History
1578
General
Population: 523 Million*
- Entertainment: Writers include Guillaume de Salluste and Seigneur du Bartas (religious epic), Pierre de Ronsard (sonnets for Helene),
John Lyly, Jacques Cujas (commentaries on Roman Law),
- Deaths: Violin maker Andrea Amati, Sebastian king of Portugal, Don Juan of the Netherlands
Africa
- North: Moroccans defeat and kill Sebastian I of Portugal at al-Qasr al-Kabir (Alcazarquivr) (Al Kasr Al-kabil)
Americas
- Canada: England first attempts to colonize America in Newfoundland
Asia
- Japan: Otomo Yodhidhige – one chief ruler of Japan – converted to Christianity
Europe
- General: Elizabeth I offers to mediate between Don John of Austria and the Dutch
Duke of Parma subdues southern provinces of the Netherlands
- England: Earl of Leicester secretly marries Viscountess Hereford
Levant Trading Company founded in London for trade with Turkey
- France: English college of Douai removed to Rheims
Faience pottery opened in Nevers by the Conrade brothers
Work begun on Pont Neuf – oldest bridge over the Siene in Paris
- Holland: Death of Don Juan – Alessandro Farnese Duke of Parma succeeds him as Governor of Netherlands
- Italian States: Catacombs of Rome discovered
- Portugal: Sebastian king of Portugal killed at Alcazar during invasion of Morocco - Dies childless and is succeeded by Cardinal Henry
- Scotland: James VI takes over Scotland after Earl of Morton resigns regency
- Sweden: John III of Sweden secretly converted to Catholicism
Middle East
- Persia: Mohammed Khudabanda becomes Shah of Persia