Years: 1577 1578 1579 - 1580 - 1581 1582 1583

Decades: 1550s 1560s 1570s - 1580s - 1590s 1600s 1610s

Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century 1580 in science

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