1542 CE

The first legislature for the Voivode of Transylvania meets at Vásárhely in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Târgu Mureș in Romania). (10th day of 6th month of Tenbun 11) In Japan, a six-year rebellion within the Date clan when clan leader Date Tanemune, returning home from a day of falconry, is attacked by his oldest son, Date Harumune, and imprisoned at Kōri-Nishiyama Castle in Fukushima Prefecture. Tanemune is rescued by an aide, Koyanagigawa Munetomo, and escapes. The war lasts for six years before Harumune triumphs and becomes the new leader of the Date clan. The earliest recorded Preston Guild Court is held in Lancashire, England, in the modern sequence, which lasts unbroken until 1922.

In the 1540s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 16 – The 8th Parliament of Henry VIII assembles at Westminster after having been summoned on November 23.source
January 20 – The first legislature for the Voivode of Transylvania meets at Vásárhely in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Târgu Mureș in Romania).source
February 15 – Antoine Escalin des Aimars of France completes the negotiation with the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman for the Franco-Ottoman alliance.source
15 February – 7/10 March: the Parliament of Ireland meets in Limerick and re-enacts the Crown of Ireland Act, declaring King Henry VIII of England and his heirs to be Kings of Ireland, for the benefit of Munster and Connacht.Ireland source
April 1 – As the 1542 session of the English Parliament ends, King Henry VIII gives royal assent to numerous laws, including the Witchcraft Act, the Treason Act, and the Leases by Corporations Act.source
June 18 – The Parliament of Ireland passes the Crown of Ireland Act, which dissolves the title of Lord of Ireland and reestablishes it to the Kingdom of Ireland, with its last Lord, Henry VIII of England, becoming its first king.source
June 18 – Crown of Ireland Act 1542 is enacted, ending the Lordship of Ireland and creating the Kingdom of Ireland.Ireland source
September 28 – Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo lands in what is now San Diego Bay, and names it "San Miguel", claiming it for the Spanish Empire. San Miguel will later become the city of San Diego. This marks the first time a European sees what is now the U.S. state of California.source
November 25 - Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act shires these two counties.Ireland source
The first contact of Japan with the West occurs when a Portuguese ship, blown off its course to China, lands Antonio Pexoto, Francisco Zeimoto and António Mota in Japan, according to António Galvão. According to the Japanese books Tanegashima Kafu and Teppoki, it is stated they landed in 1543.source

Conflict & Security

February 2 – Battle of Baçente: The Portuguese under Cristóvão da Gama capture a Muslim-occupied hillfort in northern Ethiopia.source
March 8 – Antoine Escalin des Eymars, the French ambassador, returns from Constantinople, with promises of Ottoman aid in a war against Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.source
April 4 – The Battle of Jarte begins in Ethiopia as the Army of the Portuguese Empire, commanded by Cristóvão da Gama encounters the army of the Ethiopian ruler, the Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, achieving a victory on April 16.source
May 19 – The Prome Kingdom, in modern-day central Burma, is conquered by the Taungoo Dynasty.source
July 12 - King Francis I, after allying with Suleiman the Magnificent, declares war once again on Charles V, starting the Italian War of 1542–1546.France source
July 23 – (10th day of 6th month of Tenbun 11) In Japan, a six-year rebellion within the Date clan when clan leader Date Tanemune, returning home from a day of falconry, is attacked by his oldest son, Date Harumune, and imprisoned at Kōri-Nishiyama Castle in Fukushima Prefecture. Tanemune is rescued by an aide, Koyanagigawa Munetomo, and escapes. The war lasts for six years before Harumune triumphs and becomes the new leader of the Date clan.source
July 24 – Guelders Wars: Maarten van Rossum leaves Antwerp, having failed to take it by siege.source
August 24 – Battle of Haddon Rig: Scotland defeats England.source
24 August 1542 – A Scottish army led by George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly defeated English border raiders at the battle of Haddon Rig.Scotland source
August 28 – Battle of Wofla in Ethiopia: Reinforced with at least 2900 arquebusiers and cavalry, the Imam Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi attacks the Portuguese camp. The Portuguese are scattered; Cristóvão da Gama is captured and executed.source
November 24 – Battle of Solway Moss: An English army invades Scotland, and defeats a Scottish army.source
24 November 1542 – A Scottish army led by Oliver Sinclair is defeated in England at the Battle of Solway Moss.Scotland source
Sadasiva Raya becomes the emperor of Vijayanagara Empire following the killing of his nephew Venkata I (until 1569)India source
Venkata I becomes the emperor of Vijayanagara Empire following the death of his father Achyuta Deva RayaIndia source

Exploration & Expansion

January 6 – In the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, the Spanish colonists create the new town of Mérida.source
January 23 – Tutul-Xiu, the Mayan ruler of the Maní in Yucatán, arrives at the Spanish settlement of Merida with food supplies for the colonists and offers to assist the Spaniards in their conquest of Yucatan in return for being installed as the leading Mayan ruler in Mexico.source
February 14 – Guadalajara, Mexico, is founded by the Spaniards after three previous attempts failed, due to aggressive opposition from local tribes.source
June 27 – Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sets sail to explore the northwest of the Pacific Ocean.source
October 7 – Cabrillo becomes the first European to set foot on California's Santa Catalina Island.source

Religion & Belief

February–March – first Jesuit mission to Ireland.Ireland source
July 21 – Pope Paul III establishes the Holy Office with the bull Licet ab initio, with jurisdiction over the Roman Inquisition.source
August 8 – St Macartan's Cathedral, Clogher, is created from the former abbey church.Ireland source
August 27 – Citizens of Hildesheim in the Holy Roman Empire profess themselves to the Lutheran teachings, thus joining the Schmalkaldic League. As a pledge owner, the city provides for the carrying out of the Protestant Reformation in the city and Peine. Priests from the localities of Clauen, Hohenhameln, Soßmar, Schmedenstedt, Lengede and Rosenthal resume their offices in the interest of the Reformation.source
September 7 – Bernard O'Higgins is consecrated as Roman Catholic Bishop of Elphin.Ireland source
November 9 – King James V of Scotland writes a letter to Pope Paul III and notes that he defied Henry VIII's attempts to convert him to the Protestant faith.source
Woodburn Abbey, Co. Antrim (1 March).Ireland source
Kells Abbey, Co. Antrim (1 February).Ireland source
Rattoo Abbey, Ballyduff, County Kerry.Ireland source

Culture & Society

September 4 – The earliest recorded Preston Guild Court is held in Lancashire, England, in the modern sequence, which lasts unbroken until 1922.source
December 14 – Mary, Queen of Scots, aged six days, becomes queen regnant on the death of her father, James V of Scotland.source
Bartolomé de las Casas completes A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, which will be published in 1552.source
Kilcrea Friary (friars remaining in occupancy under protection of the MacCarthy family).Ireland source

Births

March 19 – Jan Zamoyski, Polish nobleman (died 1605)source
May 5 – Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, English politician (died 1623)source
June 15 – Richard Grenville, English politician (died 1591)source
June 24 – John of the Cross, Spanish Carmelite mystic, theologian, poet (died 1591)source
25 June - Magnus, Duke of Östergötland, (died 1595)Sweden source
August 27 – John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania and Protestant Bishop of Cammin (died 1600)source
August 31 – Isabella de' Medici, Italian princess (died 1576)source
October 1 – Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, Spanish explorer (died 1595)source
October 4 – Robert Bellarmine, Italian saint (died 1621)source
October 14 – Philip IV, Count of Nassau-Weilburg (died 1602)source
14 October – Akbar (Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar), later Mughal emperor (dies 1605)India source
October 15 – Akbar, Mughal Emperor (died 1605)source
October 31 – Henriette of Cleves, Duchess of Nevers, Countess of Rethel (died 1601)source
November 1 – Tarquinia Molza, Italian singer (died 1617)source
December 8 – Mary, Queen of Scots (died 1587)source
December 8 –Mary I of Scotland , Queen consort of France and wife of Francis II. (d.1587)France source
8 December 1542 - Mary, Queen of Scots at Linlithgow PalaceScotland source
December 21 – Thomas Allen, English mathematician and astrologer, some suggest 1540 (died 1632)source

Deaths

February 13 – Catherine Howard, until recently the Queen consort of England and the wife of King Henry VIII, is executed by beheading, two days after the King gives royal assent to a bill of attainder passed by the English Parliament on February 7. Catherine had been arrested in November on accusations that she had sexual relations with Thomas Culpeper.source
February 13 – Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, English noblewoman (executed) (born c. 1505)source
February 13 – Catherine Howard, fifth queen of Henry VIII of England (executed) (born c. 1522)source
February – Nikolaus Federmann, German adventurer in Venezuela and Colombia (born 1501)source
March 3 – Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, illegitimate son of King Edward IV of Englandsource
May 21 – Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer, navigator and conquistador (born c. 1500)source
June 19 – Leo Jud, Swiss reformer (born 1482)source
July 15 – Lisa del Giocondo, Florentine noblewoman, believed to be the subject of the Mona Lisa (born 1479)source
August 9 – Margaret FitzGerald, Countess of Ormond, noblewoman.Ireland source
August 24 – Gasparo Contarini, Italian diplomat and cardinal (born 1483)source
August 29 – Cristóvão da Gama, Portuguese soldier (born c. 1516)source
October 11 – Thomas Wyatt, English poet and diplomat (born 1503)source
November 27 – Palace plot of Renyin year: A group of Ming dynasty palace women fail to murder the Jiajing Emperor, and are executed by slow-slicing.source
27 November 1542 - David Lindsay, 8th Earl of CrawfordScotland source
December 14 – King James V of Scotland (born 1512)source
14 December 1542 - James V at Falkland Palace.Scotland source
Lapulapu, Filipino king (born 1491)source
Achyuta Deva Raya emperor of Vijayanagara Empire (born 1529)India source