1515 CE

King Louis XII of France dies of severe gout after a reign of 17 years, and his son-in-law, François, inherits the throne. "Ulysses", the first known rhinoceros in Europe, arrives at Lisbon in Portugal after being brought by ship from India. The Battle of Marignano concludes after two days as the army of Francis I of France defeats the Swiss mercenaries, thanks to the timely arrival of a Venetian army. The French Army enters the Duchy of Milan on September 17 and reclaims it for King Francis.

In the 1510s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • February 8 – King Henry VIII of England opens the English Parliament. Henry's chief advisor, Sir Thomas Nevill, is elected Speaker of the House of Commonssource
  • April 17 – Mehmed I Giray becomes the new ruler of the Tatar Crimean Khanate (in what is now Russian-occupied Ukraine) upon the death of his father, Meñli I Giray.source
  • November 8 – At Jodhpur, Rao Ganga became the new ruler of the Kingdom of Marwar in what is now the Indian state of Rajasthan, after the Rathore nobility determine that he is better suited to rule than his older brother Rao Viramde or his cousin Biram Singh.source
  • December 22 – The 3rd English Parliament of King Henry VIII closes with the King giving royal assent to the Avowries Act, the Kynges Revenues Act, the "Acte for the Staple of Calice" and "the Act avoiding pulling down of Towns".source
  • December 24 – Thomas Wolsey is named Lord Chancellor of England.source
  • Bartolomé de las Casas urges Ferdinand II of Aragon to end Amerindian slavery, and recommends experimental free towns.source
  • Lopo Soares de Albergaria becomes governor of Portuguese India (and continues until 1518)Indiasource
  • Afonso de Albuquerque ended his term as Governor of Portuguese India.Portugalsource
  • Lopo Soares de Albergaria becomes Governor of Portuguese India.Portugalsource

Conflict & Security

  • January - In Vietnam, an uprising led by Phùng Chương broke out in Tam Đảo and was quickly quelled by general Trịnh Duy Sản under emperor Lê Tương Dực of the Lê dynasty.source
  • March 12 – In Italy, Costanzo II Sforza, Lord of Pesaro, is mortally wounded by a gunshot from an arquebus rifle while traveling with Maximilian Sforza, Duke of Milan. He dies a little more than a month later, on April 14.source
  • April 15 – The Emirate of Oman, ruled by Muhammad bin Ismail, becomes a protectorate of Portugal.source
  • April 23 – In Portuguese-occupied Morocco, the Governor of Safi, Nuno Fernandes de Ataíde, conducts an unsuccessful attack on Marrakesh, and is forced to retreat by defenders led by the Emir Nasr ibn Chentaf al-Hintati.source
  • June 13 – Battle of Turnadag: The army of Ottoman sultan Selim I defeats the beylik of Dulkadir under Bozkurt of Dulkadir.source
  • September 14– The Battle of Marignano concludes after two days as the army of Francis I of France defeats the Swiss mercenaries, thanks to the timely arrival of a Venetian army. The French Army enters the Duchy of Milan on September 17 and reclaims it for King Francis.source
  • October 4 – Maximilian Sforza, Duke of Milan, surrenders to the French forces and is imprisoned until the arrival of King Francis.source
  • October 11 – King Francis enters the city of Milan with Charles III, Duke of Savoy and William IX, Marquis of Montferrat. Francis becomes Duke of Milan and sends Duke Maximilian into exile in France, providing hm with an annual annuity of 35,000 écus.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • April 1 – The Portuguese Navy, led by Afonso de Albuquerque, conquers the strategic Hormuz Island as King Turan Shah and his prime minister, Rais Nureddin invited Albuquerque to land his forces and formally take possession of Hormuz.source
  • August 25 – Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana, Cuba.source
  • October 8 – Portuguese explorer Juan Díaz de Solís departs from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain with three ships and 70 men on a disastrous expedition toward the southern part of the continent of South America. Soon after landing at what is now Uruguay, Díaz and most of his crew are killed by the Charrúa people shortly after their arrival in January.source
  • Henry Cornelius Agrippa returns to Northern Italy.source
  • The Ottomans conquer the last beyliks of Anatolia, the Beylik of Dulkadir and the Ramadanid Emirate.source
  • The Portuguese are the first Europeans to land in Timor island, as the first settlers arrive to the north coast of Madeira Island, there establishing Saint George.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 25 – François, is crowned King of France in the Cathedral of Reims, with his wife Claude, daughter of the late King Louis XII, crowned as Queen consort.source
  • 2 February - Creation of the Count of Vimioso title of nobility.Portugalsource
  • February 11 – George of Kratovo, a silversmith in Serbia, becomes a martyr to the Christian faith as he is burned to death on a pyre for refusing to convert to Islam.source
  • March 31 – Pope Leo X issues a papal bull, at the suggestion of the German cardinal Albert of Brandenburg, providing for a special indulgence on worshipers in four Roman Catholic dioceses in order to pay for construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, with half to be paid to Albert for services.source
  • November 15 – Thomas Wolsey is invested as a Roman Catholic Cardinal.source
  • December 18 – King Francis I of France, victorious in the battle of Marignano in Italy and the new ruler of Milan, begins four days of meetings in Bologna with Pope Leo X. King Francis agrees to ensure the Pope's authority over the Catholic Church in France, and Leo promises to support Francis' claim to the throne of Naples.source
  • Phyang Monastery established in Leh district.Indiasource
  • Creation of the Duke of Goa title.Portugalsource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Cardinal Thomas Wolsey orders construction to begin on what is to become Henry VIII's future summer residence Hampton Court Palace.source
  • The Fort Santo Antonio was built.Portugalsource

Science & Discovery

  • May 20 – "Ulysses", the first known rhinoceros in Europe, arrives at Lisbon in Portugal after being brought by ship from India.source

Health & Medicine

  • September 8– Lopo Soares de Albergaria becomes the new Viceroy of Portuguese India as Afonso de Albuquerque resigns because of health problems.source

Crime & Justice

  • March 31 – Multiple acts of the English parliament are given royal assent by King Henry VIII, including the Deepening River at Canterbury Act 1514, the Thames Watermen Act 1514, and the Felons and Murderers Act 1514.source

Culture & Society

  • March 3 - Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII of England and widow of King Louis XII of France, is secretly married to the Duke of Suffolk in the presence of the new King of France, Francois.source
  • May 13 – Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, are officially married at Greenwich (near London).source
  • July 2 – Manchester Grammar School is endowed by Hugh Oldham, the first free grammar school in England.source
  • July 22 – At the First Congress of Vienna, a double wedding takes place to cement agreements. Louis, only son of King Vladislaus II of Hungary, marries Mary of Austria, granddaughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor; and Mary's brother, Archduke Ferdinand, marries Vladislaus' daughter, Anna.source
  • August 12 – Isabella of Austria is crowned as Queen consort of Denmark and Norway after her marriage to King Christian II is ratified.source

Births

  • January 1 – Johann Weyer, Dutch physician (died 1588)source
  • February 4 – Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł, Polish magnate (died 1565)source
  • February 14 – Frederick III, Elector Palatine, ruler from the house of Wittelsbach (died 1576)source
  • March 10 – Injong of Joseon, 12th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea (died 1545)source
  • March 28 – Teresa of Ávila, Spanish Carmelite nun, poet and saint (died 1582)source
  • June 15 – Anne Parr, Countess of Pembroke, English countess (died 1552)source
  • July 10 – Francisco de Toledo, Viceroy of Peru (died 1582)source
  • July 14 – Philip I, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast (died 1560)source
  • July 21 – Philip Neri, Italian Roman Catholic saint (died 1595)source
  • September 22 – Anne of Cleves, Fourth Queen of Henry VIII (died 1557)source
  • October 4 – Lucas Cranach the Younger, German painter (died 1586)source
  • 7 October - Edward of Portugal, 4th Duke of Guimarães, infante (died 1540)Portugalsource
  • October 8 – Margaret Douglas, daughter of Archibald Douglas (died 1578)source
  • October 29 – Mary of Bourbon, daughter of Charles, Duke of Vendôme (died 1538)source
  • November 22 – Mary of Guise, queen of James V and regent of Scotland (died 1560)source
  • November 22 – Mary of Guise, French noblewoman and Queen of Scotland (d.1560)Francesource
  • Margaret Ball, died of deprivation in the dungeons of Dublin Castle, beatified in 1992 (died 1584)Irelandsource
  • Cristóvão da Costa, doctor and natural historian (died 1594)Portugalsource

Deaths

  • January 1 - King Louis XII of France dies of severe gout after a reign of 17 years, and his son-in-law, François, inherits the throne.source
  • January 1 – King Louis XII of France (born 1462)source
  • January 1 – Louis XII, King of France (b.1462)Francesource
  • February 6 – Aldus Manutius, Venetian printer (born c. 1449)source
  • March 4 – Dukaginzade Ahmed Pasha, who was appointed as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire less than three months earlier, is executed by order of the Sultan Selim I, and is replaced by his predecessor, Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha.source
  • March 16 – Queen Janggyeong, Korean royal consort (born 1491)source
  • June 13 – Alaüddevle Bozkurt, Bey of Anatolian Dulkadirsource
  • August 3 – Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormonde (born c. 1450)Irelandsource
  • September 4 – Barbara of Brandenburg, Bohemian queen (born 1464)source
  • September 9 – Joseph Volotsky, caesaropapist ideologist of the Russian Orthodox Churchsource
  • October 2 – In India, Suja Rathore of Marwar dies after ruling Marawar for 23 years, and two of his grandsons, Biram Singh Rathore and Rao Ganga, compete for the throne.source
  • October – Bartolomeo d'Alviano, Venetian general (born 1455)source
  • November 5 – Mariotto Albertinelli, Italian painter (born 1474)source
  • December 2 – Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Spanish general and statesman (born 1453)source
  • December 16 – Afonso de Albuquerque, Portuguese naval general (born 1453)source
  • 16 December - Afonso de Albuquerque (born 1453)Portugalsource
  • Eoghan Mac Cathmhaoil, Irish Bishop of Clogher since 1505source
  • Afonso de Albuquerque dies and so ceases his governorship of Portuguese India (commenced 1509)Indiasource