Year 1553 (MDLIII)
Year 1553 (MDLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
January 2 – The siege of Metz in France, initiated by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor during the Italian War of 1551–59, is lifted after 75 days. The city’s defense, led by the Duke of Guise with 6,000 soldiers, results in Charles V losing two-thirds of his original force of over 20,000 men.
February 17 – In India, Timmaraja Wodeyar II ascends as the sixth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore following the death of his father, Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar III.
February 21 – Lieutenant General Luis Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio temporarily takes on the role of Spanish Viceroy of Naples after the passing of his father, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo.
March 1 – The second (and last) session of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Edward VI is inaugurated at Westminster, lasting until March 31. Sir James Dyer serves as Speaker of the House of Commons during the session.
April–June
April 28 – Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in present-day Iraq, is acknowledged by Pope Julius III as the Patriarch of Mosul.
May 12 – St Albans, in England, is granted its first royal charter as a borough.
May 25 – Lady Jane Grey, a 16-year-old cousin of King Edward VI of England, weds Lord Guildford Dudley, the son of the Duke of Northumberland.
June 3 – The first of the five Battles of Kawanakajima, known as the “Battle of the Fuse,” begins in Japan between Takeda Shingen of Kai Province and Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo Province.
June 15 – On his deathbed, King Edward VI summons prominent judges and signs his devise of the throne to Lady Jane Grey.
June 21 – Under duress from the Duke of Northumberland, the devise to appoint Jane Grey as heir to the throne is signed by over 100 notable individuals.
June 26 – Two new schools, Christ’s Hospital and King Edward’s School, Witley, are established by royal charter according to King Edward VI’s will.
July–September
July 6 – King Edward VI of England dies at the age of 15 after a brief reign of six years.
July 9 – Battle of Sievershausen: Prince-elector Maurice of Saxony achieves victory over the Catholic forces, but suffers mortal wounds.
July 10 – Four days post Edward VI’s death, Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England for a mere nine days.
July 19 – The Lord Mayor of London announces Mary I as the rightful Queen, leading to Lady Jane Grey’s voluntary abdication.
August 3 – Queen Mary I arrives in London from East Anglia.
August 18 – John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland is tried and convicted of treason for his involvement in placing Lady Jane Grey on the throne.
August 24 – English explorer Richard Chancellor enters the White Sea and arrives at Arkhangelsk, initiating trade relations between England and Russia.
September 23 – The Sadians strengthen their dominance in Morocco by overcoming remaining foes.
September – Arrests of Anglican bishops occur in England, while Roman Catholic bishops are reinstated.
October–December
October 6 – Şehzade Mustafa, the eldest son of Suleiman the Magnificent, is executed in Konya following his father’s orders.
October 27 – The governing council of Geneva executes Michael Servetus by burning, labeling him a heretic.
November 13 – Lady Jane Grey and several associates are convicted of high treason, sentenced to death after a trial at Guildhall, London.
November 16 – A delegation from the English Parliament implores Queen Mary I to choose an English husband instead of marrying Spain’s Prince Philip.
November 17 – Bayinnaung, King of Burma, commissions the construction of the Kanbawzathadi Palace in his capital, Pegu.
November 25 – In the Italian War of 1551–1559, Cosimo I de’ Medici signs a secret treaty with Charles V to reclaim the Republic of Siena.
November 25 – The city of Kulmbach is destroyed during the Second Margrave War.
December 25 – In the Battle of Tucapel, Mapuche rebels led by Lautaro defeat Spanish conquistadors and execute Pedro de Valdivia.
Date unknown
- Tonbridge School is founded by Sir Andrew Judde, authorized by letters patent from Edward VI of England.
- The xiii Bukes of Eneados, the first complete translation of a major classical work into English, is published in London.
- In Ming dynasty China:
- Completion of a new section of the Outer City fortifications in southern Beijing.
- First fortification of Shanghai.
Births
January 20 – Bernardino de Cárdenas y Portugal, Duque de Maqueda, Spanish noble (d. 1601)
January 22 – Mōri Terumoto, Japanese warrior (d. 1625)
February 24 – Cherubino Alberti, Italian engraver and painter (d. 1615)
March – Eleonora di Garzia di Toledo, Italian noble (d. 1576)
March 26 – Vitsentzos Kornaros, Greek writer (d. 1613)
April 24 – John Maxwell, 8th Lord Maxwell, Scottish noble (d. 1593)
April 30 – Louise of Lorraine, French queen consort (d. 1601)
May 7 – Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia (d. 1618)
May 14 – Margaret of Valois, Queen of France (d. 1615)
June 5 – Bernardino Baldi, Italian mathematician and writer (d. 1617)
June 15 – Archduke Ernest of Austria, Austrian prince (d. 1595)
July 1 – Peter Street, English carpenter (d. 1609)
September 26 – Nicolò Contarini, Doge of Venice (d. 1631)
October 8 – Jacques Auguste de Thou, French historian (d. 1617)
October 18 – Luca Marenzio, Italian composer (d. 1599)
November 2 – Magdalene of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, Countess Palatine (d. 1633)
November 4 – Roger Wilbraham, Solicitor-General for Ireland (d. 1616)
November 23 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (d. 1617)
November 28 – George More, English politician (d. 1632)
December 13 – King Henry IV of France (d. 1610)
Date unknown – Patriarch Filaret of Moscow (d. 1633)
Giovanni Florio, English writer and translator (d. 1625)
Richard Hakluyt, English travel writer (d. 1616)
Robert Hues, English mathematician and geographer (d. 1632)
Amago Katsuhisa, Japanese nobleman (d. 1578)
Pierre de Rostegny, French jurist (d. 1631)
William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, Spanish military leader (d. 1613)
Moses Székely, Hungarian noble (d. 1603)
Beatrice Michiel, Venetian spy (d. 1613)
Mirza Muhammad Hakim, son of Mughal emperor Humayun (d. 1585)
Deaths
January 13 – George II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (b. 1512)
February 4 – Caspar Othmayr, German Protestant priest and theologian (b. 1515)
February 6 – Ernest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (b. 1482)
February 8 – John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Coburg (b. 1521)
February 17 – Chamaraja Wodeyar III, King of Mysore (b. 1492)
February 19 – Erasmus Reinhold, German astronomer (b. 1511)
February 25 – Hirate Masahide, Japanese diplomat (suicide) (b. 1492)
April – Minkhaung of Prome, last king of Prome in Burma (Myanmar)
April 9 – François Rabelais, French writer
May 5 – Erasmus Alberus, German humanist (b. 1500)
May 28 – Johannes Aal, Swiss theologian (b. 1500)
June 26 – Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich of Russia (b. 1552)
July 6 – King Edward VI of England (b. 1537)
July 9 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony (b. 1521)
July 16 – Bernardino Maffei, Catholic cardinal (b. 1514)
August 6 – Girolamo Fracastoro, Italian physician (b. 1478)
August 17 – Charles III, Duke of Savoy (b. 1486)
August 22 – John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (b. 1502; executed)
September 6 – Juan de Homedes y Coscon, Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitaller (b. c. 1477)
October 6 – Şehzade Mustafa, Suleiman the Magnificent’s first-born son (b. 1515)
October 7 – Cristóbal de Morales, Spanish composer (b. 1500)
October 16 – Lucas Cranach the Elder, German painter (b. 1472)
October 17 – George III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. 1507)
October 27 – Michael Servetus, Spanish theologian (b. 1511)
October 28 – Giovanni Salviati, Italian cardinal (b. 1490)
October 30 – Jacob Sturm von Sturmeck, German statesman (b. 1489)
November 15 – Lucrezia de’ Medici, Italian noblewoman (b. 1470)
November 23 – Sebastiano Antonio Pighini, Italian cardinal (b. 1500)
November 27 – Şehzade Cihangir, Ottoman prince (b. 1531)
December 3 – Ludwig of Hanau-Lichtenberg (b. 1487)
December 25 – Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish conquistador (b. 1497)
Date unknown – George Joye, English Protestant translator (b. c. 1495)
Gunilla Bese, Finnish noble (b. 1475)