- Jan 7 Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre (1555-72), mother of French King Henry IV (d. 1572)
- Mar 1 Albert V [the Generous], Duke of Bavaria (1550-79), born in Munich (d. 1579)
- Jun 21 Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress (1564-76), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1603)
- Jul 7 Anna of Austria, Duchess of Bavaria, daughter of Ferdinand I (d. 1590)
- Jul 8 Emanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy/governor of Netherland
- Oct 25 Seerp Galama, Dutch nobleman, soldier and politician, born in Koudum, Netherlands (d. 1581)
- Nov 2 Peter Lotichius Secundus [Peter Lotz], Neo latin poet (Collected Works), born in Schlüchtern, Hesse, Germany (d. 1560)
- Nov 12 Qi Jiguang, Chinese general (Ming Dynasty general who led defense against Wokou pirates and the Great Wall), born in Luqiao (d. 1588)