Editing 1581 (section)

=== April&ndash;June ===
* [[April 4]] &ndash; Following his circumnavigation of the world, [[Francis Drake]] is [[knight]]ed by [[Elizabeth I of England]].<ref name="Pocket On This Day">{{cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-14-102715-0|year=2006}}</ref>
* [[May 15]] &ndash; [[Sigismund Báthory|Zsigmond Báthory]], the 8-year-old son of [[Christopher Báthory|Kristóf Báthory]], ruler of the Principality of Transylvania, is elected by the Diet of Transylvania as the new [[voivode of Transylvania|voivode]] at the request of Kristóf, who dies 12 days later.<ref>"Báthory Zsigmond", by Péter Károly Szabó, in ''Magyar királyok nagykönyve'' ("Encyclopedia of the Kings of Hungary", (Reader's Digest, 2012) pp. 184–187</ref>
* [[May 26]] &ndash; (10th waning of Nayon 943 ME) In Burma, [[Thiri Thudhamma Yaza of Martaban]] becomes the new Viceroy of Martaban  (now Mottama in the Mon State of Myanmar) after the demise of Minye Nandameit.<ref>''[[Maha Yazawin]]'', Vol. 3 (Ya-Pyei Publishing, 2006) p.73</ref>
* [[June 2]] &ndash; [[James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton]], the last regent for Scotland from 1572 to 1578 during the minority of King James VI, is beheaded at Edinburgh using the "[[Maiden (guillotine)|Scottish Maiden]]", after being convicted of conspiracy in the 1567 murder of [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]], consort of Mary, Queen of Scots and father of King James."<ref>"Morton, James Douglas, 4th Earl of", ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (Vol. 18) (Cambridge University Press, 1911) pp. 880–881</ref>
* [[June 14]] &ndash; The representatives of the [[States General of the Netherlands]] vote to declare that the throne of the Union of Utrecht is vacant because of the erratic behavior of King Philip II.<ref>L. P. Gachard, ''Études et notices historiques concernant l'histoire des Pays-Bas'' ("Studies and Historical Comment Concerning the History of the Low Countries") (Hayez, 1890) p.388</ref>