1565 CE

Spanish Conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi lands with his troops on the shores of Cebu Island in the Philippines. The city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is founded as São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro by Estácio de Sá. The first Martello tower, the Tour de Mortella, designed by Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino (el Fratin), is completed as part of the Genovese defence system at Mortella (Myrtle) Point, in Upper Corsica.

In the 1560s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • June 4 – The Treaty of Cebu is signed between Miguel López de Legazpi, representing Philip II of Spain, and Rajah Tupas of Cebu. This effectively creates Spanish suzerainty over Cebu.source
  • September 4 – The Spanish fleet of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés lands in Florida to oust the French under Jean Ribault. He later destroys the French colony of Fort Caroline.source
  • September 4 – The Spanish fleet of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés lands in modern-day Florida to oust the French under Jean Ribault. He later destroys the French colony of Fort Caroline.Francesource
  • October 11 – Ottavio Gentile Oderico is elected to a two-year term as the Doge of the Republic of Genoa.source
  • Tirumala Deva Raya becomes king of Vijayanagara Empire following Aliya Rama Raya's death (reigns until 1572)Indiasource
  • Sir Henry Sidney takes up the post of Lord Deputy of Ireland (October).Irelandsource

Conflict & Security

  • January 3 – In the Tsardom of Russia, Ivan the Terrible originates the oprichnina (repression of the boyars (aristocrats)).source
  • January 23 – Battle of Talikota: The Vijayanagara Empire, the last Hindu kingdom in South India, is greatly weakened by the Deccan sultanates.source
  • 26 January – The Battle of Talikota is fought; destruction of Vijayanagar.Indiasource
  • January - The Swedes sack the Danish provinces of Scania and Halland under Klas Horn.Swedensource
  • February 13 – Spanish Conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi lands with his troops on the shores of Cebu Island in the Philippines.source
  • March 16 – Spanish Conquistador López de Legazpi makes a blood compact (sandugan) with Datu Sikatuna in the island of Bohol, Philippines.source
  • May 18 – Ottoman troops land on the island of Malta, beginning the Great Siege of Malta.source
  • June 17 – (19th day of 5th month, Eiroku 8); In Japan, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the Ashikaga shogun, commits ritual suicide after Matsunaga Hisahide invades Kyoto.source
  • 7 July - Action of 7 July 1565Swedensource
  • August 26 – The Chaseabout Raid begins in Scotland as a rebellion against Mary, Queen of Scots by her half-brother, by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, following her July 29 marriage to Lord Darnley.source
  • 28 August - Danish Varberg is conquered by the Swedes.Swedensource
  • August 31 – Chaseabout Raid: Moray and at least 1,000 of his rebels arrive in Edinburgh for a confrontation with the Scottish crown. After cannon fire from Edinburgh Castle, the rebels retreat toward England to seek help. The rebellion is ended by the end of September.source
  • August–October – Chaseabout Raid, an attempted rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots.Scotlandsource
  • September 11 – The Knights of Malta lift the Great Siege of Malta after four months.source
  • October 18 – Battle of Fukuda Bay: Ships belonging to the Matsura clan of Japan fail to capture a Portuguese trading carrack, in the first recorded naval battle between Japan and a European nation.source
  • October 20 – In the Northern Seven Years' War, the Battle of Axtorna is fought in Sweden, near Falkenberg, as Daniel Rantzau of the Army of Denmark and Norway leads 7,400 troops in defeating a counterattack by over 11,000 Swedish troops led by Jacob Henriksson Hästesko.source
  • November 25 – The army of Burma, under the command of King Bayinnaung conquers Chiang Mai, capital of the Siamese Kingdom of Lan Na, and departs on November 30.source
  • December 31 – The Burmese Army conquers Vientiane, the main city of the kingdom of Lan Xang (now Laos).source
  • December – The Mariovo and Prilep rebellion occurs, the very first recorded rebellion by the Macedonian hajduks or voivode against the Ottoman Empire.source
  • Donald McCarthy Mór is created 1st (and only) Earl of Clancare and Baron Valencia in the Peerage of Ireland (24 June) as part of the surrender and regrant of Ireland to the English Crown.Irelandsource
  • Butlers and Fitzgeralds fight a pitched battle against each other at the Battle of Affane (February) in County Waterford. Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan wounds and takes prisoner Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond and drives his followers from the field. John Plunket is appointed to inquire into the causes of the dispute.Irelandsource
  • Shane O'Neill, at this time claiming allegiance to Elizabeth I of England, defeats MacDonnells at Glenshesk.Irelandsource

Exploration & Expansion

  • August 28 (feast day of St. Augustine) – The Spanish fleet of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés first sights land in Florida.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 1 – Recognized as the first day of the year by the royal chancellery according to the Edict of Roussillon (1564) article 39.Francesource
  • April 27 – Cebu City is established as San Miguel by López de Legazpi, becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines.source
  • September 8 – St. Augustine, Florida (named after Augustine of Hippo), is established by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, becoming the oldest surviving European settlement in the modern-day United States, and a mass of Thanksgiving is said.source
  • Miler Magrath is appointed Roman Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor (12 October; consecrated 4 November).Irelandsource
  • Connacht is shired into counties Clare (formerly Thomond), Galway, Leitrim (separated from Roscommon), Mayo and Galway.Irelandsource
  • First ever Jesuit school is established at Limerick by David Wolfe, apostolic visitor of the Roman Catholic Church, but this is dispersed by the royal authorities in October.Irelandsource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • October – The first Martello tower, the Tour de Mortella, designed by Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino (el Fratin), is completed as part of the Genovese defence system at Mortella (Myrtle) Point, in Upper Corsica.source

Science & Discovery

  • The pencil is first documented by Conrad Gesner; it is becoming common in England.source

Health & Medicine

  • Possible date of introduction of the potato to Ireland by John Hawkins (after September).Irelandsource

Disasters & Accidents

Culture & Society

  • March 1 – The city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is founded as São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro by Estácio de Sá.source
  • May 2 – Huntingdon Grammar School is established in England.source
  • July 29 – The widowed Mary, Queen of Scots, marries her half-cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, in a Catholic ceremony.source
  • 29 July – Wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.Scotlandsource
  • August 6 – Sark, in the Channel Islands, is granted as a fief by Elizabeth I of England to Hellier de Carteret, Seigneur of Saint Ouen.source
  • 8 September - Princess Cecilia of Sweden arrives on her official visit to England. Among the persons in her retinue is Helena Snakenborg.Swedensource
  • John Beddoes School is founded at Presteigne, Wales.source
  • Herlufsholm School is founded at Næstved, Denmark.source
  • Bungay Grammar School is established in England.source
  • Lycée Alexandre Ribot founded in Saint-Omer as a Walloon Jesuit college.Francesource

Births

  • January 17 – Mariana Navarro de Guevarra Romero, Spanish Roman Catholic nun, member of the Mercedarian Tertiaries (died 1624)source
  • March 23 – Eilhard Lubinus, German theologian (died 1621)source
  • April 2 – Cornelis de Houtman, Dutch explorer (died 1599)source
  • May 15 – Hendrick de Keyser, Dutch sculptor and architect born in Utrecht (died 1621)source
  • June 2 – Francisco Ribalta, Spanish painter (died 1628)source
  • August 9 – Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg (died 1627)source
  • August 16 – Christina, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (died 1637)source
  • August 29 – Agostino Ciampelli, Italian painter (died 1630)source
  • September 17 – Edward Fortunatus, German nobleman (died 1600)source
  • September 28 – Alessandro Tassoni, Italian poet and writer (died 1635)source
  • October 6 – Marie de Gournay, French writer (died 1645)source
  • October 6 – Marie de Gournay, writer (died 1645)Francesource
  • November 10 – Laurentius Paulinus Gothus, Swedish theologian and astronomer (died 1646)source
  • November 10 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, English nobleman and politician (died 1601)source
  • 10 November - Laurentius Paulinus Gothus, theologian, astronomer and archbishop (died 1646)Swedensource
  • November 14 – Petrus Bertius, Flemish theologian and scientist (died 1629)source
  • Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah fifth Qutb Shahi sultan of Golkonda and founder of Hyderabad is born (dies 1612)Indiasource
  • Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of MorayScotlandsource

Deaths