1577 CE

The "Perpetual Edict", providing for the removal of Spanish troops from what is now the Netherlands, is signed in the city of Marche-en-Famenne in the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium) by the Spanish Governor-General, Don Juan de Austria and representatives of the Dutch rebellion. The Perpetual Edict will last only five months, before Don Juan begins new attacks on the rebels. La Charite falls to the besieging royal army followed by Issoire a month later, as part of the King's offensive against the Huguenots in the Sixth War of Religion. Francis Drake leaves Plymouth, England, aboard the Pelican, with four other ships and 164 men, on an expedition against the Spanish, along the Pacific coast of the Americas, which will become his circumnavigation.

In the 1570s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • August 1 – Göran Boije becomes the new Duke of Estonia, ruling what is, at the time, a dominion of the Swedish Empire.source
  • September 17 – The Treaty of Bergerac is signed between Henry III of France and the Huguenots.source
  • September 17 – The Treaty of Bergerac is signed between king Henry III and the Huguenots and ended the Sixth War of Religion.Francesource
  • October 25 – Brian O'Rourke agrees with Sir Nicholas Malby (Lord President of Connaught) for payment to the English crown for his lordship of West Bréifne.Irelandsource
  • Raja Hamir Deo begines rule of the Patna kingdom (continues until 1581)Indiasource

Conflict & Security

  • January 9 – The second Union of Brussels is formed, first without the Protestant counties of Holland and Zeeland (which is accepted by King Philip II of Spain), later with the Protestants, which means open rebellion of the whole of the Netherlands.source
  • January 11 – Palesmen sends delegates to England to complain of the burden of the cess.Irelandsource
  • February 12 – The "Perpetual Edict", providing for the removal of Spanish troops from what is now the Netherlands, is signed in the city of Marche-en-Famenne in the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium) by the Spanish Governor-General, Don Juan de Austria and representatives of the Dutch rebellion. The Perpetual Edict will last only five months, before Don Juan begins new attacks on the rebels.source
  • April 17 – Battle of Lubieszów: General Jan Zborowski leads the army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the catastrophic defeat of most of Jan Winkelbruch's 12,000 rebels and mercenaries from the Commonwealth's richest city, Danzig, killing 4,420 of the men and capturing another 5,000 as prisoners. Only 88 of Zborowski's 2,500 troops are killed. The Danzig Rebellion ends at the end of the year.source
  • May 2 – La Charite falls to the besieging royal army followed by Issoire a month later, as part of the King's offensive against the Huguenots in the Sixth War of Religion.Francesource
  • June 12 – The French city of Issoire surrenders and 3,000 of its Protestant Huguenots are massacred by the troops of the French Catholic General Francis, Duke of Anjou, on orders by King Henry III of France. The massacre is carried out 20 months after the October 15, 1575 killing of Catholic residents by Matthieu Merle. Most of Issoire's buildings are torn down, and the royal troops leave an inscription on a pillar, Ici fut Issoire ("Here stood Issoire.")source
  • June – James FitzMaurice FitzGerald is in Spain plotting rebellion in Ireland with the support of Pope Gregory XIII.Irelandsource
  • November 13 – In the Battle of Tedorigawa, Uesugi Kenshin's forces decisively defeat the forces of Oda Nobunaga, in what will be Kenshin's last victory before his death the following year.source
  • November/December – Massacre of Mullaghmast: The Ó Moores and O'Connors have most of their fine (or ruling families) massacred by English soldiers at Mullaghmast (County Kildare) having been invited there for peace talks.Irelandsource
  • Supposed massacre of the MacDonald inhabitants of the Scottish island of Eigg, by the Clan MacLeod.source
  • Raja Narsingh Deo rule of the Patna kingdom comes to an end (began 1570)Indiasource

Exploration & Expansion

  • May 27 – English explorer Martin Frobisher departs from Blackwall in his flagship, HMS Ayde, along with the ships Gabriel and Michael, to begin the English expedition to North America.source
  • August 23 – Martin Frobisher ends his expedition to Canada and he and his crew begin the journey back to England on the ships Ayde, Gabriel and Michael.source
  • September 23 – The first Inuit to see Europe— Kalicho, Arnaq, and Arnaq's son, Nutaaq— are brought as captives of Martin Frobisher when HMS Gabriel arrived in England at Bristol. All three were captured on Baffin Island, and none of the three survive to the end of the year.source
  • December 13 – Francis Drake leaves Plymouth, England, aboard the Pelican, with four other ships and 164 men, on an expedition against the Spanish, along the Pacific coast of the Americas, which will become his circumnavigation.source

Religion & Belief

  • October 28 – In Flanders (now part of Belgium), two Protestant members of the city council of Ghent, Jan van Hembyze and François van Ryhove, proclaim the Calvinist Republic of Ghent. The stadtholder of Flanders, Philippe III de Croÿ, Duke of Aarschot is arrested, along with the Roman Catholic bishops Martin Rythovius of Ypres and Remi Drieux of Bruges. The Calvinist Republic will exist for seven years until the Spanish conquest of Ghent in 1584.source
  • The church in San Pedro de Atacama is built, in the Atacama Desert in Chile.source

Economy & Finance

  • March 17 – The Cathay Company is formed, to send Martin Frobisher back to the New World for more gold.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge over the Drina in Višegrad is completed in the Ottoman Empire.source

Science & Discovery

  • November 6 – The first recorded observation from Earth of the Great Comet of 1577 takes place by Aztec astronomers in Mexico, followed by reports from Italy on November 7 and Japan on November 8. Astronomer Tycho Brahe will track the comet from November 13 until January 26 before it departs the Solar System.source
  • November – the Great Comet of 1577 is visible.Irelandsource

Health & Medicine

  • June 29 – Mehmed II Giray becomes the new Khan of Crimea for the Ottoman Empire, after the death of his father, Devlet I Giray, from a plague.source
  • July 9 – Ludvig Munk is appointed Governor-General of Norway.source

Crime & Justice

  • February 23 – The new Shah of Iran, Ismail II, has most of the advisers of his late father executed, including Prince Ibrahim Mirza. "Ebrāhīm Mīrzā", by Marianna S. Simpson, insource
  • October 19 – In Italy, Giovanni Battista Gentile Pignolo is elected as the new Doge of the Republic of Genoa for a two-year term, replacing Prospero Centurione Fattinanti.source
  • Athenry is sacked by the Mac an Iarla, the sons of the Richard Burke (Ulick and John). This follows their previous attack in 1572.Irelandsource

Culture & Society

  • May 28 – The Bergen Book, better known as the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, one of the Lutheran confessional writings, is published. The earlier version, known as the Torgau Book (1576), had been condensed into an Epitome; both documents are part of the 1580 Book of Concord.source
  • June 13 – Mirza Salman Jaberi is appointed as the new Grand Vizier of Persia by Shah Ismail II, replacing Mirza Shokrollah Isfahani.source
  • September 8 – (11th waning of Tawthalin 939 ME) Min Phalaung, King of Arakan in what is now northern Myanmar and southern Bangladesh on the Bay of Bengal, enters his new palace in dedication ceremonies at the capital at Mrauk U.source
  • Casiodoro de Reina publishes his "Declaracion, o confesion de fe", the first and only Spanish confession of faith in the post Reformation period.source

Births

Deaths

  • January 4 – William Walsh, Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath (born c.1512)Irelandsource
  • January 23 – Nicolas of Lorraine, Duke of Mercœur (b.1524).Francesource
  • February 26 – King Eric XIV of Sweden (born 1533)source
  • February – Adam von Bodenstein, Swiss alchemist and physician (born 1528)source
  • March 23 – Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (born 1529)source
  • May 31 – García Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Marquis of Villafranca, Spanish noble and admiral (born 1514)source
  • June 11 – Sebastiano Venier becomes the new Doge of the Republic of Venice, succeeding Alvise Mocenigo, who died on June 4.source
  • July 23 – Scipione Rebiba, Italian cardinal (born 1504)source
  • July 24 – Blaise de Monluc, prolific French soldier. (b.1502).Francesource
  • July 26 – Blaise de Lasseran-Massencôme, seigneur de Montluc, Marshal of France (born 1502)source
  • August 12 – Thomas Smith, English scholar and diplomat (born 1513)source
  • September 7 – Infanta Maria of Guimarães (born 1538)source
  • September 27 – Diego de Covarrubias y Leyva, Spanish jurist and archbishop of Cuenca (born 1512)source
  • November 19 – With defeat coming close in the siege of Shigisan, Matsunaga Hisahide commits suicide.source
  • November 19 – Matsunaga Hisahide, Japanese warlord (born 1508)source
  • November 29 – Cuthbert Mayne, English saint (born 1543)source
  • December 18 – Anna of Saxony, princess consort of Orange (born 1544)source
  • Richard Talbot, judge (born c.1520)Irelandsource