1550

1550 was a year in the 16th century, set against the backdrop of the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. In the Catholic Church, a new pope took office: Julius III, who reigned from 1550 to 1555 and directed efforts to reform the church, including reconvening the Council of Trent in 1551. Across Europe, religious disputes, dynastic ambitions, and evolving forms of governance shaped political life, diplomacy, and warfare during this period.

In Europe, continuing religious conflict and reform movements influenced policy, while monarchies sought greater centralized authority. Cultural life flourished in many principalities, with artists, writers, and scholars producing works in the late Renaissance style and advancing humanist scholarship.

Beyond Europe, the early modern world was characterized by expanding global connections. Maritime exploration, colonial ventures, and trade linked Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia more closely. The Ottoman and Safavid empires, along with the Mughal and Ming polities, competed for influence and commerce across their regions, shaping border politics and material exchange.

In science and learning, print culture continued to spread, and navigational knowledge improved the reach of explorers. The era also saw continued religious polemics and the growth of religious institutions that would later influence education, science, and culture.

In Roman numerals, 1550 is written as MDL. The number is even and composite, with prime factorization 2 × 5^2 × 31.