1538
| Years: 1535 1536 1537 - 1538 - 1539 1540 1541 | |
| Decades: 1500s 1510s 1520s - 1530s - 1540s 1550s 1560s | |
| Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century | |
Events
- Treaty of Nagyvarad. Peace between King Ferdinand and the Turks. John Zapolya is recognized as King of Hungary, while Ferdinand retains the northern and western parts of the Kingdom, and is recognized as heir to the throne.
- Truce of Nice - Peace between Emperor Charles V and Francis I of France
- Michelangelo starts the work on the Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill).
- November 30 - Sucre, Bolivia is founded under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo
- November 30 - Byland Abbey dissolved
- Bisham Abbey dissolved
Births
- January 10 - Louis of Nassau, brother of William I of Orange
- January 15 - Maeda Toshiie, Japanese samurai and warlord (died 1599)
- March 25 - Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (died 1612)
- August 12 - Maria of Portugal (died 1577)
- October 2 - Saint Charles Borromeo, saint and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church (died 1584)
- October 31 - Caesar Baronius, Italian cardinal and historian (died 1607)
- Francois de Bar, French scholar (died 1606)
- Diane de France, illegitimate daughter of Henry II of France (died 1619)
- Ujizane Imagawa, Japanese nobleman
- Kitsuno, concubine of Japanese daimyo
- Philips van Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, Dutch writer and statesman (died 1598)
- Giambattista della Porta, Italian scholar and polymath (died 1615)
- Ashikaga Yoshihide, Japanese shogun (died 1568)
Deaths
- February 12 - Albrecht Altdorfer, German painter (born 1480)
- May 8 - Edward Fox, English churchman (born 1496)
- May 22 - John Forrest, English martyr and friar (born 1471)
- July 8 - Diego de Almagro, Spanish conquistador (born 1475)
- Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire (born 1480)
- Pierre Gringore, popular French poet and playwright (born 1475)
- John Lambert, English protestant martyr
- Henry III of Nassau-Breda