discovered Canada.
- Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (c. 1510 – 1554) – Spanish explorer. Searched for the Seven Cities of Gold and discovered the Grand Canyon in the process
- Hernán Cortés, Spanish Conquistador (1485 – 1547).
- Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540 – 1596) – English explorer. The first English captain to sail around the world and survive.
- Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476 – 1526) – Spanish explorer. Completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in a single expedition after its captain, Magellan, was killed.
- Vasco da Gama, Portuguese navigator. The first one to sail around the Cape of Good Hope (c. 1469 – 1524).
- Juan Ponce de León (c. 1460 – 1521) – Spanish explorer. He explored Florida while attempting to locate a Fountain of Youth.
- Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese navigator who sailed around the world (1480 – 1521).
- Francisco de Orellana (1511-1546) – Spanish explorer in 1541-42 sails the length of the Amazon River.
- Francisco Pizarro (c. 1475 – 1541) – Spanish explorer. Conquered the Inca Empire.
- Hernando de Soto (c. 1496 – 1542) – Spanish explorer. Explored Florida, mainly northwest Florida, and discovered the Mississippi River.
- Luis Váez de Torres (c. 1565-1607) Spanish or Portuguese navigator. Explored the Pacific for the Spanish crown.
- Giovanni da Verrazzano (c. 1485 – 1528) – Italian explorer for France. Explored the northeast coast of America, from about present day South Carolina to Newfoundland.
Visual artists
- Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian painter and sculptor (1475 – 1564).
- Caravaggio, Italian artist (1571 – 1610).
- Albrecht Dürer, German artist, (1471 – 1528)
- Hans Holbein the Younger, German artist, (1497 – 1543)
- Raphael, Italian painter, (1483 – 1520)
- Donato Bramante (1444 – March 11, 1514)
- Titian, Italian painter, (c. 1485 – 1576)
- Paolo Veronese, Italian painter, (1528 – April 19 1588)
- Leonardo da Vinci famous artist and inventor and scientist (1452 – 1519).
- Qiu Ying, Chinese painter who belonged to the Wu School and used gongbi brush style (1494 – 1552)
- Pieter Bruegel the Elder, (c. 1525 – September 9, 1569)
- Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568 – January 13, 1625)
- Tintoretto (real name Jacopo Comin; September 29, 1518 – May 31, 1594)
- Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553)
- Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515–1586)
- El Greco (1541 – April 7, 1614) was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance
- Sinan (1489 – 1588) was a civil engineer and chief architect of the Ottoman Empire
- Domenico Fontana (1543 – June 28, 1607) was an architect
Musicians and Composers
- John Dowland (1563–1626)
- Giles Farnaby (1565–1640)
- Alfonso Fontanelli (1557–1622)
- Hans Leo Hassler (1562–1612)
- Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia (1565–1627)
- Ascanio Mayone (1565–1627)
- Giovanni Bernardino Nanino (c. 1560–1623)
- Johannes Nucius (c. 1556–1620)
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, (1525-1594)
- Jacopo Peri (1561–1633)
- Peter Philips (c. 1560–1628)
- Hieronymus Praetorius (1560–1629)
- Paolo Quagliati (c. 1555–1628)
- Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621)
- Jean Titelouze (1563–1633)
- Lodovico Grossi da Viadana (1564–1627)
Science and philosophy
- Sir Francis Bacon, (1561 – 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, and essayist. He is also known as a catalyst of the scientific revolution.
- Tycho Brahe, (1546 – 1601), Danish astronomer.
- Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher and astronomer/astrologer (1548 – 1600).
- Nicolaus Copernicus, (1473 – 1543) astronomer, developed the heliocentric (Sun-centered) theory using scientific methods.
- Galileo Galilei (1564<ref name=birthdate>Drake (1978, p.1). The date of Galileo's birth is given according to the Julian calendar, which was then in force throughout the whole of Christendom. In 1582 it was replaced in Italy and several other Catholic countries with the Gregorian calendar. Unless otherwise indicated, dates in this article are given according to the Gregorian calendar.</ref> – 1642) was a Tuscan (Italian) physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the scientific revolution.
- Konrad Gessner (1516 – 1565) was a Swiss naturalist, bibliographer, Botanist, His three-volume Historiae Animalium (1551-1558) is considered the beginning of modern zoology
- William Gilbert, also known as Gilbard, 1544 – 1603) was an English physician and a natural philosopher.
- Gerardus Mercator (5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594), famous cartographer
- Emery Molyneux (died June 1598), was an Elizabethan maker of globes, mathematical instruments and ordnance. His terrestrial and celestial globes, first published in 1592, were the first to be made in England and the first to be made by an Englishman.
- Andreas Vesalius (Brussels, December 31, 1514 – Zakynthos, October 15, 1564) was an anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, De humani corporis fabrica (On the Workings of the Human Body). Vesalius is often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy.
- Edward Wright, (baptized 1561; died 1615), English mathematician and cartographer who determined the mathematical basis of the Mercator projection and produced the first maps in England according to this method
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