Martin Luther publishes his Ninety-five Theses against indulgences, sparking the Protestant Reformation.
Date given in the Julian calendar.
Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.
Michelangelo paints the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican, including The Creation of Adam.
Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the Mona Lisa in Florence, which later becomes the world's most famous painting.
From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.
A Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches the coast of Brazil, beginning Portugal's claim to and colonization of the land.
The English Parliament passes the Act of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England and breaking with papal authority.