1589 CE

An English Armada, led by Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norreys, and largely financed by private investors, sets sail to attack the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, but fails to achieve any naval advantage. James VI sails from Leith in the James Royal to meet Anne of Denmark in Norway. (Christmas Day) – The monks of the Pechenga Monastery, the northernmost in the world, are massacred by Swedes, led by a Finnish peasant chief, in the course of the Russo-Swedish War.

In the 1580s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 7 – The College of Sorbonne votes a resolution that it is just and necessary to depose King Henry III of France, and that any private citizen is morally free to commit regicide.source
March 8 – England prohibits the construction of a cottage on any property that isn't at least four acres in size, with the passage of the Erection of Cottages Act 1588.source
March 9 – The Treaty of Bytom and Będzin is signed between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austria, ending the War of the Polish Succession. Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria, renounces his claims to the thrones of Poland and Lithuania and acknowledges Sigismund III Vasa of Sweden as the heir to the throne.source
July 8 – Jan Zamoyski, the Hetman of Poland since 1581, establishes the largest family trust in the Kingdom. The Zamoyski family trust will last for more than 350 years until being abolished in 1944.source

Conflict & Security

March 6 – The Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier is set up as the third of the five admiralties in the Dutch Republic.source
May 11 – The Earl of Bothwell, accused of treason against the Crown of Scotland, surrenders along with the Earl of Huntly and is imprisoned at Holyrood Palace. Convicted on May 24, the conspirators are never sentenced and set free by King James VI.source
July 17 – (Tensho 17, 5th day of 6th month); The Battle of Suriagehara takes place in Japan between the Date and Katakura clans and the Ashina, Satake and Nikaido clans. Date Masamune leads the two clans to victory over Satake Yoshinobu.source
July 23 – Abbas the Great, who has recently become the Safavid Emperor of Persia, arranges the assassination of his benefactor, the Viceroy Murshid Qoli Khan at a banquet.source
August 2 – Following the death of Henry III of France, his army is thrown into confusion and an attempt to retake Paris is abandoned. Henry of Navarre succeeds to the throne as King Henry IV of France, but is not recognized by the Catholic League, who acclaim the imprisoned Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon, as the rightful King of France, Charles X.source
September 21 – Battle of Arques: King Henry IV of France's forces defeat those of the Catholic League, under Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne (younger brother of Henry I, Duke of Guise).source
October 26 – Japanese warlord Date Masamune and his forces capture the Sukagawa Castle, defended by his aunt Onamihime Nikaido, after her assistant Hodohara Yukifuji betrays her.source
November 1 – Henry IV of France is repulsed in an attempt to capture Paris from the Catholic League.source
23 December – Sir William FitzWilliam, acting for the Lord Deputy, begins a campaign against the Connacht rebels.Ireland source
15 to 16 September – Battle of ArquesFrance source
Spring – Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh and Teige Ó Flaithbheartaigh lead a rebellion in Connacht. On 5 April a commission is issued to deal with the disturbances. Many of the rebel leaders are killed in an ambush at Easter.Ireland source

Exploration & Expansion

February 6 – King Philip of Portugal issues an order to the Viceroy in Portuguese India (Goa) for the arrest of explorer João da Gama, but da Gama continues toward Mexico without being aware of the order.source
March 6 – Ralph Fitch becomes the first known person from England to set foot on the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and stays five days.source
April 13 – An English Armada, led by Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norreys, and largely financed by private investors, sets sail to attack the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, but fails to achieve any naval advantage.source
July 1 – The English Armada, commanded by Sir Francis Drake, returns to Portsmouth after almost three months of pillaging the Spanish kingdoms.source
October 22 – King James VI of Scotland sails to Norway to meet his bride, Anne of Denmark as part of a fleet of six Scottish Navy ships, and is accompanied by Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, the Lord Chancellor of Scotland.source
22 October – James VI sails from Leith in the James Royal to meet Anne of Denmark in Norway.Scotland source

Religion & Belief

11 January – Richard Meredith nominated Church of Ireland Bishop of Leighlin (consecrated in April).Ireland source
January 26 – Job of Moscow is elected as the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.source
July 4 – Jeremias II Tranos is appointed as the Patriarch of Constantinople, leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, by Ottoman Sultan Murad III.source
August 20 – King James VI of Scotland, the future James I of England, contracts a proxy marriage with the 14-year-old Anne of Denmark at Kronborg. The formal ceremony takes place on November 23 at the Old Bishop's Palace in Oslo.source
23 November – James VI and Anne of Denmark marry formally at the Old Bishop's Palace in OsloScotland source
5 December – Sir Richard Bingham is cleared by the Lord Deputy and council of charges of misgovernment in Connacht and on 12 December is commissioned to prosecute the Burkes and other Connacht rebels.Ireland source
December 25 (Christmas Day) – The monks of the Pechenga Monastery, the northernmost in the world, are massacred by Swedes, led by a Finnish peasant chief, in the course of the Russo-Swedish War.source
Hiroshima is founded, by the Japanese warlord Mōri Terumoto.source

Technology & Infrastructure

January 17 – The French city of Chartres closes its gates to King Henry III and subsequently recognizes 65-year-old Charles I, Cardinal de Bourbon as King Charles X.source
May – commission to inquire into progress on the Munster Plantation.Ireland source

Crime & Justice

October 31 – Alleged serial killer and accused werewolf Peter Stumpp 'the Werewolf of Bedburg' is tortured and executed.source
Golf is played on Glasgow GreenScotland source

Culture & Society

January 5 – The reign of Catherine de' Medici as Countess of Auvergne ends after 64 years and she is succeeded by her grandson, Charles de Valois.source
February 26 – Valkendorfs Kollegium is founded in Copenhagen, Denmark.source
May 2 – Girolamo Bargagli's play The Pilgrim Woman is given its first performance, premiering in Florence, three years after Bargagli's death.source
May 17 – Ercole Grimaldi becomes the new Lord of Monaco upon the death of his older brother Charles II.source
20 August – Anne of Denmark marries James VI by proxy at Kronborg Castle. James's proxy George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal made speeches and gave her a jewel.Scotland source
November 21 – At Oslo, Patrick Vans, Lord Barnbarroch ratifies the marriage contract between King James VI of Scotland, and Anne of Denmark.source
December 10 – In India, Man Singh I becomes the new raja of the Kingdom of Amber (now part of the Rajasthan state) upon the death of his father, Bhagwant Das.source
San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, is completed by Domenico Fontana.source
The Hofbräuhaus is founded, by William V, Duke of Bavaria, in Munich.source
Johan Kasimir av Pfalz-Zweibrücken, a German count, Palatine Count and Duke, is married to Gustav II Adolf's sister Catherine.Sweden source

Births

January 8 – Ivan Gundulić, Croatian poet (died 1638)source
January 11 – William Strode, English politician (died 1666)source
February 8 – Peter Melander Graf von Holzappel, Protestant military leader in the Thirty Years' War (died 1648)source
February 18 – Henry Vane the Elder, English politician (died 1655)source
February 18 – Maarten Gerritsz Vries, Dutch explorer (died 1646)source
March 3 – Gisbertus Voetius, Dutch theologian (died 1676)source
20 April - John Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg, married into Swedish royalty (died 1652)Sweden source
April 28 – Margaret of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal (died 1655)source
May 12 – François L’Anglois, French artist (died 1647)source
May 28 – Robert Arnauld d'Andilly, French writer (died 1674)source
May 28 – Robert Arnauld d'Andilly, Conseiller d'Etat (d.1674)France source
June 9 – John of St. Thomas, Portuguese philosopher (died 1644)source
June 20 – Giambattista Altieri, Italian Catholic cardinal (died 1654)source
August 15 – Gabriel Báthory, Prince of Transylvania (died 1613)source
October 7 – Maria Magdalena of Austria (died 1631)source
October 31 – Muhammad Parviz, Mughal emperor (died 1626)source
9 December – John Fleming, 2nd Earl of Wigtown (died 1650)Scotland source
Theobald Stapleton, Roman Catholic priest and writer (died 1647)Ireland source

Deaths

January 5 – Catherine de' Medici, queen of Henry II of France (born 1519)source
January 18 – Magnus Heinason, Faroese naval hero (born 1545)source
February? – Sir Valentine Browne, Surveyor General of Ireland and landowner.Ireland source
March 2 – Alessandro Farnese, Italian cardinal (born 1530)source
March 19 – Heo Nanseolheon, Korean poet (born 1563)source
March 23 – Marcin Kromer, Prince-Bishop of Warmia (born 1512)source
April 26 – Tansen, Indian musician (born c.1493/1500)source
April 26 – Benedict the Moor, Italian Franciscan friar and saint (born 1526)source
May 3 – Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (born 1528)source
May 4 – In Spain, María Pita leads the defense of La Coruña against the English Armada after her husband is killed by a crossbow."source
27 June - Maria of the Palatinate-Simmern, princess (1561)Sweden source
June 28 – On the island of Sumatra in what is now Indonesia, the Sultan of Aceh Darussalam, Ali Ri'ayat Syah II, is assassinated by a group of nobles dissatisfied with his rule. He becomes the fourth Sultan in a row to be murdered. Sayyid al-Mukammal is approved by the nobles as the new Sultan of Aceh.source
July 1 – Lady Saigō, Japanese concubine (born 1552)source
August 1 – King Henry III of France is assassinated by a fanatical Dominican friar Jacques Clément, who approaches the King on the pretext of delivering a secret message. Henry tells his guards to stand aside, and Clément approaches and fatally stabs the King. Clément is subsequently killed by the guards. King Henry dies the next day.source
August 1 – Henry III was stabbed with a knife, and died the next day. Henry IV of France's succession was followed by a four-year long war.France source
August 2 – King Henry III of France (born 1551)source
7 September – Jane Kennedy, companion of Mary, Queen of Scots (drowned while making ferry crossing across the Forth to greet the new queen, Anne of Denmark)Scotland source
October 31 – Peter Stumpp, German alleged serial killer "the Werewolf of Bedburg" (born 1535)source