Why Famous:Daughter of Henry VIII and the last of the Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth I ruled England and Ireland from 1558 till her death in 1603.
After the upheavals of previous reigns, hers was marked by prosperity and stability. The so called Elizabethan era was famous for its playwrights (William Shakespeare) and exploration (Francis Drake).
Her navy also won a famous victory against the Spanish Armada.
1569-10-01 Duke of Norfolk arrested by Queen Elizabeth I for conspiring to marry Mary Queen of Scots
1570-02-25 Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and persecution of English Catholics during her reign. Also absolves her subjects from allegiance to the crown.
1571-01-23 Queen Elizabeth I of England opens Royal Exchange in London
1575-01-22 English Queen Elizabeth I grants Thomas Tallis & William Byrd music press monopoly
1578-03-10 Queen Elizabeth I of England gives Johan Casimir £20,000 to aid Dutch rebellion
1579-08-17 Francois of Anjou visits English Queen Elizabeth I
1587-02-08Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle aged 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I in the Babington Plot
1597-04-23William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance
1603-03-24 Scottish King James VI son of Mary Queen of Scots, becomes King James I of England in succession to Elizabeth I, thus joining the English and Scottish crowns