April 27, 1521★★★★★
Battle of Mactan
Warriors led by the chieftain Lapulapu defeat Ferdinand Magellan's men on Mactan island; Magellan is killed.
WarExplorationDeath· Philippines, Spain, Portugal
← Previous year with events: 1520Next year with events: 1522 →View on map →View the whole 16th century
Events this year
August 13, 1521★★★★★
Fall of Tenochtitlan
Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés and their Indigenous allies capture the Aztec capital.
War· Mexico
Ongoing
1206 – 1526★★★★★
Founding of the Delhi Sultanate
Qutb ud-Din Aibak establishes the Delhi Sultanate, which dominates much of northern India for over three centuries.
DynastyPolitics· India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
1351 – 1767★★★★★
Founding of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
King Ramathibodi I founds the capital of Ayutthaya, beginning a Siamese kingdom that lasts over four centuries.
DynastyPolitics· Thailand
c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★
The transatlantic slave trade
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.
Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
1501 – 1736★★★★★
Ismail I founds the Safavid dynasty
Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.
DynastyReligion· Iran, Azerbaijan
1520 – 1566★★★★★
Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.
DynastyPolitics· Turkey