1598 CE

Philip III becomes the new King of Spain upon the death of his father Philip II. Second Dutch Expedition to Indonesia: Jacob Corneliszoon van Neck and three ships commanded by him are separated from the Dutch Republic fleet of Admiral Wybrand van Warwyck, and land on a Portuguese-charted island, Ilha do Cisne. Van Neck names the island Mauritius, after Maurice, Prince of Orange. Although Diogo Fernandes Pereira and sailors from Portugal had, in 1507, become the first Europeans to find Mauritius, van Neck's men apparently are the first to sight the dodo, a now extinct bird. (11th waxing of Tazaungmon 960 ME) – In what is now the Rakhine State of Myanmar, King Min Razagyi of Arakan and the rebel leader Minye Thihathu begin their assault on Pegu, the remaining portion of the Toungoo Empire in southern Burma.

In the 1590s, the 16th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 26 – After receiving no support from the Russian nobles, the Tsaritsa Irina Godunova abandons her brief rule as autocrat of Russia, and abdicates in favor of her older brother, Boris Godunov.source
February 21 – Boris Godunov is elected as the Tsar of Russia by unanimous vote of the parliament of nobles, the Zemsky Sobor.source
March 23 – The abdication of Sigismund Báthory as Prince of Transylvania (now part of Romania) is accepted by the Transylvanian nobles. Sigismund's cousin, Andrew Báthory, is then elected as the new Prince.source
April 30 – In Mexico, on the day of the Feast of the Ascension, Juan de Oñate, dispatched by the Viceroy of New Spain to expand the Spanish colony's territory, assembles his group on the south side of the Rio Grande and formally claims all territory north of the river (near what is now the U.S. city of El Paso, Texas) as a colony of the Spanish Empire.source
May 2 – The Peace of Vervins, mediated by Cardinal Alessandro de Medici, ends the war between France and Spain.source
June 9 – The Principality of Wallachia becomes a vassal state of the Austrian Habsburgs and the Holy Roman Empire, after Michael the Brave (Mihai Pătrașcu, with a regnal name of Michael II) signs an agreement at Prague with Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor to receive protection from the Ottoman Empire.source
July 12 – After fording the Rio Grande near what are now the Mexican city of Juarez and the U.S. city of El Paso, Juan de Oñate proclaims the founding of the colony of Santa Fe de Nuevo Méjico (Santa Fe of New Mexico), with himself as the first Viceroy. Oñate establishes the first capital of the New Mexico viceroyalty at a new village, San Juan de los Caballeros, near the Pueblo Indian city of Ohkay Owingeh, now located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.source
July 13 – A marriage contract is signed as part of the treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye between King Henry IV of France and Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, providing for King Henry's niece, Catherine of Bourbon, to marry Duke Charles's son, Henry of Lorraine.source
The Parliament of England passes the Vagabonds Act, that allows transportation of convicts to colonies.source

Conflict & Security

January 29 – In what is now South Korea, a force of 50,000 troops of the Korean kingdom of Joseon and Chinese Ming dynasty troops begins the siege of Ulsan, a Japanese-controlled castle located in the southwest port of Ulsan on the Sea of Japan.source
March 19 – Count Adolf von Schwarzenberg of Austria captures the Turkish fortress at Győr, four years after Turkish forces had taken it over.source
March 20 – The Duchy of Brittany in France is conquered by King Henry IV, who forces the surrender of Philippe Louis de Lorraine-Mercœur, Duke of Brittany. Merceur is then exiled to Hungary.source
May - Sigismund III return to Avaskär, Sweden, and his uncle and regent Duke Charles resist him resulting in the War against Sigismund.Sweden source
7 June – Nine Years' War: The temporary ceasefire agreed between the Irish rebel lordships and the English in October 1597 expires.Ireland source
June 15 – England invades the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico with a force of 20 ships and 1,700 men led by the Earl of Cumberland.source
July 23 – Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, departs from Danzig (now Gdańsk) with 80 transports, several warships and exiled members of the Swedish parliament to invade Sweden. The troops land at Kalmar on July 31, and secure its surrender.source
July – Philosopher Tommaso Campanella moves from Naples to Calabria, where he will be involved in a revolt against the rule of the Spanish viceroy the following year.source
5 August – Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart on Islay: the Clan Donald defeats the Clan Maclean, Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean being killed.Scotland source
August 14 – Battle of the Yellow Ford in Ireland: Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, gains victory over an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal, in the Nine Years' War against English rule.source
14 August – Nine Years' War: Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone's victory over an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal, at the Battle of the Yellow Ford.Ireland source
September 10 – Prince Michael II of Wallachia begins the siege of Nicopolis (now Nikopol in Bulgaria).source
18 September - The Battle of Stegeborg results in victory for the Polish-Swedish unionists.Sweden source
September 25 – Battle of Stångebro at Linköping in Sweden: The Catholic King Sigismund of Sweden and Poland is defeated in his attempt to resume control of Sweden by the Protestant forces of his uncle, Charles. Sigismund is deposed shortly thereafter.source
25 September - The Battle of Stångebro results in victory for the Swedish rebels under Duke Charles and the end of the union.Sweden source
October 19 – The Siege of Suncheon, an attempt by Korean and Chinese troops to capture the Japanese-occupied Suncheon Castle. An attempt to lure Japanese General Konishi Yukinaga into an ambush fails when a Korean Army cannon is fired too early and gives away the Korean plan.source
October – Nine Years' War: Edmund Spenser's castle at Kilcolman, near Doneraile in North Cork, is burned down by O'Neill's native Irish forces. Spenser leaves for London shortly afterwards.Ireland source
November 2 – Admiral Yi Sunsin of the Korean Navy attempts to bombard the Suncheon Castle, two days after the joint Chinese and Korean land assault is driven back. Korea and China lose 39 ships when a large number of the fleet gets stuck in the shallow waters at low tide and the vessels are attacked by the Japanese. Yi Sunsin calls off the siege the next day.source
November 10 (11th waxing of Tazaungmon 960 ME) – In what is now the Rakhine State of Myanmar, King Min Razagyi of Arakan and the rebel leader Minye Thihathu begin their assault on Pegu, the remaining portion of the Toungoo Empire in southern Burma.source
December 16 (Keichō 3, 19th day of the 11th month, lunar calendar) – Battle of Noryang: An allied Korean and Chinese fleet under Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Chinese Admiral Chen Lin defeats the Japanese navy, ending the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98).source
December 21 – Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche, led by cacique Pelantaro, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile; all Spanish cities south of the Bío Bío River eventually fall victim to the Destruction of the Seven Cities by the Mapuches, and all conquest of Mapuche territories by Europeans practically ceases, until the later 19th century Occupation of Araucanía.source
early June – Nine Years' War: Lord Treasurer Thomas Butler backs the claim of the exiled Tadhg O'Rourke for the kingship of West Breifne, causing King Brian Óg O'Rourke to defect back to the rebels.Ireland source

Exploration & Expansion

June 27 – The ill-fated Dutch expedition of Jacques Mahu begins as his ship Hoop, along with the ships Liefde, Geloof, Trouwe and Blijde Boodschap, departs from Rotterdam.source
September 17 – Second Dutch Expedition to Indonesia: Jacob Corneliszoon van Neck and three ships commanded by him are separated from the Dutch Republic fleet of Admiral Wybrand van Warwyck, and land on a Portuguese-charted island, Ilha do Cisne. Van Neck names the island Mauritius, after Maurice, Prince of Orange. Although Diogo Fernandes Pereira and sailors from Portugal had, in 1507, become the first Europeans to find Mauritius, van Neck's men apparently are the first to sight the dodo, a now extinct bird.source
The Spanish establish themselves in El Piñal, a trading port on the coast of China in the Pearl River Delta.source
Gentleman Adventurers of Fife awarded forfeited lands on the Isle of Lewis to colonise.Scotland source

Religion & Belief

January 30 – In Italy Cesare d'Este moves the capital of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio to the city of Modena, after the Duchy of Ferrara is declared by Pope Clement VIII to be at an end.source
April 13 – Edict of Nantes (promulgated April 30): Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics; this is considered the end of the French Wars of Religion.source
April – signing of the Edict of Nantes.France source
May 6 – King Philip II of Spain announces that his eldest daughter, Isabella Clara Eugenia, will marry Albert of Austria (at the time a Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo), and that the two will jointly govern the Habsburg Netherlands (now Belgium).source
August 16 (Keichō 3, 15th day of the 7th month) – The Council of Five Elders, to serve in Japan as regents after the death of General Hideyoshi, is gathered at Fushimi on orders of Hideyoshi, and the members vow their allegiance to Hideyoshi's son, Hideyori.source
September 5 (Keichō 3, 5th day of the 8th month) – With his own death imminent, General Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan issues an order directing the Council of Five Elders to bring their children to the Osaka Castle to join Hideyoshi's designated successor, his son Hideyori.source
September 13 – Philip III becomes the new King of Spain upon the death of his father Philip II.source
November 15 – Pope Clement VIII authorizes the marriage between Albert of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain. The two will be married on April 18.source
28 December – Issue in Edinburgh by William Schaw, Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland and General Warden of the master stonemasons, of the First Schaw Statutes, "The Statutis and ordinananceis to be obseruit by all the maister maoissounis within this realme", significant in the development of freemasonry.Scotland source
December 29 – Pope Clement VIII refuses to allow dispensation for Henry of Lorraine, who is Catholic, to marry Catherine of Bourbon, a Protestant Calvinist. King Henry IV of France then intimidates the Catholic Archbishop of Reims into authorizing the marriage.source

Economy & Finance

17 January – financier Thomas Foulis is bankrupted.Scotland source

Science & Discovery

May – Tycho Brahe's star catalogue Astronomiæ instauratæ mechanica, listing the positions of 1,004 stars, is published.source

Health & Medicine

June 30 – England's forces capture the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, the Spanish fortress defending San Juan, after a 15-day battle. When an epidemic begins taking its toll on the English forces, the Earl of Cumberland decides to withdraw and departs in August.source

Crime & Justice

July 10 – John Barrose, a Burgundian fencer who has challenged all comers and killed several, is hanged for murder. Barrose's story is dramatized by playwright Ben Jonson in Every Man in His Humour.source
Illustrations of Ottoman Turkish and European riflemen, with detailed illustrations of their firearms, appear in Zhao Shizhen's book Shenqipu in this year, during the Ming Dynasty of China.source

Climate & Environment

May 13 (Keichō 3, 8th day of the 4th month) – The Mount Asama volcano on the Japanese island of Honshu erupts.source

Culture & Society

January 8 – In Berlin, Joachim Frederich of the House of Hohenzollern becomes the new Elector of Brandenburg upon the death of his father, Johann Georg von Brandenburg.source
July 22 – William Shakespeare registers the rights to his new play, The Merchant of Venice, in the Register of the Stationers Company, under the title The Marchaunt of Venyce or otherwise called The Jewe of Venyce.source
Carnival – Jacopo Peri's Dafne, the earliest known modern opera, is premièred at the Palazzo Corsini, Florence.source
Pentecost – Calvinist congregations in Zurich introduce music into their services.source

Births

12 January – Jijabai, mother of Shivaji, (died 1674)India source
March 13 – Johannes Loccenius, German historian (died 1677)source
April 11 – William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, German nobleman (died 1662)source
April 17 – Giovanni Battista Riccioli, Italian astronomer (died 1671)source
April 23 – Maarten Tromp, officer and later admiral in the Dutch navy (died 1653)source
May 23 – Claude Mellan, French painter and engraver (died 1688)source
June 19 – Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1663 until his death (died 1677)source
July 6 – Kirsten Munk, Danish noble, spouse of King Christian IV of Denmark (died 1658)source
July 31 – Alessandro Algardi, Italian high-Baroque sculptor active in Rome (died 1654)source
August 7 – Georg Stiernhielm, Swedish civil servant (died 1672)source
September 23 – Eleonora Gonzaga, Holy Roman Empress, married to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1655)source
September 27 – Robert Blake, English admiral (died 1657)source
November 7 – Francisco de Zurbarán, Spanish painter (died 1664)source
December 7 – Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Italian sculptor (died 1680)source
December 24 – Margaret Stuart, Scottish princess (died 1600)source
24 December – Margaret Stuart, royal princess (died 1600)Scotland source
Louis Phélypeaux, seigneur de La Vrillière, politician (d.1681)France source
Patrick D'Arcy, nationalist who wrote the constitution of Confederate Ireland (died 1668).Ireland source

Deaths

January 8 – John George, Elector of Brandenburg, Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia (born 1525)source
January 16 – Tsar Feodor I of Russia (born 1557)source
January 17 – The Tsar of the Russian Empire, Feodor I, dies of a sudden illness at the age of 40, leaving no children and bringing an end to the Rurik dynasty. His widow, Irina Godunova, takes action to secure the throne but her rule lasts for only nine days.source
February 10 – Anne of Austria, Queen of Poland (born 1573)source
March 28 – Michele Bonelli, Italian Catholic cardinal (born 1541)source
April 10 – Jacopo Mazzoni, Italian philosopher (born 1548)source
June 28 – Abraham Ortelius, Flemish cartographer and geographer (born 1527)source
June – Emery Molyneux, English maker of globes and instruments (date of birth unknown)source
August 4 – William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, English statesman (born 1520)source
4 August - William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, English statesmen.Sweden source
13 August – David Ferguson, reformerScotland source
September 2 – The Mahu expedition from the Dutch Republic arrives at the Cape Verde Islands off of the coast of Africa, and many of the men become fatally ill, including Captain Jacques Mahu, who dies on September 23.source
September 13 – Philip II of Spain (born 1527)source
September 18 (Keichō 3, 18th day of the 8th month) – General Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who united Japan and became the Chancellor of the Realm, dies after ruling 12 years. He is nominally succeeded by his 5-year-old son, Toyotomi Hideyori, with the regency exercised by the Council of Five Elders.source
September 18 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japanese warlord (born 1537)source
December 16 – Yi Sun-sin, Korean naval leader (born 1545)source
Jean de Serres, historian (born 1540)France source
Mata Bhani, also known as Bibi Bhani, daughter of third Sikh guru Guru Amar Das, wife of fourth Sikh guru Guru Ram Das, and mother of fifth Sikh guru Guru Arjan Dev dies (born 1535)India source