1550s births

Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer (1550–1597)

English poet (c. 1552 – 1599)

Russian Tsar (1598–1605)

English statesman, soldier and writer (1552–1618)

Tsar of Russia (1606–1610)

Valide Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1595 to 1603

Italian composer (1557–1612)

16th/17th-century English dramatist, poet, and translator

Danish horticulturalist

English explorer and navigator (1550–1605)

English playwright, poet and dramatist (c.1553/4-1606)

English author, editor and translator (1553–1616)

Naresuan (1555/1556 – 25 April 1605), commonly known as Naresuan the Great, or Sanphet II was the 18th monarch of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the 2nd of the Sukhothai dynasty. He was the king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1590 and overlord of Lan Na from 1602 until his death in 1605. Naresuan is one of Thailand's most revered monarchs as he is known for his campaigns to free Ayutthaya from the vassalage of the First Toungoo Empire. During his reign, numerous wars were fought against Taungoo Burma. Naresuan also welcomed the Dutch.

English composer, organist and editor

16th century German doctor and chemist

Italian composer (1553-1599)

Incan scholar and noble

Flemish painter, draughtsman and humanist (1556–1629)

English cartographer and historian (1551/52-1629)

assassin of William I of Orange

Japanese catholic daimyo, martyr and blessed

English linguist and lexicographer

Dutch sculptor (c.1556–1626)

English writer and dramatist (1557–1625)

Italian composer, producer, organist, diplomat, choreographer and dancer

Spanish politician (1553-1625)

Italian chess player

English minister

samurai and member of Oda clan, third son of Oda Nobunaga

Ottoman princess (1559-1580) daughter of Selim II

Portuguese philosopher

English privateer (1554-1618)

Irish earl and military leader

Italian composer, organist and music theorist

English painter (1551-1619)

Italian composer

great-great-grandfather of J. S. Bach

Crimean khan

Italian painter (1550-1598)

Croatian writer and poet

Polish poet

Sufi saint (1550-1635)

composer

English pirate

Scottish noble (1555-1576)

Prince of Transylvania and Hungarian noble (1553-1603)

consort duchess of Montpensier

Jesuit lay brother and martyr

Italian painter (c.1553-1626)

Italian painter (c.1558-c.1640)

French merchant and explorer

6th king of the Ryukyu Kingdom

Russian saint

Ukrainian monk and philosopher

Italian composer

Basque priest and writer

Flemish painter at the English royal court (1551-1642)

Polish painter (c.1550-1598)

English religious separatist

English Catholic martyr (1550-1588)