History
1580
General
Population: 524 Million*
- Entertainment: Writers include Johann Fischart (against Jesuits), Jan Kochanowski (Polish laments), John Bodin (against witchcraft),
François de la Noue (Huguenot views of Wars of Religion), Michel de Montaigne (essays), John Stow (Chronicles of England)
Music includes English folk tune "Greensleeves" mentioned for the first time
- Exploration: Sir Francis Drake completes circumnavigation
- Deaths: Portuguese ruler Cardinal Henry, Dramatist John Heywood, Architect Andrea Palladio, Poet Luis Vas de Camoens
Africa
- General: Drought in W Central AFR
Americas
- Argentina: Founding of Buenos Aires
Asia
- India: Moguls (India) invade Afghanistan
- Japan: Exclusion of Portuguese from Japan
Europe
- General: Italian cooking predominant in Europe
- Czechoslovakia: According to legend, Rabbi Löw of Prague makes a golem
- England: Last performance of a miracle play in Coventry
Robert Smythson creates Willaton Hall near Nottingham
Earthquake in London
Jesuits Edmund Campion and Robert Parsons land in England and begin Jesuit mission
Francis Drake returns to England from voyage of circumnavigation
New buildings banned in London to restrict growth of city
- France: Seventh French War of Religion breaks out
- Holland: Jan Sweelinck made organist at Dude Kerk in Amsterdam
- Italian States: Venice imports coffee from Turkey to Italy
- Portugal: Portuguese ruler Cardinal Henry dies without heir – Philip II of Spain the old king's uncle invades - Spain unites with Portugal for 60 years
- Russia: Ivan IV the Terrible kills son and heir with his own hands
- Scotland: St. Giles Kirke in Scotland partitioned by reformers
- Spain: Spanish invade Portugal under Duke of Alba
Middle East
- General: Moguls (India) invade Afghanistan