Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589)
Jan 5 Italian born Queen consort to Henry II of France and later regent to her sons, dies at 69
- Feb 19 Saint Philothei, Orthodox martyr and Patron of Athens (b. 1522)
- Mar 2 Alessandro Cardinal Farnese, Italian cardinal (b. 1520)
- Mar 22 Lodovico Guicciardini, Italian historian (Descrittione di Tutti), dies at 67
- Jul 1 Christophe Plantin, French-Belgian book publisher (Officina Plantiniana), dies
- Aug 1 Jacques Clément, French assassin of Henry III of France (b. 1567)
Henry III of France (1551-1589)
Aug 2 King of France (1574-89) and Poland (1573-75), assassinated by Dominican friar Jacques Clément at 37
- Aug 10 Maarten Schenck Nideggen, Dutch army leader, drowned at about 49
- Aug 11 Maarten Schenck van Nideggen, lt col (80 year war), dies at about 49
- Sep 16 Michael Baius, Flemish theologian (b. 1513)
- Oct 18 Adolf van Nieuwenaar & Meurs, viceroy of Utrecht, dies in battle
- Nov 14 Philipp Apianus [Bennewitz/Bienewitz], German mathematician and geographer, dies at 58
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning