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Apr 21, 1509
Henry VII death
The very fact that Henry Tudor became King of England at all is somewhat of a miracle. His claim to the English throne was tenuous at best. His father was Edmund Tudor, a Welshman of Welsh royal lineage, but that was not too important as far as his claim to the English throne went. What was important though was his heritage through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of Edward III. This descent from King Edward was through his third son, John of Gaunt. -
Jul 10, 1509
John Calvin is born
The French religious reformer John Calvin created a strict version of Protestantism, which originally arose in opposition to the Catholic Church. He is known for his belief in predestination (meaning God has already chosen who will and will not be saved) and his view of the state as enforcer of church laws. -
Jan 28, 1547
End of Reign of Henry VIII of England
Henry Tudor was born the second son (but the only one to survive to adulthood) of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York on June 28, 1491. In an age where primogeniture still reigned supreme, being a younger son, even that of a king, could be difficult. -
Jul 6, 1553
Edward Tudor VI Death
Edward was initially placed in the care of Margaret Bryan, "lady mistress" of the prince's household. She was succeeded by Blanche Herbert, Lady Troy. The formal royal household established around Edward was, at first, under Sir William Sidney, and later Sir Richard Page, stepfather of Edward Seymour's wife, Anne Stanhope. Henry demanded exacting standards of security and cleanliness in his son's household, stressing that Edward was "this whole realm's most precious jewel". -
Nov 17, 1558
Elizabeth I Queen of England becomes Queen
Elizabeth's life was troubled from the moment she was born. Henry VIII had changed the course of his country's history in order to marry Anne Boleyn, hoping that she would bear him the strong and healthy son that Catherine of Aragon never did. But, on September 7, 1533 in Greenwich Palace, Anne bore Elizabeth instead.Anne did eventually conceive a son, but he was stillborn. By that point, Henry had begun to grow tired of Anne and began to orchestrate her downfall. -
Apr 23, 1564
William Shakespeare
The baptismal register of the Holy Trinity parish church, in Stratford, shows the following entry for April 26, 1564: Gulielmus filius Johannes Shakespeare. The actual date of Shakespeare's birth is not known, but, traditionally, April 23, St George's Day, has been Shakespeare's accepted birthday, and a house on Henley Street in Stratford, owned by William's father, John, is accepted as Shakespeare's birth place. However, the reality is that no one really knows when the great dramatist was born. -
Jun 19, 1566
James I is born
James was born on 19 June 1566 in Edinburgh Castle. His mother was Mary, Queen of Scots and his father her second husband, Lord Darnley. Darnley was murdered in February 1567. In July Mary was forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son. James's tutor, the historian and poet George Buchanan, was a positive influence and James was a capable scholar. A succession of regents ruled the kingdom until 1576, when James became nominal ruler, although he did not actually take control until 1581. -
Jul 24, 1567
Mary Queen of Scots forced to abdicate
During her imprisonment at Lochleven Castle in Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son, later crowned King James VI of Scotland. -
Mary Queen of Scots beheaded
On February 8, 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded for treason. Her son, King James VI of Scotland, calmly accepted his mother's execution, and upon Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603 he became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. -
Spanish Armada sighted off the Lizard
The Spanish Armada was a great fleet of ships launched by the Spanish in 1588.There were many reasons for war between Spain and England. In 1562 John Hawkins started the English slave trade. He transported slaves from Guinea to the West Indies.However in 1568 the Spaniards attacked Hawkins and his men while their ships were in harbour in Mexico. Hawkins and his cousin Francis Drake then began an undeclared war against Spain.
