| January 16 | Emperor Karel appoints his son Philip II, king of Spain |
| January 23 | Most deadly earthquake kills 830,000 in Shensi Province, China |
| January 24 | Heavy earthquake strikes Shaaxi China, kills 830,000 |
| January 27 | Willem of Orange becomes knight of Guilder Flies |
| February 5 | Kings Henri I and Philip II sign Treaty of Vaucelles |
| February 14 | Archbishop Thomas Cranmer declared a heretic |
| March 22 | Cardinal Reginald Pole becomes archbishop of Canterbury |
| March 28 | Karel V's son Philip II crowned king of Spain |
| March 28 | Origin of Fasli Era (India) |
| April 13 | Portuguese Marranos who revert back to Judaism burned by order of Pope |
| September 9 | Pope Paul IV refuses to crown Ferdinand of Austria emperor |
| September 12 | Emperor Charles resigns, his brother Ferdinand van Austria takes over |
| September 13 | Charles V and Maria of Hungary march into Spain |
| September 15 | Vlissingen ex-emperor Charles V returns to Spain |
| October 17 | Ex-emperor Karel departs Netherland for Spain |
| November 5 | Akbar (14) succeeds his father Humajun on as Sultan of Delhi |
| November 5 | Battle at Panipat: Mogollegers beat hindu leader Hemu |
| November 23 | King Philip II confers with Dutch financial experts |
