Editing 1540 (section)

=== October&ndash;December ===
* [[October 1]] &ndash; [[Battle of Alborán]]:  A [[Habsburg Spain|Habsburg Spanish]] fleet, under the command of [[Bernardino de Mendoza (Captain General)|Bernardino de Mendoza]], destroys an Ottoman fleet commanded by Ali Hamet off [[Alborán Island]] in the Mediterranean.
* [[October 18]] &ndash; An expedition led by Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Hernando de Soto]] destroys the fortified village of [[Mabila]] in modern-day [[Alabama]], killing [[paramount chief]] [[Tuskaloosa]].
* [[November 8]] &ndash; [[William Whorwood]] becomes the new [[Attorney General for England and Wales]], succeeding Sir John Baker
* [[December 16]] &ndash; [[Honoré I, Lord of Monaco]] reaches the age of 19 and after the future principality of [[Monaco]] had been administered by regents for more than 18 years.
* [[December 20]] &ndash; [[Stephen V of Moldavia|Stephen V]], [[Prince of Moldavia]], is assassinated by two of the Moldavian nobles ([[boyar]]s), Mihul and Trotsanul, after word arrives that he will be replaced by [[Petru IV Rareş]], who had paid a bribe to the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman in order to be appointed the new Prince. [[Alexandru Cornea]] is crowned temporarily as Prince Alexandru III.<ref>Constantin Rezachevici, ''Cronologia critică a domnilor din Țara Românească și Moldova a. 1324 - 1881, Volumul I. Editura Enciclopedică'' (2001)</ref>
* [[December 31]] &ndash; [[Estêvão da Gama (16th century)|Estêvão da Gama]], Governor of [[Portuguese India]], departs from [[Goa]] with a plan to sail into the [[Red Sea]], and destroy the Ottoman Empire's access to the [[Indian Ocean]] by plundering [[Suez]]. The planned attack fails.