- Jan 1 Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of 25 March.
Event of Interest
Feb 4 Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler meet for the first time near Prague
Tycho Brahe
Johannes Kepler
- Feb 8 Vatican convicts scholar Giordano Bruno to death
- Feb 17 Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori in Rome, charged with heresy by the Roman Inquisition
- Feb 19 Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in South American recorded history
- Mar 20 The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden
- Apr 21 1st date in James Clavell's novel Shogun (OS)
- Jul 1 Prince Maurits' army occupies Newport Flanders Netherlands
- Jul 2 Battle at Newport: Earl Mauritius van Nassau beats Spanish Army
Event of Interest
Aug 6 Henry IV of France invades Savoy after negotiations break down over Saluzzo, controlled by Savoy since 1588
- Sep 15 Battle of Sekigahara, rise of the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan
- Oct 8 San Marino adopts constitution
- Oct 16 Olivier van Noorts ships reach Philippines
- Oct 20 Battle of Sekigahara sets Tokugawa clan as Japan's rulers (shoguns)
- Dec 14 Olivier van Noort sinks Spanish galleon San Diego at Bay of Manila, 350 die
- Dec 31 British East India Company chartered