History
1588
General
Population: 530 Million*
- Entertainment: Writers include Robert Greene (romance), Marlowe Doctor Faustus, Montaigne (essays), Joachim Camerarius Hortus Medicus,
Timothy Bright (manual of shorthand),
Art includes Annibale Carracci (frescoes at Magnani Palace), Domenico Fontana (completes dome of St. Peter's in Rome
Music includes William Byrd (religious book of songs)
- Religion: Thomas Stapleton writes controversial Roman Catholic tract
William Morgan's translation of Bible published in Welsh
Jan Blahoslav's Czech translation of New Testament incorporated in Kralice Bible
- Deaths: Artist Paolo Veronese, Earl of Leicester Robert Dudley (Queen's boyfriend), Frederick II of Denmark,
Europe
- General: English fleet defeats Spanish armada aided by Atlantic/North Sea storms
- Denmark: Death of Frederick II - Christian IV rules
- England: English Guinea Company founded
English defeat Spanish Armada under Lord Howard, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins
- France: Henry Duke of Guise and brother Louis Cardinal of Guise assassinated by order of Henry III – another brother duke of Mayenne becomes leader of Catholic league
- Ireland: Famine and cannibalism
- Italian States: Vatican library opened in Rome
- Spain: Duke of Medina Disonia sails from Lisbon in command of Invincible Armada – defeated by English under Charles Howard
Philip II sent armada because Spain believed majority hated Elizabeth and wanted Catholicism
- Wales: Translation of Bible into Welsh helps save Welsh language
Middle East
- Persia: Accession of Shah Abbas I - Safavid Persia's greatest ruler