1523

Events

### Politics and World Affairs

* **Siege of Rhodes**: The siege of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire ended on January 1 after half a year with the capture of the island by Sultan Suleyman I. The Knights of the Order of St. John under Grand Master Philippe de Villiers de l’Isle-Adam were given free escort and first settled on the island of Crete, which was then in Venetian hands.
* **Dissolution of the Kalmar Union**: On January 20, the nobility of Denmark and Norway rose against King Christian II, who had already struggled with the Swedish War of Liberation under Gustav Wasa. Christian was forced to abdicate and flee to the Netherlands. His uncle Frederick I was elected king by the Danish estates. In the associated duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, he was also recognized as duke, but in the same year he handed over part of the northern duchy with Hadersleben to his son Christian.
* **Conquest of Kalmar**: On May 27, Gustav Wasa conquered Kalmar with the help of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

### Other Events

* **Arrival in New Spain**: On August 13, three Flemish Franciscan missionaries arrived in Veracruz: fray Pedro de Gante, fray Juan de Tecto, and fray Juan de Ayora.
* **Founding of Santiago de los Caballeros**: On December 6, Pedro de Alvarado founded the city of Santiago de los Caballeros on an expedition to El Salvador and Guatemala. He went in search of gold but committed many indigenous massacres.
* **Ningbo Incident**: A rivalry between two Japanese delegations claiming a monopoly on dependent trade with China led to a boat and buildings being burned down, resulting in the deaths of a dozen people. This incident, combined with Portuguese piracy, prompted Emperor Ming Jiajing to prohibit any maritime communication with other countries.

### Europe

* **Harsh Winter**: A very harsh winter occurred in southern France after January 15.
* **Black Revolt in Santo Domingo**

### Asia

* **Ottoman Conquest of Rhodes**: The Ottoman Turks took the island of Rhodes from the Hospitallers.