1552
| Years: 1549 1550 1551 - 1552 - 1553 1554 1555 | |
| Decades: 1520s 1530s 1540s - 1550s - 1560s 1570s 1580s | |
| Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century | |
Events
- April - War between Henry II of France and Emperor Charles V. Henry invades Lorraine and captures Toul, Metz, and Verdun.
- October - December - Unsuccessful Siege of Metz by Charles V
- October 2 - Khanate of Kazan falls to troops of Ivan IV of Russia
- Russia, Conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan. Counter-offensive of Crimean Khanate.
- Hungary - defence of Eger from Turks
Births
- February 1 - Edward Coke, English colonial entrepreneur and jurist (died 1634)
- February 19 - Melchior Klesl, Austrian statesman and cardinal (died 1630)
- February 28 - Joost Bürgi, Swiss clockmaker and mathematician (died 1632)
- April 15 - Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician (died 1626)
- July 18 - Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1612)
- October 6 - Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit missionary to China (died 1610)
- Hans von Aachen, German mannerist painter (died 1615)
- Agrippa d'Aubigné, French poet and soldier (died 1630)
- Thomas Aufield, English Catholic martyr (died 1585)
- Jean Bertaut, French poet (died 1611)
- Henri I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé (died 1588)
- Philemon Holland, English translator (died 1637)
- Duke of Lerma, Spanish politician (died 1625)
- Vasili IV of Russia, last Rurikid tsar of Russia
- Dom Justo Takayama, Japanese daimyo (died 1615)
- Jean Hotman Marquis de Villers-St-Paul, French diplomat (died 1636)
- Jack Ward, notorious English pirate (died 1622)
Deaths
- January 10 - Johann Cochlaeus, German humanist and controversialist (born 1479)
- February 26 - Heinrich Faber, German music theorist (born 1500)
- April 18 - John Leland, English historian (born 1502)
- August 15 - Hermann of Wied, elector and archbishop of Cologne
- October 14 - Oswald Myconius, follower of Huldreich Zwingli (born 1488)
- December 2 - Francis Xavier, Spanish Jesuit missionary (born 1506)
- December 20 - Katharina von Bora, German Catholic nun who was an early convert to Protestantism (born 1499)
- Alexander Barclay, British poet (born 1476)
- Sebastian Münster, German cartographer and cosmographer (born 1488)
- Andreas Osiander, German Protestant theologian (born 1498)
- Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector of England (born 1509)
- Philippe Verdelot, French composer (born 1475)
- Edward Edward Wotton, English zoologist (born 1492)