Today in 1533 the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, was christened at the church of observant friars in Greenwich.

Today in 1560 Amy Dudley, also known as Amy Robsart died in her home, found at the bottom of a flight of steps in her home in Oxfordshire. She was the wife of Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, who was also Elizabeth I’s … well, at the very least her closest companion.

Today in 1533 a little girl was born in Greenwich, less than two weeks after her mother had gone into confinement. The parents were so sure that she would be a boy that they already had the announcements made up, and had to change them, adding in an extra S to the word Prince, after she was born.

Today in 1578 a ship called the Pelican sailed into the Pacific ocean on a trip that would ultimately lead to a circumnavigation of the globe. The ship was captained by Sir Francis Drake, and we now call it the Golden Hinde, and it was the first English ship to sail around the globe.

Today in 1548 Katherine Parr died. She was Henry VIII’s final wife, having outlived him, but only for just over a year. Childbed fever caught her, the way it did so many women of this time period.

Today in 1588 Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, died.

Today in 1534 Gerald Fitzgerald the Lord Deputy of Ireland died in the Tower of London. This was the period when England was trying to get a hold of their Irish colony, and Gerald’s father had questionable loyalty to the crown.

Today in 1548 Mary Seymour was born. She was the daughter of Katherine Parr to Thomas Seymour.

Today in 1584 Lucas De Heere died. De Heere was a Flemish portrait painter, poet, and writer who was a leading artist of the Tudor court after fleeing the Netherlands during the Dutch Revolt against Philip II of Spain.

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Today in 1551 Edward VI’s Lord Chancellor Richard Rich visited Edward’s Half sister Mary to tell her she needed to stop celebrating the Catholic Mass.