-
Jan 1, 1556
Charles V divided empire
-
Jan 23, 1568
the duke executed 1,500 Protestants and suspected rebels
-
Jan 20, 1571
Pope calls all Princes to to take up arms against the mounting power of the Ottoman Empire
-
Jan 23, 1579
the seven northern provinces of the Netherlands, which were largely Protestant, united and declared their independence from Spain
-
Jan 1, 1580
Philip II seized power of the Portuguse empire
-
By 1600, American mines had supplied Spain with an estimated 339,000 pounds of gold
-
Between 1550 and 1650, roughly 16,000 tons of silver bullion were unloaded from Spanish galleons