The Armada sent by Philip II to invade England is defeated by the English navy at the Battle of Gravelines and scattered during its retreat.
The Gregorian calendar takes effect in Catholic countries: Julian 4 October 1582 is followed by 15 October.
King Henry IV issues an edict granting substantial religious rights to the Huguenots, ending the French Wars of Religion.
Queen Elizabeth I grants a royal charter to the East India Company, which later comes to rule much of the Indian subcontinent.
Thousands of Huguenot Protestants are killed in Paris and other French cities during the French Wars of Religion.
Miguel López de Legazpi takes Manila and makes it the capital of the Spanish Philippines.
The fleet of the Holy League, formed by Spain, Venice and the Papacy, defeats the Ottoman navy in the Gulf of Patras.