Century
16th century
The years 1501 – 1600. The atlas records 17,318 events begun in them: the most significant follow, region by region, with the realms of the age and its wonders, trade routes, faiths and great people.
- 1501 – 1600
- 17,318 events
- 41 realms
- Realms with a page of their own
- Others the atlas draws, from Cliopatria
Headlines
The most significant events, wherever they happened- 1517 – 1648Protestant ReformationEvent
- 1519 – 1521Spanish conquest of the Aztec EmpireEvent · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
- 7 October 1571Battle of LepantoBattle · Europe
- 1568 – 1918Russo-Turkish WarsWar
- 1545 – 1563Council of TrentPolitical · Europe
- 1580 – 17th centuryColonization of SiberiaWar · Europe
- 1545 – 1648Counter-ReformationEvent · Europe
- 16th century – 1750sBaroqueEvent · Europe
Around the world
The most significant of the rest, in each regionNorth Africa
- Battle of Alcácer Quibir4 August 1578 · Battle4 August 1578
- Capture of Algiers1520 · Battle1520
- Conquest of Tunis16 June 1535 · Siege16 June 1535
- Battle of Djerba9 May 1560 · Battle9 May 1560
- Battle of Wadi al-Laban2 April 1558 · Battle2 April 1558
- Algiers expedition20 October 1541 · Siege20 October 1541
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ethiopian–Adal War1529 – 1543 · War1529 – 1543
- Battle of Wayna Daga21 February 1543 · Battle21 February 1543
- Battle of Tondibi12 March 1591 · Battle12 March 1591
- Battle of Wofla28 August 1542 · Battle28 August 1542
- Battle of BarawaApril 1507 · BattleApril 1507
- Ottoman–Portuguese conflicts of 1538–15601538 – 1557 · War1538 – 1557
Middle East
- Battle of Chaldiran23 August 1514 · Battle23 August 1514
- Ottoman–Venetian War of 1570–15731570 – 1573 · War1570 – 1573
- Siege of Rhodes26 June 1522 · Siege26 June 1522
- İstanbul earthquake of 15091509 · Natural disaster1509
- Ottoman–Persian Wars1514 – 1823 · War1514 – 1823
- Ottoman-Safavid War1532 – 1555 · War1532 – 1555
Europe
- Battle of Mohács29 August 1526 · Battle29 August 1526
- Magellan-Elcano expedition1519 – 1522 · Exploration1519 – 1522
- Siege of Malta18 May 1565 · Siege18 May 1565
- French Wars of Religion1562 – 1598 · War1562 – 1598
- Union of Lublin1 July 1569 · Treaty1 July 1569
- Battle of Flodden9 September 1513 · Battle9 September 1513
Central Asia
South Asia
- Battle of Panipat1 May 1526 · Battle1 May 1526
- Battle of Diu3 February 1509 · Battle3 February 1509
- Portuguese conquest of Goa25 November 1510 · Event25 November 1510
- Battle of Panipat5 November 1556 · Battle5 November 1556
- Battle of Khanwa1527 · Battle1527
- Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom1560 – 1621 · Event1560 – 1621
East Asia
- Battle of Sekigahara21 October 1600 · Battle21 October 1600
- Battle of Nagashino1575 · Battle1575
- Honnō-ji Incident21 June 1582 · Political21 June 1582
- Battle of Okehazama12 June 1560 · Battle12 June 1560
- Nanban trade period1543 – 1650 · Event1543 – 1650
- Battle of Mikatagahara25 January 1573 · Battle25 January 1573
Southeast Asia
- Battle of Mactan27 April 1521 · Battle27 April 1521
- Capture of Malacca25 July 1511 · Siege25 July 1511
- 1586 eruption of Kelud1586 · Natural disaster1586
- Spanish–Moro conflict1565 – 1898 · Event1565 – 1898
- First Mass in the Philippines31 March 1521 · Event31 March 1521
- Founding of Philippines1565 – 1946 · Founding1565 – 1946
Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
- Fall of Tenochtitlan10 May 1521 · Siege10 May 1521
- Spanish conquest of Guatemala1521 – 1697 · Event1521 – 1697
- La Noche Triste30 June 1520 · Battle30 June 1520
- Spanish conquest of Honduras1524 · Event1524
- Mexican Indian Wars1519 – 1933 · War1519 – 1933
- Spanish conquest of El Salvador1524 – 1539 · Event1524 – 1539
South America
- Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire1532 – 1572 · Event1532 – 1572
- Arauco War1546 · War1546
- Battle of Cajamarca16 November 1532 · Battle16 November 1532
- Inca Civil War1529 – 1532 · War1529 – 1532
- Battle of OllantaytamboJanuary 1537 · BattleJanuary 1537
- Disaster of Curalaba23 December 1598 · Battle23 December 1598
North America
Oceania
Realms of the age
Our civilizations alive in these years, by home region. Each track is the century, its bar the realm’s years.Sub-Saharan Africa
Kingdom of Makuria5th century – 1518 CE
Alodia6th century – 1504 CE
Kanem-Bornu Empire11th century – 1900
Mali Empire1235 – 1670
Ethiopian Empire1270 – 1975
Kingdom of Kongo1395 – 1914
Oyo Empire1400 – 1905
Adal Sultanate1415 – 1577
Songhai Empire1464 – 1591
Sennar Sultanate1505 – 1821
Merina Kingdom1540 – 1897
Middle East
Ottoman Empire1299 – 1922
Europe
Holy Roman Empire962 – 1806 CE
Central Asia
Golden Horde1243 – 1502
Timurid Empire1370 – 1507
South Asia
Delhi Sultanate1206 – 1526
Vijayanagara Empire1336 – 1646
Bahmani Sultanate1347 – 1527
Sultanate of Bengal1352 – 1576
Mughal Empire1526 – 1857
East Asia
Ming dynasty1368 – 1644
Joseon1392 – 1897
Southeast Asia
Champa192 – 1832 CE
Dai Viet1054 – 1805
Hanthawaddy Kingdom1287 – 1552
Majapahit1293 – 1527
Ayutthaya Kingdom1350 – 1767
Lan Xang1354 – 1707
Ava Kingdom1364 – 1555
Bruneian Sultanate1368 – 1888
Malacca sultanate1400 – 1511
Lê dynasty1428 – 1788
Aceh Sultanate1496 – 1903
First Toungoo Empire1510 – 1599
Mạc dynasty1527 – 1677
Nguyễn lords1558 – 1802
Mataram Sultanate1586 – 1755
Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Maya2nd millennium BCE – 1521 CE · culture sphere
Zapotec700 BCE – 1521 CE
Aztec Empire1325 – 1521
South America
Inca Empire1438 – 1572
Wonders
Being built, or standingBuilt in these years
Standing
- The Pyramids of Gizac. 2600 – 2510 BCE · Giza, Egyptc. 2600 – 2510 BCE
- The Abu Simbel Templesc. 1264 – 1244 BCE · Abu Simbel, Egyptc. 1264 – 1244 BCE
- The Obelisk of Axumc. 300 CE · Axum, Ethiopiac. 300 CE
- The Church of Saint George, Lalibelac. 1200 – 1220 · Lalibela, Ethiopiac. 1200 – 1220
- Great Zimbabwec. 1200 – 1400 · Masvingo, Zimbabwec. 1200 – 1400
- The Great Mosque of Djennéc. 1250 · Djenné, Malic. 1250
- The Ziggurat of Urc. 2100 – 2050 BCE · Nasiriyah, Iraqc. 2100 – 2050 BCE
- The Ishtar Gatec. 575 – 569 BCE · Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germanyc. 575 – 569 BCE
- The Mausoleum at Halicarnassusc. 353 – 351 BCE · Bodrum, Turkeyc. 353 – 351 BCE
- Al-Khazneh, Petrac. 1 CE · Petra, Jordanc. 1 CE
- The Dome of the Rock691 – 692 CE · Jerusalem691 – 692 CE
- Stonehengec. 2600 – 2400 BCE · Wiltshire, Englandc. 2600 – 2400 BCE
- The Parthenon447 – 432 BCE · Athens, Greece447 – 432 BCE
- The Colosseum72 – 80 CE · Rome, Italy72 – 80 CE
- Hagia Sophia532 – 537 CE · Istanbul, Turkey532 – 537 CE
- Notre-Dame de Paris1163 – 1260 · Paris, France1163 – 1260
- The Leaning Tower of Pisa1173 – 1372 · Pisa, Italy1173 – 1372
- The Great Stupa at Sanchic. 250 – 50 BCE · Sanchi, Indiac. 250 – 50 BCE
- The Brihadisvara Temple1003 – 1010 · Thanjavur, India1003 – 1010
- Qutb Minar1199 – 1220 · Delhi, India1199 – 1220
- The Great Wall of Chinac. 221 – 210 BCE · Mutianyu, Beijing, Chinac. 221 – 210 BCE
- The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji745 – 758 CE · Nara, Japan745 – 758 CE
- The Forbidden City1406 – 1420 · Beijing, China1406 – 1420
- Borobudurc. 780 – 833 CE · Magelang, Indonesiac. 780 – 833 CE
- Angkor Watc. 1113 – 1150 · Siem Reap, Cambodiac. 1113 – 1150
- The Temple of Literature1070 · Hanoi, Vietnam1070
- The Pyramid of the Sunc. 200 CE · Teotihuacan, Mexicoc. 200 CE
- Tikal Temple Ic. 734 – 745 CE · Petén, Guatemalac. 734 – 745 CE
- El Castillo, Chichén Itzác. 900 – 1000 CE · Yucatán, Mexicoc. 900 – 1000 CE
- Machu Picchuc. 1450 – 1470 · Cusco Region, Peruc. 1450 – 1470
- Monks Mound, Cahokiac. 900 – 1200 CE · Collinsville, Illinois, USAc. 900 – 1200 CE
- The Moai of Ahu Tongarikic. 1250 – 1500 · Rapa Nui, Chilec. 1250 – 1500
Trade routes
Carrying trade in these years- Atlantic slave tradeOpened1525 – 1867 · by sea1525 – 1867
- Nanban tradeOpened1543 – 1639 · by sea1543 – 1639
- Potosí silver roadOpenedc. 1545 – 1740 · by land and seac. 1545 – 1740
- Muscovy Company tradeOpened1555 – 1698 · by land, sea and river1555 – 1698
- Manila galleonsOpened1565 – 1815 · by land and sea1565 – 1815
- Spanish treasure fleetOpened1566 – 1790 · by sea and river1566 – 1790
- Levant Company tradeOpened1581 – 1825 · by land and sea1581 – 1825
- Azalai salt caravansOpenedc. 1590 – today · by landc. 1590 – today
- Camino Real de Tierra AdentroOpened1598 – 1882 · by land1598 – 1882
- Via Marisc. 3000 BCE – 1516 CE · by landc. 3000 BCE – 1516 CE
- Grand Trunk Roadc. 500 BCE – today · by landc. 500 BCE – today
- Trans-Saharan tradec. 500 BCE – 1900 CE · by land and riverc. 500 BCE – 1900 CE
- Darb el-Arbaʽin (Forty Days Road)c. 200 BCE – today · by landc. 200 BCE – today
- Grand Canal609 CE – today · by river609 CE – today
- Tea Horse Roadc. 618 CE – 1949 · by landc. 618 CE – 1949
- Via Regiac. 800 CE – 1815 · by landc. 800 CE – 1815
- Maya coastal canoe tradec. 800 CE – 1525 · by seac. 800 CE – 1525
- Old Salt Routec. 1150 – 1600 · by land and riverc. 1150 – 1600
- Hanseatic tradec. 1159 – 1669 · by land, sea and riverc. 1159 – 1669
- Venetian galley convoysc. 1315 – 1533 · by seac. 1315 – 1533
- Ryukyu tradec. 1372 – 1570 · by sea and riverc. 1372 – 1570
- Baltic grain tradec. 1400 – 1800 · by sea and riverc. 1400 – 1800
- Aztec pochteca routesc. 1428 – 1521 · by landc. 1428 – 1521
- Qhapaq Ñan (Inca roads)c. 1438 – 1533 · by landc. 1438 – 1533
- Carreira da Índiac. 1497 – 1800 · by seac. 1497 – 1800
Faiths on the move
Where each faith arrived in these yearsGreat people
Alive in these years, in the halls of the Agora of Ages- c. 1445 – 1510Sandro BotticelliPainter; The Birth of Venus, PrimaveraRenaissance Masters
- 1451 – 1506Christopher ColumbusTransatlantic voyages of 1492–1504Explorers
- 1452 – 1519Leonardo da VinciPainter, engineer, polymath; Mona Lisa, The Last SupperRenaissance Masters
- c. 1469 – 1524Vasco da GamaFirst sea route from Europe to India (1498); buried at JerónimosExplorers
- 1471 – 1528Albrecht DürerPainter and printmaker of the German RenaissanceRenaissance Masters
- 1475 – 1564MichelangeloSculptor, painter, architect; David, the Sistine ceiling, St Peter's domeRenaissance Masters
- 1480 – 1521Ferdinand MagellanLed the first circumnavigation expeditionExplorers
- 1483 – 1520RaphaelPainter and architect; The School of AthensRenaissance Masters
- Titianc. 1488 – 1576 · Venetian painter; master of colourc. 1488 – 1576
- Yi Sun-sin1545 – 1598 · Korean admiral; turtle ships; Myeongnyang (1597)1545 – 1598
- Miguel de Cervantes1547 – 1616 · Don Quixote1547 – 1616
- Galileo Galilei1564 – 1642 · Telescopic astronomy; kinematics; the scientific method1564 – 1642
- William Shakespeare1564 – 1616 · Playwright and poet; Hamlet, King Lear, the Sonnets1564 – 1616
- Johannes Kepler1571 – 1630 · Laws of planetary motion1571 – 1630
- Gustavus Adolphus1594 – 1632 · King of Sweden; 'father of modern warfare'; Breitenfeld1594 – 1632
