1556
| Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
|---|---|
| Centuries: | 15th century – 16th century – 17th century |
| Decades: | 1520s 1530s 1540s – 1550s – 1560s 1570s 1580s |
| Years: | 1553 1554 1555 – 1556 – 1557 1558 1559 |
Events[change | change source]
- January 23 – Most devastating recorded earthquake in Shaanxi, China. Over 850,000 deaths.
Births[change | change source]
- January 8 – Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese samurai and warlord (died 1623)
- February 21 – Sethus Calvisius, German calendar reformer (d. 1615)
- March 7 – Guillaume du Vair, French statesman and philosopher (died 1621)
- June 6 – Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche (died 1625)
- November 15 – Jacques-Davy Duperron, French cardinal (died 1618)
- Henry Briggs, English mathematician (died 1630)
- Margaret Clitherow, English Catholic martyr (died 1586)
- Shibata Katsutoyo, Japanese military commander (died 1583)
- Nakagawa Kiyohide, Japanese military commander (died 1583)
- Ahmad Baba al Massufi, Sudanese writer and political leader
- James Melville, Scottish divine and reformer (died 1614)
- Maria of Nassau, second daughter of William the Silent (died 1616)