1568 CE

Akbar the Great of the Mughal Empire captures the massive Chittor Fort in northern India from the Kingdom of Mewar after the Siege of Chittorgarh that began on October 23, 1567. Mary, Queen of Scots, flees across the Solway Firth from Scotland to England but on May 19 is placed in custody in Carlisle Castle on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I of England, her cousin. Regent Moray shows Mary's "casket letters" at a conference in York headed by the Duke of Norfolk, and again at Westminster Palace on 7 December.

In the 1560s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

February 17 – Treaty of Adrianople (sometimes called the Peace of Adrianople): The Habsburgs agree to pay tribute to the Ottomans.source
30 September - John III is declared King.Sweden source
November 22 – The second treaty of Roskilde is signed between representatives of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Kingdom of Sweden to end the Northern Seven Years' War. Sweden cedes the Duchy of Estonia (Estland) to Danish control.source
Álvaro I succeeds his stepfather Henrique I as ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo forming the Kwilu dynasty that rules the kingdom without interruption until May 1622.source

Conflict & Security

January - The Danes under Daniel Rantzau march toward Stockholm, but because of the lack of reinforcements, the Danish army turns back toward Halland.Sweden source
February 16 – Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, governor of the Spanish Netherlands issues an edict condemning to death those who rebel against Spanish authority to combat religious unrest.source
February 23 – Akbar the Great of the Mughal Empire captures the massive Chittor Fort in northern India from the Kingdom of Mewar after the Siege of Chittorgarh that began on October 23, 1567.source
February 28 – French Huguenots begin the Siege of Chartres, but fail to take the walled city after 15 days.source
February to March – Siege of ChartresFrance source
April 23 – Eighty Years' War: The Battle of Dahlen takes place in the Duchy of Jülich near the modern-day Rheindahlen borough in the German city of Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. Spanish troops, commanded by Sancho d'Avila, overwhelm a larger force of Dutch rebels led by Jean de Montigny, Lord of Villers.source
May 13 – Marian civil war in Scotland: Battle of Langside – The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by a confederacy of Scottish Protestants under James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, regent of Scotland and her half-brother.source
13 May – Marian civil war: Battle of Langside – The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, her half-brother.Scotland source
May 16 – Mary, Queen of Scots, flees across the Solway Firth from Scotland to England but on May 19 is placed in custody in Carlisle Castle on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I, her cousin.source
16 May – Mary, Queen of Scots, flees across the Solway Firth from Scotland to England but on May 19 is placed in custody in Carlisle Castle on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I of England, her cousin.Scotland source
May 23 – Battle of Heiligerlee: Troops under Louis of Nassau, brother of William the Silent, defeat a smaller loyalist force under Jean de Ligne, in an attempt to invade the Northern Netherlands. This effectively begins the Eighty Years' War.source
10 June – Regent Moray musters forces at Biggar for a march on Dumfries.Scotland source
June 27 – Ottoman pirate Kılıç Ali Pasha, formerly Italian farmer Giovanni Dionigi Galeni, is appointed as the Ottoman Beylerbey of Ottoman Algeria by the Sultan Selim II.source
12 July - The brothers of the King, John and Charles, rebels against Eric XIV in Östergötland, and John is declared regent by the rebels.Sweden source
July 21 – Battle of Jemmingen: The main Spanish army of the Duke of Alba utterly defeats Louis of Nassau's invading army in the Northeastern Netherlands.source
August 18 – The Third War of Religion begins in France, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Royalists to capture Louis I, Prince of Condé and Gaspard II de Coligny, the Huguenot leaders.source
August - The Swedes takes Sonnenburg on Ösel from the Danes.Sweden source
September 24 – Battle of San Juan de Ulúa (Anglo-Spanish War): In the Gulf of Mexico, a Spanish fleet forces English privateers under John Hawkins to end their campaign.source
September 29 – The Swedish king Eric XIV is deposed by his half-brothers John and Charles. John proclaims himself king John III the next day.source
October 5 – William the Silent invades the southeastern Netherlands.source
October 18 — Ashikaga Yoshiaki is installed as Shōgun, beginning the Azuchi–Momoyama period in Japan.source
October 20 – Battle of Jodoigne: Spanish forces under the Duke of Alba destroy William the Silent's rearguard and William abandons his offensive.source
November 12 – Dutch rebels commanded by William the Silent defeat Spanish Habsburg troops led by Sancho d'Avila in the battle of Le Quesnoy in northern France.source
November 27 – Burmese–Siamese War: Dispatched by King Bayinnaung, 55,000 Burmese troops arrive at Phitsanulok (in modern-day Thailand) and drive back the attack by armies from the Ayutthaya Kingdom (Thailand) and Lan Xang (Laos), then prepare to invade Ayutthaya to put down the rebellion by Ayutthayan King Maha Chakkraphatsource
December 24 – The Morisco Revolt against King Philip II of Spain begins as Aben Humeya (formerly Fernando de Válor) is proclaimed as King of the Granadan rebels.source
The Russo-Turkish War begins in Astrakhan.source
First Desmond rebellion starts (lasts until 1572).Ireland source

Exploration & Expansion

February 7 – Members of a Spanish expedition, commanded by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, become the first Europeans to see the Solomon Islands, landing at Santa Isabel Island.source

Religion & Belief

January 6 – In the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom, the delegates of Unio Trium Nationum to the Diet of Torda convene in a session that ends on January 13, during which freedom of religion is debated.source
January 28 – The Edict of Torda, Europe's first declaration of religious freedom, is adopted by the Kingdom of Hungary.source
March 23 – The Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de' Medici and Charles IX make substantial concessions to the Huguenots.source
June 13 – Thomas Lancaster is consecrated as the Archbishop of Armagh, spiritual leader of the Church of Ireland, succeeding Archbishop Adam Loftus.source

Science & Discovery

Polybius' Histories are first translated into English, by Christopher Watson.source

Health & Medicine

May - Eric XIV recuperates from his mental illness and resume government.Sweden source
Edinburgh merchant George Bannatyne begins compiling the Bannatyne Manuscript while confined to his home due to plague.Scotland source

Crime & Justice

May 2 – The deposed Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle.source
2 May – The deposed Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle.Scotland source
22 September - Jöran Persson is arrested and executed.Sweden source
29 September - The King is arrested, imprisoned and deposed by his brothersSweden source

Culture & Society

4 July - The second, official wedding between Eric XIV and Karin Månsdotter.Sweden source
5 July - Coronation of Karin Månsdotter.Sweden source
October – Regent Moray shows Mary's "casket letters" at a conference in York headed by the Duke of Norfolk, and again at Westminster Palace on 7 DecemberScotland source
December 28 – Ludwig III becomes the Duke of Württemberg in German Bavaria after the death of his father, Christoph.source

Births

January 6 – Henri Spondanus, French historian (died 1643)source
January 28 – Gustav of Sweden, Swedish prince (died 1607)source
February 11 – Honoré d'Urfé, French writer (died 1625)source
11 February – Honoré d'Urfé, novelist (d.1625).France source
March 9 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian Jesuit and saint (died 1591)source
March 30 – Henry Wotton, English author and diplomat (died 1639)source
April 5 – Pope Urban VIII (died 1644)source
April 28 – Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza, Portuguese nobleman and father of João IV of Portugal (died 1630)source
May 11 – Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, German prince of the House of Ascania (died 1630)source
May 17 – Anna Vasa of Sweden, Swedish princess (died 1625)source
17 May - Anna Vasa of Sweden, princess (died 1625)Sweden source
May 29 – Virginia de' Medici, Duchess of Modena and Reggio (died 1615)source
June 25 – Gunilla Bielke, Queen of Sweden (died 1597)source
September 3 – Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer (died 1634)source
September 5 – Tommaso Campanella, Italian theologian and poet (died 1639)source
October 18 – Henry Wallop, English politician (died 1642)source
Henry Piers, landowner and politician (died 1623)Ireland source
Approximate date – John Welsh of Ayr, Presbyterian leader (died 1622 in England)Scotland source

Deaths

January 26 – Lady Catherine Grey, Countess of Hertford (born 1540)source
March 19 – Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell, English noblewoman (b.c. 1518)source
March 20 – Albert, Duke of Prussia (born 1490) — plaguesource
June 1 – A mass execution is carried out in the Spanish Netherlands at Sablon, near Brussels, as 18 persons who signed the Compromise of Nobles on April 5, 1566, are beheaded.source
June 3 – Andrés de Urdaneta, Spanish explorer (born 1508)source
June 5 – Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Flemish statesman (born 1522)source
6 June – Kenneth Mackenzie, 10th of KintailScotland source
July 24 – Carlos, Prince of Asturias, son of Philip II of Spain (born 1545)source
July – Lancelot de Carle, Bishop of Riez, scholar, poet and diplomat (born 1508)France source
August 15 – Stanislaus Kostka, Polish saint (born 1550)source
August 21 – Jean Parisot de Valette, 49th Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitaller (born 1495)source
August 23 – Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton (born 1495)source
22 September - Jöran Persson, royal adviser (died 1530)Sweden source
22 September - Anna Pehrsönernas moder, alleged witch (Born unknown date)Sweden source
September – Anna Pehrsönernas moder, influential Swedish courtier (born year unknown)source
October 3 – Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Philip II of Spain (born 1545)source
October 14 – Jacques Arcadelt, Flemish composer (born 1504)source
December 23 – Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England (born 1515)source