1560
| Years: 1557 1558 1559 - 1560 - 1561 1562 1563 | |
| Decades: 1530s 1540s 1550s - 1560s - 1570s 1580s 1590s | |
| Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century | |
Events
- February 27 - The Treaty of Berhick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland
- The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands.
- July 6 - Treaty of Edinburgh between England, France and Scotland. The French withdraw from Scotland. This largely ends the "Auld Alliance" between France and Scotland, and ends the wars between England and its northern neighbor.
- August 17 - the Roman Church is overthrown and Protestantism was established as the national religion in Scotland.
- Jean Nicot introduces tobacco in the form of snuff to the French court.
- Solihull School was founded.
Births
- January 17 - Gaspard Bauhin, Swiss botanist (died 1624)
- June 25 - Wilhelm Fabry, German surgeon (died 1634)
- August 7 - Erzsébet Báthory, Bloody Lady of Csejte (died 1614)
- August 10 - Hieronymus Praetorius, German composer (died 1629)
- November 3 - Annibale Carracci, Italian painter (died 1609)
- December 3 - Jan Gruter, critic and scholar of the Netherlands (died 1627)
- Felice Anerio, Italian composer (died 1614)
- Jacobus Arminius, Dutch Reformed theologian (died 1609)
- Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Polish military commander (died 1621)
- Dominicus Corea, King of Kotte of Ceylon (died 1596)
- James Crichton, Scottish scholar (died 1582)
- Lieven de Key, Dutch architect (died 1627)
- Hector MacLean of Dowart, Scottish Lord of the Clan MacLean (died 1630)
- Ishida Mitsunari, Japanese samurai
- Niall Garve O'Donnell, Irish nobleman (died 1626)
- Katarzyna Ostrogska, Polish noblewoman (died 1579)
- John Owen, epigrammatist (died 1622)
- Anton Praetorius, German pastor (died 1613)
- Krystyna Radziwill, Polish noblewoman (died 1580)
- Antonio Il Verso, Italian composer
Deaths
- January 1 - Joachim du Bellay, French poet (born 1522)
- February 7 - Bartolommeo Bandinelli, Florentine sculptor (born 1493)
- February 16 - Jean du Bellay, French cardinal and diplomat
- April 19 - Philipp Melanchthon, German theologian (born 1497)
- September 29 - King Gustav I of Sweden (born 1496)
- September 30 - Melchior Cano, Spanish theologian (born 1525)
- November 25 - Andrea Doria, Genoese condottiere and admiral (born 1466)
- December 5 - King Francis II of France (born 1544)
- Anastasia of Russia, wife of the first Russian Tsar
- Mary of Guise, queen of James V of Scotland and regent for her daughter Mary I of Scotland (born 1515)
- Barbara Kola, Polish noblewoman (born 1480)
- Jan Laski, Polish Protestant evangelical reformer (born 1499)
- Amy Robsart, English noblewoman
- John Sheppard, English composer and organist (born 1515)
- Imagawa Yoshimoto, Japanese daimyo
- Naomori li, Japanese warrior