1520

The year 1520 (MDXX) was a leap year in the Julian calendar, situated in the early 16th century and characterized by exploration, political realignments, and religious debate. It saw notable European diplomacy, the ongoing Reformation, and significant imperial transitions.

In Europe, the Field of the Cloth of Gold brought Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France together for a lavish meeting in June 1520, signaling high-level Franco-English diplomacy despite underlying tensions. That year also marked important religious developments: Martin Luther published key polemical works, including Babylonian Captivity of the Church and Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, along with On the Freedom of a Christian, reinforcing the Protestant Reformation. In the Ottoman Empire, the year witnessed the death of Selim I, and the accession of his son Suleiman the Magnificent, beginning a long and influential era in Ottoman policy and expansion.

In the Americas, the Spanish expedition of conquest continued to unfold. The Noche Triste on June 30–July 1, 1520, saw Cortés’s forces driven from Tenochtitlan and suffering heavy losses during fighting with Aztec forces. Earlier in the year, Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet crossed the Strait of Magellan and entered the Pacific Ocean, heralding the first known voyage to link Europe to the Pacific in a single circumnavigational attempt, a voyage completed by his successors in 1522.

The year thus reflected ongoing imperial competition, religious upheaval, and the beginnings of global maritime exploration that would shape later centuries.