List Of Famous People Of The 16th Century

The 16th century is regarded by several historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred. European nations were widely exploring the hitherto unexplored corners of the Earth and opened newer trade routes. Sir Francis Drake, Francisco de Orellana, Fernão Mendes Pinto, and Luis Váez de Torres were among the prominent navigators and explorers who were born in the century. The era also saw the birth of several famous rulers and emperors including Akbar the Great-third Mughal emperor, Charles V-Holy Roman Emperor, Edward VI of England, and Henry IV of France and Navarre. Fine arts also thrived during this period which saw the emergence of artists like Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Giorgio Vasari, and Juan de Herrera. Musicians and composers including Felice Anerio, Adriano Banchieri, Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia, and Claudio Merulo lived during this period. Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler made important mathematical discoveries while the likes of Michael Servetus and Francisco Suarez enriched the field of philosophy. The people of the 16th century played very significant role in shaping the world as it is today. Read on to learn more about the life and works of famous people of the 16th century.

Vote for Your Favourite People Of The 16th Century

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 

(English Playwright & Poet Who is Regarded as the Greatest Writer in the English Language)

Birthdate: April 26, 1564

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Died: April 23, 1616

English playwright, poet, and actor William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He is also often called England's national poet. Many of his works have been translated into other languages and his plays continue to be produced till day. Popular during his lifetime, he acquired an iconic status after his death.

 2 

(Italian Polymath & Artist Known for His Paintings: ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘The Last Supper’ and ‘Virgin of the Rocks’)

Birthdate: April 15, 1452

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Anchiano, Italy

Died: May 2, 1519

Widely regarded as one of the greatest painters ever, Leonardo da Vinci was an extremely talented polymath. While his work The Mona Lisa became the most famous portrait, his drawing The Vitruvian Man became a cultural icon. A man well ahead of his time, Leonardo is also known for his notes on science and invention.

 3 

(Known as “Father” of Observational Astronomy who Invented the ‘Thermoscope’ and Various Military Compasses)

Birthdate: February 15, 1564

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Pisa, Italy

Died: January 8, 1642

An Italian astronomer, engineer, and physicist, Galileo Galilei is widely regarded as the father of observational astronomy, the father of the scientific method, the father of modern physics, and the father of modern science. He is credited with popularizing the telescope, which changed the course of history.

 4 

(Regarded as the Most Accomplished Artist of His Era (High Renaissance))

Birthdate: March 6, 1475

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Caprese Michelangelo, Italy

Died: February 18, 1564

Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo was a prominent figure of the High Renaissance. He is credited to have influenced the Western art in unprecedented ways. He is widely regarded as the greatest artist of his age and one of the greatest artists of all time. He was equally revered and respected as an architect.

 5 

(German Theologian, Religious Reformer and Key Figure in Protestant Reformation)

Birthdate: November 10, 1483

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Eisleben, Germany

Died: February 18, 1546

German monk Martin Luther challenged the dogmas of Roman Catholicism and the authority of the pope, in his Ninety-five Theses, and was thus excommunicated. His German translation of the Bible enriched the German culture, and his marriage set an example for clerical marriage. His teachings are now known as Lutherans.

Birthdate: September 7, 1533

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Palace of Placentia

Died: March 24, 1603

Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, ruled as the Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603. She had been declared illegitimate after her mother’s execution. Nicknamed The Virgin Queen for her unmarried status, she established an English Protestant church and served as its governor.

Birthdate: June 19, 1566

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Died: March 27, 1625

King James I of England and Ireland was also the king of Scotland as James VI. Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, he believed in royal absolutism. He had major conflicts with the Parliament and its ever-growing powers, which eventually led to revolts against his successor, Charles I.

Birthdate: December 8, 1542

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, Scotland

Died: February 8, 1587

Mary, Queen of Scots was the ruler of Scotland till 24 July 1567. After an uprising against her, Mary sought protection from her first cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. However, the Queen perceived her as a threat and kept Mary in confinement for eighteen and a half years. Ultimately Mary was beheaded for plotting to assassinate the Queen.

Birthdate: June 28, 1491

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kent, England

Died: January 28, 1547

Henry VIII, the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty, ruled England from 1509 to 1547. He married six times, leading to differences with the Roman Catholic Church, which prohibited divorce, thus forming the Anglican Church. The "father of the Royal Navy," he was known for his tyranny and extravagance.

Birthdate: May 3, 1469

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: June 22, 1527

Italian Renaissance philosopher, diplomat, and author Niccolò Machiavelli is remembered for his work The Prince. He believed that the end or the intention behind any action justifies the action. He gave rise to the term Machiavellianism, which signifies the use of deceit and treachery to achieve one’s goals. 

Birthdate: April 13, 1570

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: York

Died: January 31, 1606

Guy Fawkes was a member of an infamous group which unsuccessfully plotted the murder of King James I. The plot, which came to be known as the Gunpowder Plot, became popular and Guy Fawkes became synonymous with the plot. The failure of the plot has been commemorated as Guy Fawkes Night, during which Fawkes' effigy is burned on a bonfire.

Birthdate: February 19, 1473

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Toruń, Poland

Died: May 24, 1543

Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with formulating Heliocentrism, which led to the Copernican Revolution. Although Aristarchus of Samos had formulated Heliocentrism 18 centuries earlier, Copernicus was responsible for popularizing it. Copernicus is also credited with formulating an economic principle, which was later called Gresham's law.

Birthdate: January 28, 1457

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Died: April 21, 1509

Henry VII of England played an important role in popularizing the House of Tudor by becoming the first monarch of the house; he ruled as the king of England from 1485 until his death in 1509. He is credited with several economic, diplomatic, and administrative initiatives.

Birthdate: May 21, 1527

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Valladolid, Spain

Died: September 13, 1598

Philip II, son of Charles V, was a 16-th century king of Spain and Portugal. Also known as Philip the Prudent, he became the king of Ireland and England through his marriage to Mary I. Following Mary’s death, he attempted to overthrow Elizabeth I with his armada invasions, but failed.

 15 

(Queen Consort of England from 1533 to 1536)

Birthdate: 1507 AD

Birthplace: Hever Castle, Kent, England

Died: May 19, 1536

The queen of England from 1533 to 1536, Anne Boleyn played an important role in the political and religious upheaval that led to the beginning of the English Reformation. She is widely regarded as the most important and influential queen consort of England. She was charged with adultery, incest, and treason and was executed by beheading in 1536.

Birthdate: August 7, 1560

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Nyírbátor, Hungary

Died: August 21, 1614

Known as The Blood Countess and Countess Dracula, Elizabeth Báthory was a Hungarian noblewoman who was accused of killing at least 650 young women from 1590 to 1610. She was also accused of cannibalism and bathing in the blood of her victims. She evaded punishment and died in house arrest.

Birthdate: November 6, 1494

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Trabzon, Turkey

Died: September 6, 1566

Suleiman The Magnificent ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566 and was instrumental in the empire’s expansion, leading the conquests of Belgrade, Rhodes, and Hungary. He was a patron of art and culture, and a talented poet and goldsmith himself. He married Roxelana, a Christian-turned-Muslim from his harem.

 18 

(French Astrologer and Physician Best Known for His Book 'Les Prophéties')

Birthdate: December 21, 1503

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

Died: July 2, 1566

Nostradamus was a French physician, astrologer, and respected seer whose book Les Prophéties is viewed as a document that predicts future events. Since the publication of the book, Nostradamus has been praised for his accurate predictions of major world events. His life has been the subject of several films and hundreds of books.

 19 

(Italian Painter and Architect of the High Renaissance)

Birthdate: April 6, 1483

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Urbino, Italy

Died: April 6, 1520

Italian painter and architect Raphael, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, formed the great trio who ushered in the High Renaissance. He is mostly known for his frescoes of the Vatican Palace and The School of Athens. He also designed the Chigi Chapel, among other structures in Rome.

 20 

(Philosopher, Statesman and Lord High Chancellor of England)

Birthdate: January 22, 1561

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: The Strand, London, England

Died: April 9, 1626

Francis Bacon was a Renaissance philosopher and author who was known as the Father of Empiricism, because of his belief in the scientific method and theory that scientific knowledge can only be created through inductive reasoning and experience. He was later knighted and served as the first Queen's counsel.

Birthdate: October 12, 1537

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: London, England

Died: July 6, 1553

Edward VI of England served as the King of England and Ireland from 1547 until his death at the age of 15 in 1553. Edward VI, who took interest in religious matters, allowed Protestantism to be established in England during his reign. His reign also witnessed the introduction of written works that formed the basis for practices of the English Church.

Birthdate: December 16, 1485

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Alcala de Henares, Spain

Died: January 7, 1536

Catherine of Aragon was one of the most popular English royal consorts of all time. A patron of Renaissance humanism, she gained widespread admiration for starting a program for the relief of the poor. A woman who was ahead of her time, Catherine commissioned The Education of a Christian Woman, a controversial book promoting women's right to education.

Birthdate: April 13, 1519

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: January 5, 1589

Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who played a key role in the political affairs of France during the rule of her sons, a period which came to be known as the age of Catherine de' Medici. Catherine is credited with saving the monarchy from deposition during the French Wars of Religion. 

Birthdate: March 9, 1454

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Florence

Died: February 22, 1512

Amerigo Vespucci was a merchant, navigator, and explorer. Credited with participating in two major voyages of the Age of Discovery, Vespucci's claim that the New World represented a new continent inspired cartographers to associate the name America (a Latinized form of his first name) to the newly discovered continents.

Birthdate: February 24, 1500

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Ghent

Died: September 21, 1558

Charles V served as the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Italy, and King of Germany from 1519 to 1556. From 1516 to 1556, he ruled as the King of Spain. His personal union of the American and European territories was the first collection of kingdoms that were described the empire on which the Sun never sets.

Birthdate: January 19, 1544

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Fontainebleau, France

Died: December 5, 1560

Francis II, son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, reigned as the king of France from 1559 to 1560. He took over the throne at age 15, after his father’s death. His reign witnessed conflicts between the Protestants and the Catholics, including coups such as the Amboise Conspiracy.

Birthdate: June 23, 1534

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Died: June 21, 1582

Oda Nobunaga was a 16th-century Japanese leader of the Sengoku period. Known as the “Great Unifier" of Japan, he overthrew Ashikaga Yoshiaki and dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate. He also crushed the Ikkō-ikki rebels and conquered Honshu. He was later ambushed and forced to commit “seppuku,” a form of ritual suicide.

 28 

( Spanish Conquistador Who Led an Expedition that Caused the Fall of the Aztec Empire)

Birthdate: 1485 AD

Birthplace: Medellín, Spain

Died: December 2, 1547

Spanish "Conquistador" Hernán Cortés was one of the pioneers of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. He conquered the Aztec Empire and helped bring a massive portion of Mexico under the King of Castile’s rule in 16th century. As a reward, he was named the Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca.

 29 

(French Theologian, Pastor and Reformer in Geneva During the Protestant Reformation)

Birthdate: July 10, 1509

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Noyon, France

Died: May 27, 1564

French theologian, pastor, and reformer John Calvin was a major figure during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. He was influential in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church to embrace Protestantism. As an apologetic writer, he generated much controversy.

 30 

(Former Queen Consort of England (January 1540 - July 1540))

Birthdate: September 22, 1515

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Düsseldorf, Germany

Died: July 16, 1557

Anne of Cleves was the Queen of England for 6 months in 1540, as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Their unconsummated marriage deprived led to the annulment of the marriage, following which she received a settlement and came to be known as the King's Beloved Sister.

Birthdate: December 27, 1571

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Weil der Stadt, Germany

Died: November 15, 1630

This 17th-century German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer is remembered for his pathbreaking work on optics. He invented a developed version of the refracting telescope. He also laid down Kepler's laws of planetary motion and wrote Astronomia Nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae.

Birthdate: February 11, 1466

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: London, England

Died: February 11, 1503

Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV and wife of Henry VII of the Tudor Dynasty, was the queen consort of England from 1486 until 1503. She and Henry got married after Henry won at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1486, thus ending the Wars of the Roses. 

 33 

(One of the Most Prominent Italian Painters of His Generation)

Birthdate: September 29, 1571

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Milan, Italy

Died: July 18, 1610

Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is best remembered for his influence on the Baroque style of painting. He pioneered a tactic known as tenebrism, and combined light and darkness to create his masterpieces. He was known for his erratic and aggressive nature and died under mysterious circumstances.

 34 

(Best Known for His Circumnavigation of the World in a Single Expedition)

Birthdate: 1540 AD

Birthplace: Tavistock, Devon, England

Died: January 28, 1596

Francis Drake was an English explorer and naval officer. He is remembered for his Raiding Expedition, a prominent historical maritime event which unfolded between 1577 and 1580. Although Drake is considered a hero in the United Kingdom, his privateering led the Spanish to refer to him as a pirate. His expedition has also had a major cultural impact in Britain.

Birthdate: December 13, 1553

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Pau, France

Died: May 14, 1610

Henry IV of France reigned as the King of France from 2 August 1589 until his death on 14 May 1610. Remembered for his concern about the welfare of the people of France, Henry worked to eliminate corruption, promote agriculture, encourage education, and regularize state finance. The character of Ferdinand in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost was loosely based on Henry.

Birthdate: 1474 AD

Birthplace: Santervás de Campos

Died: June 30, 1521

Spanish explorer and conquistador Juan Ponce de León was the first governor of Puerto Rico but had to give away the governorship to Christopher Columbus's son, Diego. Juan led the first European expedition to Florida. He was knighted by King Ferdinand but died in an attempt to colonize coastal U.S.

Birthdate: 1512

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: London

Died: September 7, 1548

Catherine Parr, the most-married English queen, was the queen of England and Ireland from 1543 to 1547, as the last wife of King Henry VIII. She influenced the passing of the 1543 Third Succession Act. She was also the first English queen to publish a book using her own name.

 38 

(Japanese Swordsman and Philosopher Who Became Popular Through His Unique Double-Bladed Swordsmanship)

Birthdate: 1584 AD

Birthplace: Harima Province, Japan

Died: June 13, 1645

Miyamoto Musashi was a Japanese swordsman, writer, strategist, and philosopher. Widely regarded as a Kensei, Musashi became famous through his stories of bravery, which involves his undefeated streak of 61 duels. He is also credited with founding the Niten Ichi-ryū school of swordsmanship. His life has inspired several films, TV series, stage plays, and video games.

Birthdate: February 18, 1516

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Palace of Placentia, England

Died: November 17, 1558

Mary I, the queen of England from 1553-1558, is remembered as the ruler who sought to return England to the Catholic Church. She persecuted many Protestants and got nearly 300 of them burned at the stake. Most of them were common citizens. Many also died in prison and hundreds fled the country. This earned her the ignominious nickname ‘Bloody Mary’.

 40 

(English Philosopher and One of the Founders of Modern Political Philosophy)

Birthdate: April 5, 1588

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Westport, Wiltshire, England

Died: December 4, 1679

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher. Widely regarded as the co-founder of modern political philosophy, Hobbes is best known for his influential book Leviathan. Apart from political philosophy, Thomas Hobbes also contributed immensely to various other fields, such as ethics, theology, geometry, history, and jurisprudence.

 41 

(German High Renaissance Painter Best Known for His Work ‘Meisterstiche’)

Birthdate: May 21, 1471

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Nuremberg, Germany

Died: April 6, 1528

Albrecht Durer was a German painter, theorist, and printmaker of the German Renaissance. During his 20s, Durer established his reputation as a popular printmaker across Europe, thanks to his high-quality woodcut prints. His popularity enabled him to work with major Italian artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Bellini, and Raphael. Albrecht Durer also influenced generations of artists, especially in printmaking.

Birthdate: 1445 AD

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: May 17, 1510

Italian painter Sandro Botticelli was one of the most influential figures of the Early Renaissance. His works later influenced the Pre-Raphaelites. He is best known for his iconic works Primavera and The Birth of Venus and his versions of the Madonna and Child. He also painted the Sistine Chapel.

Birthdate: September 29, 1547

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Alcalá de Henares, Spain

Died: April 22, 1616

Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish writer best known for his work Don Quixote, which is considered one of the high points of world literature. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists of all time and the greatest writer to ever write in the Spanish language. His works have influenced other works of art like music and paintings.

Birthdate: 1521 AD

Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom

Died: February 13, 1542

Catherine Howard, England’s queen consort from 1540 until 1541, was Henry VIII’s fifth wife. She was a cousin of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. In November 1541, Catherine was stripped of the queen’s title and imprisoned. She was later beheaded on charges of adultery with her cousin Thomas Culpeper.

 45 

(English Statesman, Soldier, Writer, Explorer and One of the Most Notable Figures of the Elizabethan Era)

Birthdate: 1552 AD

Birthplace: Hayes Barton,United Kingdom, United Kingdom

Died: October 29, 1618

English explorer Walter Raleigh is best remembered for his involvement in the Siege of Smerwick and for colonizing North America. He made smoking tobacco popular in England. His accounts of his first voyage to South America led to the legend of El Dorado. He was executed to please the Spanish.

 46 

(3rd Emperor of the Mughal Empire (1556 - 1605))

Birthdate: October 25, 1542

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Umarkot, Pakistan

Died: October 27, 1605

Akbar, the third Mughal emperor, played an important role in inculcating Persian culture into the Indian subcontinent. Akbar is considered one of the most important rulers of the Mughal Empire, an empire that seeped foreign ideas and culture into medieval India, the effects of which are still visible in modern-day India, especially in the northern parts of the country.

Birthdate: October 23, 1491

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Azpeitia, Spain

Died: July 31, 1556

Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a  Spanish Basque Catholic priest and theologian in the 16th century. He was one of the founders of the religious order called the Society of Jesus and served as its first Superior General at Paris. He was an inspired spiritual director and the founder of what is today known as "Ignatian spirituality."

Birthdate: 1466 AD

Birthplace: Tenochtitlan, Mexico

Died: June 29, 1520

Birthdate: June 15, 1479

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: July 15, 1542

 50 

(One of the Greatest Venetian Artists of the 16th-Century)

Birthdate: 1488 AD

Birthplace: Pieve di Cadore, Italy

Died: August 27, 1576

Trained by Giovanni Bellini as a boy, Titian also joined hands with Giorgione to work on a number of frescoes. The Renaissance artist is regarded as one of the key figures of the Venetian school and is remembered for his masterpieces such as the three miracles of Anthony of Padua.