History
1585
General
Population: 528 Million*
- Entertainment: Writers include Cervantes (pastoral romance), Battista Guarini (pastoral play), Shakespeare leaves Stratford on Avon for London,
Lucan Janszoon Waghearen (sailing directions)
Art includes Veronese "Apotheosis of Venice"
- Exploration: John Davis discovers Davis Strait between Canada and Greenland
- Religion: Death of Pope Gregory XIII – Cardinal Felice Peretti of Grottammare becomes Pope Sixtus V
- Science: Simon Stevin formulates law of equilibrium
- Technology: Bartholomew Newsam constructs first English traveling and standing clocks
- Deaths: Composer Thomas Tallis, Pope Gregory XIII, Poet Pierre de Ronstard
Asia
- Japan: Hideyoshi sets up dictatorship
Europe
- General: Henry III of France and Elizabeth I of England decline sovereignty of the Netherlands but Elizabeth I takes Netherlands under her protection
Elizabeth I of England aids the Dutch against Spain - sends Drake to raid West Indies
- England: Sir Francis Drake attacks Vigo and Danto Domingo on Elizabeth's orders
English actor Edward Alleyn becomes head of Lord Chamberlain's Men and the Lord Admiral's Company
- France: Start of the War of Three Henrys in FRA until 1589 between Henri of Navarre, Henri of Guise and Henri III (War of Three Henrys)
- Holland: Antwerp loses importance as international port to Rotterdam and Amsterdam
Antwerp sacked by Spain - Merchants and bankers move to Amsterdam – Dutch use first time bombs at siege
- Holy Roman Empire: Jesuit U founded in Graz, Austria
- Italian States: Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza opened
- Scotland: Regents rule
South
- North Carolina: Roanoke colony set up by Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Richard Grenville