1504

1504 was a leap year in the Julian calendar, placing it in the early 16th century during a period of Renaissance culture and ongoing European political maneuvering. The year occurred amid the wider Italian Wars, a series of conflicts involving France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and various Italian states.

In the arts, Michelangelo completed the marble sculpture David, one of the defining works of Renaissance sculpture. The statue, representing the biblical hero, was later placed in Florence’s public square and became a symbol of Florentine civic pride and humanist ideals.

In science and religion, the era continued to foster humanist scholarship and the early currents that would influence the Reformation. European maritime activity also expanded during this period, as Iberian powers advanced exploration and trade networks beyond the Atlantic and into other oceanic routes.

Notable births in 1504 include Heinrich Bullinger, a Swiss reformer who would become a prominent leader in the Swiss Reformation and a close associate of Ulrich Zwingli.