1590

1590 was a year in the late Renaissance and early modern period, marked by ongoing religious and political conflicts as well as expanding European exploration and colonial activity. It sits amid broader power struggles in Europe, Asia, and the Atlantic world, with events that would influence the balance of power in the years that followed.

In Europe, the French Wars of Religion produced a significant turning point at the Battle of Ivry on March 14, where Henry of Navarre and the Huguenot forces defeated the Catholic League. The victory strengthened Henry’s position in France and shaped the later course of the conflict and his eventual accession to the throne.

In Asia, Toyotomi Hideyoshi continued his campaign to unify Japan. The Odawara campaign of 1590–1591 forced the fall of the Hojo clan and cleared the path for Hideyoshi to consolidate authority over the country, marking a major step in the unification process.

In North America, English colonial attempts on Roanoke Island faced a critical crisis. When John White returned in 1590 to resupply the colony, he found it deserted and the word Croatoan carved into a post, a mystery that has intrigued researchers and historians ever since.

Beyond these events, 1590 reflected the era’s broader patterns: ongoing imperial competition and missionary activity, continued colonization sprints across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the persistent political and religious ferment that characterized late 16th-century world history.