1588
Armada Fails to Reach Parma Transport Force
Medina Sidonia cannot establish the protected anchorage needed to embark Parma's army from Flanders.
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Browse historical records dated to 1588. Records are rendered from the World History Database into this page's initial HTML.
Medina Sidonia cannot establish the protected anchorage needed to embark Parma's army from Flanders.
Drake joins the pursuit as the damaged Armada moves away from Flanders into the North Sea.
Murdered near the King's bedchamber while Henry III hides behind the curtains
Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip II of Spain to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences. The blessing of the Armada's banner takes place on 28th May
Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip II of Spain to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences. The blessing of the Armada's banner takes place on 28th May
The Armada is forced to return to Spain via the North Sea & the Atlantic. 29-30 July, cannot break the blockade where the Armada must refit & obtain ammunition
Drake helps drive fireships toward the anchored Armada, forcing Spanish ships to scatter before the Gravelines fighting.
Delayed by bad weather, the Armada is not sighted in England until July 19, when it appears off The Lizard in Cornwall, the news is conveyed to London by a sequence of beacons that had been constructed the length of the south coast of England
The Armada Fleets sets sail from Corunna
Negotiations are abandoned
Howard reduces close pursuit after the Armada is driven clear of Flanders and English ammunition runs low.
Howard keeps the English fleet close to the Armada as it moves toward the Flemish coast.
English naval pressure prevents the Armada from safely joining Parma's invasion army on the Flemish coast.
The blockade prevents the Armada from using the Flemish coast for the refit and ammunition it needs before returning toward Spain
After fighting off Flanders, the Armada is forced northward and abandons the planned junction with Parma.
Negotiations were abandoned, and the English fleet stood prepared, if ill-supplied, at Plymouth, awaiting news of Spanish movements
Earl of Leicester maintained a force of 4,000 soldiers at West Tilbury, Essex, to defend the Thames Estuary against any incursion up-river towards London.
On 8 August (18 August New Style) Queen Elizabeth went to Tilbury to encourage her forces, and the next day gave to them what is probably her most famous speech.
The threat of invasion from The Netherlands had not yet been discounted by the English, and Robert Dudley.
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester maintaines a force of 4,000 soldiers at West Tilbury, Essex, to defend the estuary of the River Thames against any incursion up-river towards London
Negotiations were abandoned, and the English fleet stood prepared, if ill-supplied, at Plymouth, awaiting news of Spanish movements
Delayed by bad weather, the Armada is not sighted in England until July 19, when it appears off The Lizard in Cornwall, the news is conveyed to London by a sequence of beacons that had been constructed the length of the south coast of England
The Armada was delayed by bad weather, forcing the four galleys and one of the galleons to leave the fleet, and was not sighted in England until 19 July, when it appeared off The Lizard in Cornwall.
The Spanish convened a council of war, where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor and from there to attack England; but Medina Sidonia declined to act because this had been explicitly forbidden by Philip, and decided to sail
The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed all the way along the south coast. On that evening, the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide.
on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight
Queen Elizabeth visits Tilbury to encourage her forces and gives to them what is probably her most famous speech
Earl of Leicester maintained a force of 4,000 soldiers at West Tilbury, Essex, to defend the Thames Estuary against any incursion up-river towards London.
On 8 August (18 August New Style) Queen Elizabeth went to Tilbury to encourage her forces, and the next day gave to them what is probably her most famous speech.
The threat of invasion from The Netherlands had not yet been discounted by the English, and Robert Dudley.
Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip II of Spain to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences. The blessing of the Armada's banner takes place on 28th May
It included twenty eight purpose-built warships, of which twenty were galleons, four galleys and four (Neapolitan) galleasses.
The Armada set sail from Lisbon and headed for the English Channel.
The fleet was composed of 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers, and bore 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns.
The full body of the fleet took two days to leave port.
The remainder of the heavy vessels were mostly armed carracks and hulks together with thirty-four light ships.
The Armada was delayed by bad weather, forcing the four galleys and one of the galleons to leave the fleet, and was not sighted in England until 19 July, when it appeared off The Lizard in Cornwall.
The Spanish convened a council of war, where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor and from there to attack England; but Medina Sidonia declined to act because this had been explicitly forbidden by Philip, and decided to sail
The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed all the way along the south coast. On that evening, the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide.
on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight
The Armada was delayed by bad weather, forcing the four galleys and one of the galleons to leave the fleet, and was not sighted in England until 19 July, when it appeared off The Lizard in Cornwall.
The Spanish convened a council of war, where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor and from there to attack England; but Medina Sidonia declined to act because this had been explicitly forbidden by Philip, and decided to sail
The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed all the way along the south coast. On that evening, the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide.
on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight
Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip II of Spain to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences. The blessing of the Armada's banner takes place on 28th May
Farnese's invasion troops wait in Flemish ports for naval protection that the Armada cannot provide.
It takes until May 30 for all of the Armada to leave port and, on the same day, Elizabeth's ambassador in The Netherlands, Dr Valentine Dale, meets Parmas representatives to begin peace negotiations
Says he has "singed the King's beard". Destroys 36 Spanish ships & intercepts barrel staves intended for the armada. Delays the Armada by 1 year
1,000 men disembarked at Lagos in the Algarve and stormed the fortresses of Sagres, Baleeira, Beliche and Cape St. Vincent
Day of the Barricades in Paris, Duke Henry of Guise seizes the city, forcing King Henry III to flee
As the tide turned, 55 English ships set out to confront them from Plymouth under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham, with Sir Francis Drake as Vice Admiral. Howard ceded some control to Drake, given his experience in battle. The rear admiral was Sir John Hawkins
The two fleets sight each other off Dodman Point
Drake is waiting in Plymouth with 14 galleons & 50 other vessels
Earl of Leicester maintained a force of 4,000 soldiers at West Tilbury, Essex, to defend the Thames Estuary against any incursion up-river towards London.
On 8 August (18 August New Style) Queen Elizabeth went to Tilbury to encourage her forces, and the next day gave to them what is probably her most famous speech.
The threat of invasion from The Netherlands had not yet been discounted by the English, and Robert Dudley.
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester maintaines a force of 4,000 soldiers at West Tilbury, Essex, to defend the estuary of the River Thames against any incursion up-river towards London
The Armada was delayed by bad weather, forcing the four galleys and one of the galleons to leave the fleet, and was not sighted in England until 19 July, when it appeared off The Lizard in Cornwall.
The Spanish convened a council of war, where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor and from there to attack England; but Medina Sidonia declined to act because this had been explicitly forbidden by Philip, and decided to sail
The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed all the way along the south coast. On that evening, the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide.
on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight
Queen Elizabeth visits Tilbury to encourage her forces and gives to them what is probably her most famous speech. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too
Earl of Leicester maintained a force of 4,000 soldiers at West Tilbury, Essex, to defend the Thames Estuary against any incursion up-river towards London.
On 8 August (18 August New Style) Queen Elizabeth went to Tilbury to encourage her forces, and the next day gave to them what is probably her most famous speech.
The threat of invasion from The Netherlands had not yet been discounted by the English, and Robert Dudley.
Parma is trapped in Dunkirk by a shallow harbour. Informed by from Parma that the "Great Enterprise" is hopeless
The Spanish are unable to reach the coast of Flanders to meet up with the army of the Duke of Parma, Medina Sidonia decides to return to Spain. The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders, the English again are more successful
As the tide turned, 55 English ships set out to confront them from Plymouth under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham, with Sir Francis Drake as Vice Admiral. Howard ceded some control to Drake, given his experience in battle. The rear admiral was Sir John Hawkins
As the tide turned, 55 English ships set out to confront them from Plymouth under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham, with Sir Francis Drake as Vice Admiral. Howard ceded some control to Drake, given his experience in battle. The rear admiral was Sir John Hawkins
Howard calls a halt to the chase in the latitude of the Firth of Forth off Scotland but ut by that point, the Spanish are suffering from thirst and exhaustion, the only option left to Sidonia is to chart a course home to Spain, along the Atlantic
Although their shot lockers were almost empty, the English pursued in an attempt to prevent the enemy from returning to escort Parma.
By that point, the Spanish were suffering from thirst and exhaustion, and the only option left to Medina Sidonia was to chart a course home to Spain, by a very hazardous route
On 2 August Old Style (12 August New Style) Howard called a halt to the pursuit in the latitude of the Firth of Forth off Scotland.
On the day after the Battle of Gravelines, the wind had backed southerly, enabling Medina Sidonia to move his fleet northward away from the French coast.
The Armada, with around 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers, 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns, sets sail from Lisbon in Portugal, heading for the English Channel. An army of 30,000 men atands in the Spanish Netherlands waiting for the fleet to arrive, the plan is to land the original force in Plymouth and transfer the land army to somewhere near London, mustering 55,000 men
It takes until May 30 for all of the Armada to leave port and, on the same day, Elizabeth's ambassador in The Netherlands, Dr Valentine Dale, meets Parmas representatives to begin peace negotiations
The fleet was to be commanded by the highly experienced Elvaro de , but he died in May 1588, a few months before the sailing date, and Medina Sidonia is appointed in his place
Peace negotiations are abandoned
The Armada was delayed by bad weather, forcing the four galleys and one of the galleons to leave the fleet, and was not sighted in England until 19 July, when it appeared off The Lizard in Cornwall.
The Spanish convened a council of war, where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor and from there to attack England; but Medina Sidonia declined to act because this had been explicitly forbidden by Philip, and decided to sail
The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed all the way along the south coast. On that evening, the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide.
on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight
It was reported that, when Philip II learned of the result of the expedition, he declared, "I sent the Armada against men, not God's winds and waves."
Many more died in Spain, or on hospital ships in Spanish harbours, from diseases contracted during the voyage.
Many survivors were near death from disease because the ships were cramped and had exhausted their food and water.
Only 67 ships and fewer than 10,000 men survived.
The Armada, with around 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers, 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns, sets sail from Lisbon in Portugal, heading for the English Channel. An army of 30,000 men atands in the Spanish Netherlands waiting for the fleet to arrive, the plan is to land the original force in Plymouth and transfer the land army to somewhere near London, mustering 55,000 men
The fleet was to be commanded by the highly experienced Elvaro de , but he died in May 1588, a few months before the sailing date, and Medina Sidonia is appointed in his place
The Armada was delayed by bad weather, forcing the four galleys and one of the galleons to leave the fleet, and was not sighted in England until 19 July, when it appeared off The Lizard in Cornwall.
The Spanish convened a council of war, where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor and from there to attack England; but Medina Sidonia declined to act because this had been explicitly forbidden by Philip, and decided to sail
The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed all the way along the south coast. On that evening, the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide.
on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight
The Spanish fleet sails past the Firth of Forth, and the English cease their pursuit, much of the Spanish fleet is destroyed as it sails around Scotland and Ireland
The English set alight eight fireships, sacrificing regular warships by filling them with pitch, brimstone, some gunpowder and tar, and cast them downwind among the closely anchored vessels of the Armada.
The Spanish feared that these uncommonly large fireships were "hellburners", specialised fireships filled with large gunpowder charges, which had been used to deadly effect at the Siege of Antwerp.
Two were intercepted and towed away, but the remainder bore down on the fleet. Medina Sidonia's flagship and the principal warships held their positions, but the rest of the fleet cut their anchor cables and scattered in confusion
First sights the English Fleet off Dodman Point
The Armada is attacked by 200 English ships, assisted by the Dutch navy, in the North Sea at Gravelines, a fire-ship attack drives the Armada ships from their anchorage, and in the ensuing Battle the Spanish abandon their rendezvous with Parma. Anchors off Calais Roads ready to rendezvous with Parma, as instructed
The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders, the English again are more successful
Parma is trapped in Dunkirk by a shallow harbour. Informed by from Parma that the "Great Enterprise" is hopeless
Howard calls a halt to the chase in the latitude of the Firth of Forth off Scotland but ut by that point, the Spanish are suffering from thirst and exhaustion, the only option left to Sidonia is to chart a course home to Spain, along the Atlantic
Although their shot lockers were almost empty, the English pursued in an attempt to prevent the enemy from returning to escort Parma.
By that point, the Spanish were suffering from thirst and exhaustion, and the only option left to Medina Sidonia was to chart a course home to Spain, by a very hazardous route
On 2 August Old Style (12 August New Style) Howard called a halt to the pursuit in the latitude of the Firth of Forth off Scotland.
On the day after the Battle of Gravelines, the wind had backed southerly, enabling Medina Sidonia to move his fleet northward away from the French coast.
"My loving people, we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes for fear of treachery; but, I do assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people.
I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king - and of a King of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare
I know already, for your forwardness, you have deserved rewards and crowns, and, we do assure you, on the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you.
In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people."
Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself, that under God I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects; and, therefore, I am come amongst you as you see at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being
resolved, in the midst and heat of battle, to live or die amongst you all – to lay down for my God, and for my kingdoms, and for my people, my honour and my blood even in the dust.
to invade the borders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonour should grow by me, I myself will take up arms - I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.
Death of Henry of Guise, assassinated
An English attack is launched from the Scilly Isles by Lord Howard
Sends 8 tarred fireships to attack the Armada where it waits to rendezvous with Parma
The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders, the English again are more successful
The Spanish are unable to reach the coast of Flanders to meet up with the army of the Duke of Parma, Medina Sidonia decides to return to Spain. The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders, the English again are more successful
The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders, the English again are more successful
The Spanish are unable to reach the coast of Flanders to meet up with the army of the Duke of Parma, Medina Sidonia decides to return to Spain. The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders, the English again are more successful
The Spanish Armada is defeated by an English naval force under command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake off the coast of Gravelines, now in France
The Spanish Armada is defeated by an English naval force under command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake off the coast of Gravelines, now in France
On the day after Gravelines, the wind had backed, southerly, enabling Medina Sidonia to move the Armada northward (away from the French coast), the English pursue the Spanish fleet, to prevent it returning to escort Parma
Perez de Guzman is chased by 2 English ships to the Firth of Forth
The Spanish Armada is defeated by an English naval force under command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake off the coast of Gravelines, now in France. Escapes the English by rounding the Orkneys then returning to Spain
A change in wind direction enables Sidona to flee north west
16 Spanish ships are captured.
On the day after Gravelines, the wind had backed, southerly, enabling Medina Sidonia to move the Armada northward (away from the French coast), the English pursue the Spanish fleet, to prevent it returning to escort Parma.
Ordered by Lord Howard to patrol Dunkirk & Nieuport.
Prevents Parma making a dash for the English coast.
The Spanish fleet manages to escape to the North Sea due to a sudden squall.
The Spanish Armada is defeated by an English naval force under command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake off the coast of Gravelines, now in France
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