WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 16. CENTURY
Find out what all happened in the first half of the 16. century

The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic. (16. May 1527)

Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England. (16. May 1532)

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason. (17. May 1521)

George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason. (17. May 1536)

The annulment of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s marriage. (17. May 1536)

French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona's two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage). (19. May 1535)

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest. (19. May 1536)

The Prome Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in present-day Burma. (19. May 1542)

The massacre at the festival of Tóxcatl takes place during the Fall of Tenochtitlan, resulting in turning the Aztecs against the Spanish. (20. May 1520)

Ignatius Loyola is seriously wounded in the Battle of Pampeluna. (20. May 1521)

The island of Saint Helena is discovered by the Portuguese explorer João da Nova. (21. May 1502)

The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void. (23. May 1533)

The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw. (25. May 1521)

Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city. Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years. (26. May 1538)

James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor are married according to a papal bull by Pope Alexander VI. A Treaty of Everlasting Peace between Scotland and England signed on that occasion results in a peace that lasts ten years. (28. May 1503)

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declares the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid. (28. May 1533)

During the reign of the Zhengde Emperor, Ming Dynasty rebel leader Zhu Zhifan is defeated by commander Qiu Yue, ending the Prince of Anhua rebellion. (30. May 1510)

King Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting to his first two wives. (30. May 1536)

In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold. (30. May 1539)

Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen of England. (1. June 1533)