1578

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	15th century – 16th century – 17th century
Decades:	1540s 1550s 1560s – 1570s – 1580s 1590s 1600s
Years:	1575 1576 1577 – 1578 – 1579 1580 1581

1578 in topic:
Subjects: Archaeology – Architecture – Art –
Literature – Music – Poetry – Science
Leaders: State leaders – Colonial governors
Category: Establishments – Disestablishments
Births – Deaths – Works

Year 1578 (MDLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events of 1578

January 31 – Battle of Gembloux: Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. Alexander Farnese begins to recover control of the French-speaking Southern Netherlands.
April 27 – The Duel of the Mignons claims the lives of two favorites of Henry III of France and two favourites of Henry I, Duke of Guise.
May 31 – Martin Frobisher sails from Harwich, England to Frobisher Bay, Canada, eventually to mine fool's gold, used to pave streets in London.

August 4: Battle at Ksar-el-Kebir.

August 4 – Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir: The Moors defeat the Portuguese. King Sebastian I of Portugal is defeated and killed in North Africa, leaving his elderly uncle, Cardinal Henry, as his heir. This initiates a succession crisis in Portugal.
October 1 – Alessandro Farnese succeeds Don John as Spanish Governor-General of the Netherlands.

Martin Frobisher holds the first celebration of Thanksgiving by Europeans in North America at Newfoundland by the Frobisher Expedition.
Sonam Gyrso receives from prince Atlan Khan the title of Talaï, and becomes the third Dalai Lama of Tibet.
Battle of Wenden: The Russians are defeated by the Swedes, who proceed to take Polotsk.
The Ottoman Empire conquers Abkhazia.
The sixth and so far last outbreak of the sweating sickness occurs in England.
Emperor Sarsa Dengel of Ethiopia kills Bahr negus Yeshaq, finally ending his rebellion.

See also Category: 1578 births.

February 5 – Giambattista Moroni, Italian painter (b. 1510)
March 7 – Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (b. 1515)
March 29 – Arthur Champernowne, English admiral (b. 1524)
March 29 – Louis I, Cardinal of Guise, French cardinal (b. 1527)
April 14 – James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1535)
April 19 – Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1530)
June 20 – Thomas Doughty, English explorer (executed)
August 4
- King Sebastian I of Portugal (b. 1554)
- Thomas Stucley, English adventurer (b. 1525)
- Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I Saadi, King of Morocco
- Abu Abdallah Mohammed II Saadi, King of Morocco
August 11 – Pedro Nunes, Portuguese mathematician (b. 1502)
October 1 – Don John of Austria, military leader (b. 1547)
date unknown
- Jane Lumley, English translator (b. 1537)
- Giulio Clovio, Italian painter (b. 1498)
- Cornelis Cort, Dutch engraver (b. 1536)
- Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor (b. 1501)
- Amago Katsuhisa, Japanese nobleman (b. 1553)
- Ikeda Katsumasa, Japanese military commander (b. 1539)
- Juraj Julije Klovic, Dalmatian painter (b. 1498)
- Pierre Lescot, French architect (b. 1510)

See also Category: 1578 deaths.