On This Day

Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, ending the Kalmar Union

The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark.

The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway's maritime colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

The union was not quite continuous; there were several short interruptions. Legally, the countries remained separate sovereign states, but their domestic and foreign policies were directed by a common monarch. Gustav Vasa's election as King of Sweden on 6 June 1523, and his triumphant entry into Stockholm 11 days later, marked Sweden's final secession from the Kalmar Union.

Historical Significance

The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark.

Key People

Gustav Vasa

Events Before

  1. Martin Luther begins preaching his "Invocavit Sermons" in the German city of Wittenberg, reminding citizens to trust God

    Martin Luther begins preaching his "Invocavit Sermons" in the German city of Wittenberg, reminding citizens to trust God's word rather than violence, helping bring to a close the revolutionary stage of the Reformation

  2. Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition, now led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returns to Seville without its captain after

    Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition, now led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returns to Seville without its captain after a three-year epic voyage, becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe

  3. Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eve

    Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eventually settle in Malta and become known as the Knights of Malta.

  4. Adriaan F Boeyens elected only Dutch pope (Adrian VI)

    Pope Adrian VI (Latin: Hadrianus VI; Italian: Adriano VI; German: Hadrian VI.; Dutch: Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic...

  5. Head Inquisitor Adrian Florisz Boeyens is elected pope

    Pope Adrian VI (Latin: Hadrianus VI; Italian: Adriano VI; German: Hadrian VI.; Dutch: Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic...

Events After

  1. Earl Henry III of Nassau weds Mencia de Medoza, 16-years old marquess

    Earl Henry III of Nassau weds Mencia de Medoza, 16-years old marquess

  2. Giovanni de Varrazano, a Florentine explorer in the service of King Francis I of France, lands around area of Carolinas

    Giovanni de Varrazano, a Florentine explorer in the service of King Francis I of France, lands around area of Carolinas

  3. Florentine navigator Giovanni Verrazano on a voyage for France is the first European to discover New York harbour

    Florentine navigator Giovanni Verrazano on a voyage for France is the first European to discover New York harbour

  4. Duke of Albany leaves Scotland

    Duke of Albany leaves Scotland

  5. Emperor Charles I bans German national synode

    Emperor Charles I bans German national synode

More from the 1520s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 6, 1523?
The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway's maritime colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland). The union was not quite continuous; there were several short interruptions.
Why is Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, ending the Kalmar Union significant?
The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark.
Who was involved in Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, ending the Kalmar Union?
Key figures include Gustav Vasa.

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