1580

Events

• March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. They are published later the same year.
• September 26 - Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe
• 1580-1764 First session of Jewish Waad (Sejm of 4 countries) in Lublin, Poland. 70 delegates of Jewish local kahals met to discuss issue of taxations and other important for Jewish communities issues.
• Portugal loses independence to Spain following the death without heirs of king Henry of Portugal. The Habsburg rule would last until 1640.

Births

• April 18 - baptise of Thomas Middleton - English Elizabethan playwright
• Willebrord van Roijen Snell, Dutch mathematician.
• Frans Hals - Dutch painter, mainly of portraits.
• John Smith of Jamestown

Deaths

• Andrea Palladio
• August 1 - Albrecht Giese IV
• August 30 - Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy
• November 3 - Jeronimo Zurita y Castro