A 16TH CENTURY TIMELINE
By Tim Lambert
1485
Henry VII becomes king.
1491
Henry VIII is born.
1509
Henry VII dies. Henry VIII becomes king.
Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon
1511 The Mary Rose is launched
1513 The English win the battle of Flodden against the Scots
1533 Henry divorces Catherine of Aragon. He marries Anne Boleyn
1534 Henry VIII makes himself head of the Church of England
1536
The Pilgrimage of Grace. (An uprising in the North of England).
Anne Boleyn is beheaded
Henry marries Jane Seymour
1536-1540 Henry VIII closes the monasteries and confiscates their property
1537 Jane Seymour dies
1540 Henry marries Anne of Cleves but quickly divorces the 'great Flanders mare'
Henry marries Kathryn Howard
1542
The battle of Solway Moss. The English defeat the Scots.
Kathryn Howard is beheaded
1543 Henry marries Catherine Parr
1545 The Mary Rose sinks
1547
Henry VIII dies. Edward VI becomes king.
The Duke of Somerset is made Lord Protector
1549
An Act of Uniformity imposes a Book of Common Prayer
The Duke of Northumberland becomes Lord Protector
1552 The Duke of Somerset is executed
1553 Edward VI dies. Mary becomes queen.
1554 Lady Jane Grey is beheaded
1555-1558
Queen Mary persecutes Protestants. Nearly 300 people are burned to death for 'heresy'.
1558 Queen Mary (also known as 'Bloody Mary') dies. Elizabeth I becomes queen.
C. 1560 to C. 1640
'The Great Rebuilding'. Stone and brick replace most wooden houses. Chimneys and glass windows become common.
1570 The Pope excommunicates Queen Elizabeth
1573 The architect Inigo Jones is born
1576 The first theatre opens in London
1577-1580 Francis Drake sails around the world
1587 Mary Queen of Scots is beheaded
1588 The Spanish Armada is defeated
1596 Francis Drake dies
To read a timeline of English history click here.