1564

1564 was a leap year in the Julian calendar, occurring during the mid-16th century when Europe was shaped by religious upheaval, political realignments, and the continuing rise of humanistic and scientific inquiry. The year sits in the period between the High Renaissance and the early stages of the scientific revolution, with cultural and intellectual developments influencing various regions.

Notable births in 1564 include Galileo Galilei, born February 15 in Pisa, whose later work advanced observational astronomy and the scientific method. William Shakespeare is commonly dated to have been born in 1564, with his baptism recorded on April 26 in Stratford-upon-Avon, marking the emergence of a towering figure in English literature.

Notable deaths: Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Italian Renaissance artist and architect, died February 18, 1564, in Rome, at about 88 years old. The year thus marks both the loss of a late Renaissance master and the birth of figures who would shape science, literature, and culture in the decades that followed.