1540s births

English sailor and privateer (c. 1540 – 1596)

English physician, physicist and natural philosopher (1544-1603)

Flemish mathematician, physicist and engineer (1548–1620)

Mariam-uz-Zamani (; 1545– 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai, was the chief consort, principal wife and the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-serving Hindu empress of the Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty-three years (1562–1605).

Italian painter (1539-1609)

samurai of the Sengoku era; famous as ninja master

British artist (1547-1619)

French historian (1540–1614)

Italian poet and courtesan (1546-1591)

German writer (1546-1591)

French tragic poet

Italian diplomat and academic

English mathematician and astronomer (c.1546–1595)

Italian composer

daimyo

Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Selim II and his wife Nurbanu Sultan

Paramount chief of Tsenacommacah (1549-1618)

Carniolan minister and translator

Empress consort of the Mughal Empire

Italian composer

Polish historian

Ottoman princess, daughter of Selim II

Spanish explorer (1548-1623)

Italian composer and organist

Ottoman grand vizier (1544–1606)

French noblewoman (1546-1582); third wife of William the Silent (1546-1582)

Croatian revolutionary from 16th century

Milanese painter of the Cinquecento (c.1540-c.1596)

Second wife of Cosimo I de' Medici

Italian actor (ca. 1548-1624)

Italian composer

Italian composer

architect of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul

Spanish archbishop

historian

Florentine painter (1542-1596)

Portuguese colonial administrator and Grand Master of the Order of Saint John

Dutch navigator and astronomer

Flemish painter and graphic designer (1548-1628)

Franco-Flemish composer

daimyo

English painter (1540-1596)

Belarusian noble and writer

Italian composer of the Renaissance, born 1548 or 1549, died 29 July 1621 (1549–1621)

German playwright and author

Czech and Polish genealogist, historian and writer

German Catholic bishop and theologian

Chinese courtesan, painter, poet, and composer (1548-1604)

French duke

English author and translator 1540?-1594

Faroese naval hero, trader and privateer

Spanish military commander, diplomat and writer (1540-1604)

Flemish painter (1543-1589)

(died October 17, 1624), formerly known as , , , was an aristocrat and Buddhist nun, founder of the temple Kōdai-ji in Kyoto, Japan. She was formerly the principal samurai wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi under the name of . When she rose in higher political status, she took the title of "Kita no mandokoro". As the matriarch figure of the Toyotomi clan, she led all diplomatic affairs that had to do with the imperial court, and monitored the daimyos' families who were being held hostage at Osaka Castle.

Scottish noble (1542-1583)

Flemish art collector, painter (1548-1638)

British composer

Spanish surgeon

Dutch sculptor (c. 1550–1618)

Irish politician (1547-1597)