- Jan 21 Act of Uniformity passed by the English Parliament requiring clergy use The Book of Common Prayer
- Feb 10 Tomé de Sousa appointed as the 1st Governor-General of Brazil
- Mar 29 The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded
Book of Common Prayer
Jun 9 Book of Common Prayer is adopted by the Church of England
- Jul 12 Kett's uprising occupies Norwich, England
- Jul 17 Jews are expelled from Ghent, Belgium
- Jul 27 1st Christian missionary in Japan, Jesuit priest Francis Xavier reaches Japan but is not permitted to enter any port until 15 August
- Aug 8 Henry II of France declares war on England and orders the siege of Boulogne
- Aug 12 French troops conquer Ambleteuse, in the Pas-de-Calais, and kill all the English prisoners.
- Aug 15 Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: July 22, 1549)
- Aug 27 Battle of Dussindale: John Dudley Earl of Warwick destroys Robert Kett's army, ending Kett's rebellion in Norfolk, England
- Sep 13 Pope Paul III signs Council of Bologna
- Oct 10 Duke of Somerset fired as Lord Protector & imprisoned
- Oct 12 John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, forces the Duke of Somerset out of his office as Lord Protector.