Editing 16th century (section)

==Inventions, discoveries, introductions==

: ''Related article: [[Timeline of historic inventions#16th century|List of 16th century inventions]].''
* The [[Columbian Exchange]] introduces many plants, animals and diseases to the [[Old World|Old]] and [[New World]]s.
* Introduction of the [[spinning wheel]] revolutionizes [[textile]] production in Europe.
* The letter [[J]] is introduced into the [[English alphabet]].
* [[1500]]: First portable [[watch]] is created by [[Peter Henlein]] of [[Germany]].[[File: Philip II's realms in 1598.png|thumb|The [[Iberian Union]] in 1598, under [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]], King of Spain and Portugal]]
* [[1513]]: [[Juan Ponce de León]] sights [[Florida]] and [[Vasco Núñez de Balboa]] sights the eastern edge of the [[Pacific Ocean]].
* [[1519]]–[[1522]]: [[Ferdinand Magellan]] and [[Juan Sebastián Elcano]] lead the first [[circumnavigation]] of the world.
* [[1519]]–[[1540]]: In America, [[Hernando de Soto (explorer)|Hernando de Soto]] expeditions map the [[Gulf of Mexico]] coastline and bays.
* [[1525]]: Modern [[square root]] symbol (√)
* [[1540]]: [[Francisco Vásquez de Coronado]] sights the [[Grand Canyon]].
* [[1541]]–[[1542|42]]: [[Francisco de Orellana]] sails the length of the [[Amazon River]].
* [[1542]]–[[1543|43]]: [[Firearms]] are introduced into [[Japan]] by the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]].
* [[1543]]: [[Nicolaus Copernicus|Copernicus]] publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun
* [[1545]]: Theory of [[complex numbers]] is first developed by [[Gerolamo Cardano]] of Italy.
* [[1558]]: [[Camera obscura]] is first used in Europe by [[Giambattista della Porta]] of [[Italy]].
* [[1559]]–[[1562]]: Spanish settlements in [[Alabama]]/[[Florida]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] confirm dangers of [[hurricane]]s and local native warring tribes.
* [[1565]]: Spanish settlers outside [[New Spain]] (Mexico) colonize [[Florida]]'s coastline at [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]].
* [[1565]]: Invention of the [[graphite]] [[pencil]] (in a wooden holder) by [[Conrad Gesner]]. Modernized in [[1812]].
* [[1568]]: [[Gerardus Mercator]] creates the first [[Mercator projection]] map.
* [[1572]]: Supernova [[SN 1572]] is observed by [[Tycho Brahe]] in the [[Milky Way]].
* [[1582]]: [[Gregorian calendar]] is introduced in [[Europe]] by [[Pope Gregory XIII]] and adopted by Catholic countries.
* c. [[1583]]: [[Galileo Galilei]] of [[Pisa]], [[Italy]] identifies the constant swing of a [[pendulum]], leading to development of reliable timekeepers.
* [[1585]]: earliest known reference to the '[[Wheelbarrow#Chinese sailing carriage|sailing carriage]]' in [[China]].
* [[1589]]: [[William Lee (inventor)|William Lee]] invents the [[stocking frame]].
* [[1591]]: First flush [[toilet]] is introduced by [[John Harington (writer)|Sir John Harrington]] of [[England]], the design published under the title 'The Metamorphosis of Ajax'.
* [[1593]]: [[Galileo Galilei]] invents a [[thermometer]].
* [[1596]]: [[William Barents]] discovers [[Spitsbergen]].
* [[1597]]: [[Opera]] in [[Florence]] by [[Jacopo Peri]].