| January 31 | Catholic League disjoins |
| April 17 | Arch duke Albrecht of Austria occupies Calais |
| May 18 | Willem Barents leaves Amsterdam for Novaya Zemlya |
| May 26 | England, France and Netherlands signs Drievoudig Covenant against Spain |
| June 22 | Cornelis de Houtmans fleet reaches Banten Java |
| June 30 | English/Dutch fleet reach Cadiz |
| July 5 | English fleet under the earl of Essex plunder Cadiz |
| July 17 | At 10:30AM Dutch explorer Willem Barents arrives at Novaya Zemlya |
| August 3 | David Fabricius discovers light variation of Mira (1st variable star) |
| August 9 | Henry van Cuyk becomes bishop of Roermond |
| September 5 | Dutch fleet commander Cornelis de Houtman taken hostage in Java |
| September 7 | Dutch fleet bombs Banten Java |
| October 24 | Battle at Kerestes: Ottoman beat Austria-Hungary and Germany |
| October 25 | Spanish fleet sails from Lisbon to Ireland |
| October 31 | English/French/Dutch delegates sign anti-Spanish "Drievoudig Covenant" |
| November 29 | King Philip II devalues Spanish currency |
| December 22 | Ferryboat Meuniers crashes in Paris, 150 die |
