- Jun 19 Spanish Armada heavily damaged in storms in the Bay of Biscay along the Galician coast of Spain, some ships return to A Coruña for repairs
- Jul 11 French King Henri III accept demands of Catholic League
- Jul 21 First engagement between the English fleet and the Spanish Armada off the Eddystone Rocks
- Jul 26 English Admiral John Hawkins knighted for his actions against the Armada
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
Jul 28 English set alight eight fireships, with pitch, brimstone, gunpowder and tar, and cast them downwind towards the closely anchored vessels of the Spanish Armada, scattering the armada
- Jul 29 Battle of Gravelines: English fleet damages and scatters the "Invincible" Spanish Armada, which is forced to make a long and costly retreat around Scotland and Ireland
- Jul 29 Duke Farneses troops ready for invasion of England
- Aug 12 Commander of the English fleet Lord Howard of Effingham calls off chase of the Spanish Armada off coast of Scotland
- Aug 12 Radboud Castle on Medemblik harbor in North Holland surrenders to the Spanish army
- Oct 23 Remnants of Medina Sidonia's Spanish Armada returns to Santander, Spain
- Dec 23 "The Day of the Dagger" Henry, Duke of Guise, leader of the Catholic League is assassinated by the bodyguards of King Henry III at the Château de Blois