1553
Mary I Takes the Throne
After the brief, nine-day usurpation by Lady Jane Grey, Catherine of Aragon's daughter Mary rode triumphantly into London on a wave of popular support.
Willoughby and Chancellor Seek a Northeast Passage
A London joint-stock company sent three ships into the Arctic to find a sea route to China around the top of Russia.
Servetus Burned at Geneva
The Spanish physician Michael Servetus, who had denied the Trinity and discovered the pulmonary circulation of the blood, was burned alive outside Geneva…
Chancellor Reaches Ivan the Terrible
The English navigator Richard Chancellor, blown off course in search of the Northeast Passage, landed at the White Sea and journeyed overland to Moscow.
Edward VI Dies of Tuberculosis
The fifteen-year-old Protestant king of England died at Greenwich after months of coughing blood.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1553?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1553. The most significant is Mary I Takes the Throne: After the brief, nine-day usurpation by Lady Jane Grey, Catherine of Aragon's daughter Mary rode triumphantly into London on a wave of popular support.
What era was 1553 part of?
1553 falls within the Renaissance (1501-1650). Reformation, conquest, and the world drawn whole.
Which regions saw notable events in 1553?
The events from 1553 span Europe.