1556

Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century

Decades: 1500s 1510s 1520s 1530s 1540s - 1550s - 1560s 1570s 1580s 1590s 1600s

Years: 1551 1552 1553 1554 1555 - 1556 - 1557 1558 1559 1560 1561

• January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand succeeds to the Imperial title.
• January 23 - The deadliest earthquake in history kills 830,000 people in Shanxi Province, China.
• February - Truce of Vaucelles[?] - Temporary end to the fighting between France and Spain.
• February 14 - Thomas Cranmer is declared a heretic
• March 21 - In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake for treason.
• November - Collapse of the Truce of Vaucelles. War resumes between Henry II of France and Philip II of Spain

Births

• Adriaen de Vries[?], Dutch sculptor
• Guillaume du Vair[?], French statesman and philosopher

Deaths

• Tullia d'Aragona[?], Italian courtesan and writer adopted by modern feminists
• March 21 - Thomas Cranmer, English bishop (executed)
• July 31 - St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order
• Saito Dosan, daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japan.