1540 - Definition and Overview

Events

• January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort.
• July 9 - King Henry VIII of England divorces Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort.
• July 28 - One of the most important political figures of the reign of Henry VIII of England, Thomas Cromwell, is executed on order from the king on charges of treason. Henry marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day.
• Spain, Foundation of Society of Jesus, Catholicism
• French translation of John Calvin's L'Institution chrétienne (originally in Latin)

Births

• June 3 - Archduke Charles II of Austria, Regent of Inner Austria
• Amago Yoshihisa, Japanese samurai and warlord
• Andrea Andreani, Italian artist (possibly in 1560)
• Joseph Justus Scaliger, Protestant scholar
• Alessandro Striggio, a leading Italian composer of the late Renaissance, inventor of madrigal comedy (approximate date)

Deaths

• July 28 - Thomas Cromwell, English statesman,(executed).
• Elizabeth Blount, former mistress of Henry VIII of England.
• Thomas Abell, priest.