1552 CE

Pedro de Valdivia founds the Chilean city of Valdivia, as Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia. Hugh Goodacre is nominated Archbishop of Armagh by the king, the Catholic George Dowdall being deemed to have vacated the episcopal see. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and top cleric of the Church of England, delivers the proposed Forty-two Articles to the Privy Council of King Edward VI.

In the 1550s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 15 – Henry II of France and Maurice, Elector of Saxony, sign the Treaty of Chambord.source
15 January – Signing of the Treaty of ChambordFrance source
February 24 – The privileges of the Hanseatic League are abolished in England.source
April 18 – King Henry II of France enters the city of Metz, ceded to France by Saxony by the January 15 Treaty of Chambord.source
August 2 – John Frederick, Elector of Saxony and Philipp I of Hesse, taken prisoner by Charles V in 1546, are released.source
September 24 – The Debatable Lands on the border of England and Scotland are divided between the two kingdoms by a commission creating the Scots' Dike in an unsuccessful attempt to halt lawlessness here, but giving both countries their modern borders.source
Cour des monnaies is establishedFrance source

Conflict & Security

April 8 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony, liberates Augsburg and sets about to capture Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.source
May 20 – Learning of the rapid approach of the Elector Maurice, the Emperor Charles V flees from Innsbruck ahead of being captured.source
June 6 (14th waxing of Waso 914 ME) – Minye Sithu is appointed as the Burmese Viceroy of Martaban by his older brother, Bayinnaung, King of Burma.source
June 16 – Yuri of Uglich, the only brother of the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, is placed in charge of Russia's domestic affairs as Ivan departs Moscow to lead 150,000 troops in the Russo-Kazan War.source
July 6 – In Hungary, Drégely Castle is attacked by the Ottoman Empire. Captain György Szondy and c. 140 soldiers in the castle die, after 4 days of fighting against 8,000 Turkish raiders.source
July 27 – The Ottomans capture the city of Temesvar.source
September 9 – The Siege of Eger begins as thousands of Ottoman troops, led by General Kara Ahmed Pasha of the Ottoman Empire attack a greatly outnumbered force of Hungarian defenders, captained by István Dobó.source
October 2 – The Khanate of Kazan falls to troops of Ivan IV of Russia.source
October 17 – After heavy losses by the Ottoman Empire, the Siege of Eger in Hungary is broken off by the Ottomans.source
October 1552 to January 1553 – Siege of MetzFrance source
November 15 – Radu Ilie Haidăul becomes the new Prince of Wallachia in what is now Romania after defeating Prince Mircea the Shepherd at the battle of Mănești. Prince Mircea retakes the throne seven months later.source
Miguel de Buría leads the first African rebellion in South America's history. This may be because Buría has more slaves than other regions in Venezuela, of which most join Miguel, and is still being contested between the Europeans and the natives, who also join his side. During this insurrection he takes over the Gold mines de San Felipe de Buría, established within the area with the consent of the Spanish Crown, to pull out the ore that was discovered in the Buria river, a task that heavily depends on slave work.source
In the Persian Gulf, the Ottoman Empire Red Sea Fleet attacks the Portuguese stronghold of Hormuz, but fails to capture it.source
Sukhaamphaa succeeds his father as king of Ahom (reigns until 1603)India source
c. July – James Croft campaigns in Clandeboye; Belfast Castle is taken.Ireland source

Exploration & Expansion

April 16 – Pedro de Valdivia founds the city of La Imperial, Chile.source

Religion & Belief

February 12 – Pedro de Valdivia founds the Chilean city of Valdivia, as Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia.source
March 26 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru.source
April 11 – Metz Cathedral is consecrated.source
April 15 – The Act of Uniformity is given royal assent and imposes use of the Protestant Book of Common Prayer on England.source
April 28 – The delegates to the Council of Trent adjourn for two years after learning that the Holy Roman Emperor is fleeing from Maurice of Saxony.source
August 2 – The Peace of Passau revokes the Augsburg Interim of 1548, and promises religious freedom to the Protestant princes.source
October 22 – John Bale is nominated Bishop of Ossory.Ireland source
October 28 – Hugh Goodacre is nominated Archbishop of Armagh by the king, the Catholic George Dowdall being deemed to have vacated the episcopal see.Ireland source
November 18 – Simeon Sulaka arrives in Rome from the Middle Eastern city of Mosul and brings a letter asking Pope Julius III to appoint him as the Patriarch of the Church of the East, leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church.source
November 24 – Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and top cleric of the Church of England, delivers the proposed Forty-two Articles to the Privy Council of King Edward VI.source
December 4 – Croft leaves Ireland; Sir Thomas Cusack and Sir Gerald Aylmer, Lord Justices, serve in his place.Ireland source
December 26 – Pope Julius III issues a papal brief revoking resolutions passed by the colegii Papal State of Bologna in Italy.source
Guru Amar Das becomes third guru of Sikhism (until 1554)India source

Economy & Finance

June 7 – The king orders the Irish currency to be reduced to parity with that of England.Ireland source

Technology & Infrastructure

January – James Croft, Lord Deputy of Ireland, is commissioned to look into the state of mining in Ireland.Ireland source

Science & Discovery

In Italy, Bartolomeo Eustachi completes his Tabulae anatomicae, presenting his discoveries on the structure of the inner ear and heart, although, for fear of the Inquisition, it will not be published until 1714.source

Crime & Justice

June 22 – Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, the Spanish Governor of Luxembourg, is taken prisoner by France and remains captive for almost five years.source

Disasters & Accidents

June 24 – The Portuguese ship São João is wrecked off of the coast of South Africa. While 480 people survive initially, all but 25 of them die during the next 165 days while trying to reach the mouth of the Maputo River in what is now Mozambique.source

Climate & Environment

Suklenmung's reign as king of Ahom ends with his death (began 1539)India source

Culture & Society

February 2 – The office of Ulster King of Arms and Principal Herald of Ireland is established (based at Dublin Castle) by King Edward VI.Ireland source
22 August - The wedding between the King and Catherine Stenbock.Sweden source
King Edward VI of England founds 35 grammar schools by royal charter, including Shrewsbury; Leeds Grammar School is also established.source

Births

January 14 – Alberico Gentili, Italian jurist (died 1608)source
January 22 – Walter Raleigh, English explorer (died 1618)source
February 1 – Edward Coke, English colonial entrepreneur and jurist (died 1634)source
February 8 – Agrippa d'Aubigné, French poet and soldier (died 1630)source
8 February – Agrippa d'Aubigné, poet, soldier, propagandist and chronicler (died 1630)France source
February 19 – Melchior Klesl, Austrian statesman and cardinal (died 1630)source
February 28 – Joost Bürgi, Swiss clockmaker and mathematician (died 1632)source
March 18 – Polykarp Leyser the Elder, German theologian (died 1610)source
June 8 – Gabriello Chiabrera, Italian poet (died 1638)source
July 18 – Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1612)source
August 14 – Paolo Sarpi, Italian writer (died 1623)source
August 24 – Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter (died 1614)source
September 27 – Flaminio Scala, Italian playwright and stage actor (died 1624)source
October 6 – Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit missionary to China (died 1610)source
November 26 – Seonjo of Joseon, King of Joseon (died 1608)source
Approximate date – Edmund FitzGibbon, the White Knight (died 1608)Ireland source
Axel Nilsson Ryning, Lord High Admiral (died 1620)Sweden source
Erik Brahe, governor (died 1614)Sweden source

Deaths

January 10 – Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (born 1479)source
January 22 – Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, English politician (born 1509)source
1 February – Charles de Solier, comte de Morette, soldier and diplomat (born 1480)France source
February 6 – Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg (born 1479)source
February 20 – Anne Parr, Countess of Pembroke, English countess (born 1515)source
March 29 – Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (born 1504)source
April 18 – John Leland, English historian (born 1502)source
April 19 – Olaus Petri, Swedish clergyman (born 1493)source
19 April - Olaus Petri, Protestant clergyman (born 1493)Sweden source
April 21 – Petrus Apianus, German astronomer (born 1495)source
May 26 – Sebastian Münster, German cartographer and cosmographer (born 1488)source
July 9 – György Szondy, Hungarian soldiersource
July 9 – Sir William Brabazon, Lord Justice of Ireland.Ireland source
August 15 – Hermann of Wied, German Catholic archbishop (born 1477)source
October 17 – Andreas Osiander, German Protestant theologian (born 1498)source
December 3 – Francis Xavier, Spanish Jesuit missionary and saint (born 1506)source
December 20 – Katharina von Bora, wife of Martin Luther (born 1499)source
Suklenmung, king of Ahom dies (born 1539).India source