| January 15 | Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to Poland, loses access to Baltic |
| February 19 | Francis of Valois becomes duke of Brabant |
| February 24 | Pope Gregory XIII announces New Style (Gregorian) calendar |
| March 18 | Prince Willem of Orange injured in attack at Antwerp |
| April 3 | French van Valois honored as duke of Gelre/earl of Zutphen |
| June 20 | Bishop Domingo de Salazar of Manila suppresses the Philippines |
| July 22 | Willem van Orange moves from Antwerp to Delft |
| August 22 | King James IV of Scotland captured |
| August 23 | French van Valois pays tribute to earl of Flanders |
| October 4 | Last Julian calender day in Spain/Portugal/pontifical states |
| October 5 | Gregorian calendar introduced in Italy, other Catholic countries |
| October 15 | Many Catholic countries switch to Gregorian calendar, skip 10 days |
| November 27 | William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway |
| November 28 | Playwright and poet William Shakespeare weds Anne Hathaway |
| December 10 | France begins use of Gregorian calendar |
| December 14 | Zealand/Brabant Netherlands adopt Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is 12/25 |
| December 15 | Leidse university names Rembert Dodoens professor of botany/medicine |
| December 15 | Spanish Netherlands/Denmark/Norway adopt Gregorian calendar |
| December 21 | Flanders adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is Jan 1 1583 |
| December 25 | Zealand/Brabant adopts Gregorian calendar, yesterday was Dec 14th |
