1569★★★★★
Bayinnaung conquers Ayutthaya
King Bayinnaung of Toungoo Burma captures Ayutthaya, making Siam a vassal within the largest empire in the history of mainland Southeast Asia.
War· Myanmar, Thailand
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Events this year
1569★★★★★
Union of Lublin creates the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania unite into a single federal state with a shared monarch and parliament.
TreatyPolitics· Poland, Lithuania
Ongoing
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
1533 – 1592★★★★★
Lê restoration: Southern and Northern dynasties
Lê loyalists led by Nguyễn Kim enthrone Lê Trang Tông, beginning a long civil war between the restored Lê and the Mạc.
WarDynasty· Vietnam
1568 – 1648★★★★★
Eighty Years' War (Dutch Revolt)
The Dutch provinces revolt against Spanish rule; the war ends with Spain recognising the independence of the Dutch Republic.
WarRevolution· Netherlands, Belgium, Spain