1576

Centuries:	[[15Template:Ordinal/th century]] - [[16Template:Ordinal/th century]] - [[17Template:Ordinal/th century]]
Decades:	1540s 1550s 1560s - 1570s - 1580s 1590s 1600s
Years:	1573 1574 1575 - 1576 - 1577 1578 1579

Template:C16YearInTopicX Year 1576 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events of 1576

May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc d'Anjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). End of the Fifth War of Religion. Once again, the Protestants are granted freedom of worship.

August 11 - English navigator Martin Frobisher, on his search for the Northwest Passage, enters the bay now named after him.
October 3 - The Spanish Fury: Mutinous Spanish troops capture and sack Antwerp.
November 2 - Rudolf II becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
November 4 - Eighty Years' War: In Belgium, Spain captures Antwerp (after three days, the city is nearly destroyed).
November 8 - Eighty Years' War: Pacification of Ghent - The States-General of the Netherlands meet and unite to oppose pillaging Spanish mutineers.

The city of Fredrikstad, Norway is founded by King Frederick II of Denmark and Norway.
The Seventh War of Religion begins in France.
An early example of autobiography is written in English by Thomas Wythorne.
Dartford Grammar School is founded by William d'Aeth, Edward Gwyn and William Vaughn.
Sutton Valence School is founded by William Lambe.

January 12 - Petrus Scriverius, Dutch writer and scholar (died 1660)
March 31 - Louise Juliana of Nassau, Regent of Bohemia (died 1644)
May 27 - Caspar Schoppe, German controversialist and scholar (died 1649)
June 6 - Giovanni Diodati, Swiss Protestant divine (died 1649)
October - Thomas Weelkes, English composer and organist (died 1626)
October 7 - John Marston, English writer (died 1634)
October 12 - Thomas Dudley, Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony (died 1652)
November 17 - Roque Gonzales, Paraguayan missionary (d. 1628)
November 27 - Shimazu Tadatsune, Japanese ruler of Satsuma (died 1638)
December 20 - Saint John Sarkander, Moravian priest (died 1620)
date unknown
- William Ames, English Protestant philosopher (died 1633)
- Scipione Borghese, Italian art collector (died 1633)
- John Carver, first governor of Plymouth Colony (died 1621)
- Enrico Caterino Davila, Italian historian (died 1631)
- Giulio Cesare la Galla, professor of philosophy at the Collegio Romano in Italy (died 1624)
- Santino Solari, Swiss architect and sculptor (died 1646)
probable - Jesper Mattson Cruus af Edeby, Swedish soldier and politician (died 1622)