Catholic Expedition Lands at Smerwick
FitzMaurice lands with a small foreign-backed expedition at Smerwick and proclaims a renewed Catholic rebellion against Elizabeth's government in Ireland.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1579 in England
Explore 14 historical events and records for England in 1579.
Historical records for England in 1579
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 14 of 14 unique records.
14Unique records
1 of 1Page
13Named events on this page
10Named people on this page
4Places on this page
July
August
FitzMaurice Killed in Munster
FitzMaurice is killed during a clash in Munster, leaving other Geraldine leaders to continue the second Desmond rebellion.
John of Desmond Assumes Rebel Leadership
John FitzGerald assumes a leading military role after FitzMaurice's death and sustains the rebellion across Munster.
Other events (month unknown)
Bacon Returns To England After Fathers Death
Bacon returned from France following his father's death and faced diminished financial prospects. He pursued legal and political advancement while continuing plans for intellectual reform.
Birth of Jacob Astley
Birth of Jacob Astley
Circumnavigation
Sails from Chile to California then across the Pacific
Discovery of California
Drake lands in California & claims English sovereignty over "New Albion"
English College
Founds the English College in Rome & places it under the control of the Jesuits
Lord Chancellor
Appointed Lord Chancellor
Marriage
Alencon arrives in England to woo Elizabeth I to help invade The Netherlands
Marriage
Writes a pamplet saying that Elizabeth cannot marry Alencon, a Catholic & Frenchman
Rule of California
Drake lands in California & claims English sovereignty over "New Albion"
Rule of New Albion
Drake lands in California & claims English sovereignty over "New Albion"
Rule of Newfoundland
Claims Newfoundland for England
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.