Curated playlist

1500s births

Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn laughed on the scaffold, joking that she had a little neck.
Pierre BontempsA marble tomb sat in a French garden until 1936, when it proved to be by Pierre Bontemps.
Fernão Lopes de CastanhedaA regent queen banned the last two volumes of Fernão Lopes de Castanheda's history of Portuguese India.
Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (1502–1565)Elizabeth Somerset secretly borrowed one hundred pounds from Anne Boleyn, then testified against her in 1536.
Jane SeymourJane Seymour once returned King Henry the Eighth's purse of gold without breaking its seal.
George Boleyn, Viscount RochfordGeorge Boleyn's execution crowd fell almost completely silent to hear his scaffold speech.
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of SomersetA king's marriage to his sister made Edward Seymour ruler of England. He governed for a nine-year-old king.
Nicholas Bourbon (the elder)In 1535, French poet Nicholas Bourbon crossed to England to thank Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Garcia de OrtaGarcia de Orta was convicted of Judaism twelve years after he died. His remains were dug up and burned in Goa.
Thomas TallisThomas Tallis served four English monarchs without losing his position, his freedom or his head.
William Carey (courtier)William Carey was chatting about a hunting trip hours before he died. The sweating sickness took him on June 22, 1528.
Bálint BakfarkLutenist Bálint Bakfark turned down kings who tried to lure him away. He stayed loyal to Poland's court until 1566.
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy sat on Anne Boleyn's jury in 1536 and collapsed at the verdict. He had once been betrothed to her.
Fernão Mendes PintoCaptured near the Red Sea, Fernão Mendes Pinto was taken to Mocha to be sold as a slave.
Garcilaso de la Vega (poet)Garcilaso de la Vega died in Nice on the 14th of October 1536. A wound from a battle at Le Muy had tormented him for 25 days. He was a Spanish soldier, and he was also the poet who changed how Spanish verse sounds. Spain has read his poems…