Decades: 1540s 1550s 1560s 1570s 1580s - 1590s - 1600s 1610s 1620s 1630s 1640s

Years: 1591 1592 1593 1594 1595 - 1596 - 1597 1598 1599 1600 1601

• April 9 - Spanish troops capture Calais
• September 17 - The Spanish capture Amiens
• September 20 - Diego de Montemayor founded the city of Monterrey, Mexico.

• January 13 - Jan van Goyen, painter (+ 1656).
• March 31 - René Descartes, French philosopher.
• June 23 - Johan Banér, Swedish soldier in the Thirty Years War.
• July 31 - Philip III of Burgundy, duke of Burgundy.
• August 16 - Frederick V, elector palatine of the Rhine Palatinate and briefly titled King of Bohemia.
• August 19 - Princess Elizabeth Stuart of Scotland, later Queen consort Elizabeth of Bohemia.
• September - James Shirley, English dramatist.
• Emperor Go-Mizunoo of Japan .
• Thomas Francis, prince of Carignano.
• Constantijn Huygens, Dutch poet.
• Praise-God Barebone, English leather-seller and Fifth Monarchy man.
• Moses Amyraut, French Protestant theologian and metaphysician.
• Michael I of Russia.
• Pietro da Cortona, Italian painter.

• January 28 - Sir Francis Drake, English explorer, soldier.
• February 17 - Friedrich Sylburg, German classical scholar.
• Blaise de Vigenère, Cryptographer, diplomat, scientist, and author.