1556

Years: 1553 1554 1555 - 1556 - 1557 1558 1559
Decades: 1520s 1530s 1540s - 1550s - 1560s 1570s 1580s
Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century

1556 by topic
Arts and science
Architecture - Art - Music - Science
Lists of leaders
Colonial governors - State leaders
Birth and death categories
Births - Deaths
Establishments and disestablishments categories
Establishments - Disestablishments
Works category
Works

**1556 in other calendars**
Gregorian calendar	1556 MDLVI
Ab urbe condita	2309
Armenian calendar	1005 ԹՎ ՌԵ
Chinese calendar	4192/4252-intercalary 11-19 (乙卯年閏十一月十九日) — to — 4193/4253-11-30 (丙辰年十一月三十日)
Ethiopian calendar	1548 – 1549
Hebrew calendar	5316 – 5317
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	1611 – 1612
- Shaka Samvat	1478 – 1479
- Kali Yuga	4657 – 4658
Iranian calendar	934 – 935
Islamic calendar	963 – 964
Thai solar calendar	2099

Events

January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand becomes Holy Roman Emperor
January 23 - The Shaanxi Earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history, occurs with its epicenter in Shaanxi province, China. 830,000 people may have been killed.
February - Truce of Vaucelles - Temporary end to the fighting between France and Spain.
February 14 - Thomas Cranmer is declared a heretic
March 21 - In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake for treason.
November - Collapse of the Truce of Vaucelles. War resumes between Henry II of France and Philip II of Spain
November 5 - Second Battle of Panipat - Fifty miles north of Delhi, a Mogul Army defeats Hindu forces of General Hemu to ensure Akbar the throne of India.
Lorenzo Priuli becomes Doge of Venice
Bloody Mary establishes the Fort of Maryborough, in what is now Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland
The kings of Spain take control of the Flanders region, including what is now the French département of Nord
The false Martin Guerre appears in the French village of Artigat.
King John III of Sweden becomes ruler of Finland as Hertig Johan.
Jellaladin Mahommed Akbar ascends to the throne of the Mughal Empire; he rules until his death in 1605
Welser banking families of Augsburg lose colonial control of Venezuela
Ivan the Terrible conquers Astrakhan, opening the Volga River to Russian traffic and trade

January 8 - Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese samurai and warlord (died 1623)
February 21 - Sethus Calvisius, German calendar reformer (died 1615)
March 7 - Guillaume du Vair, French statesman and philosopher (died 1621)
June 6 - Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche, English politician and diplomat (died 1625)
November 15 - Jacques-Davy Duperron, French cardinal (died 1618)
Henry Briggs, English mathematician (died 1630)
Margaret Clitherow, English Catholic martyr (died 1586)
Shibata Katsutoyo, Japanese military commander (died 1583)
Nakagawa Kiyohide, Japanese military commander (died 1583)
Ahmad Baba al Massufi, Sudanese writer and political leader (died 1627)
James Melville, Scottish divine and reformer (died 1614)

March 21 - Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (burned at the stake) (born 1489)
April 18 - Luigi Alamanni, Italian poet and statesman (born 1495)
June 10 - Martin Agricola, German composer (born 1486)
July 31 - Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish founder of the Jesuit order (born 1491)
November 14 - Giovanni della Casa, Italian poet (born 1503)
December 23 - Nicholas Udall, English dramatist (born 1504)
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (born 1490)
Pietro Aretino, Italian author (born 1492)
John Bell, Bishop of Worcester
Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell, Scottish traitor (born 1512)
Girolamo da Carpi, Italian painter (born 1501)
Jacob Clemens non Papa, Flemish composer (born 1510)
Saito Dosan, Japanese warlord (born 1494)
Fuzuli, Turkish poet (born 1494)
Lorenzo Lotto, Italian painter (born 1480)
Brian mac Cathaoir O Conchobhair Failghe, last of the Kings of Ui Failghe