On This Day

Marcello Cervini is elected Pope Marcellus II

Pope Marcellus II (Italian: Marcello II; 6 May 1501 – 1 May 1555), born Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 1555 to his...

Pope Marcellus II (Italian: Marcello II; 6 May 1501 – 1 May 1555), born Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 1555 to his death, 22 days later.

Marcellus succeeded Pope Julius III. Before his accession as pope he had been Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. He is the most recent pope to choose to retain his birth name as his regnal name upon his accession, and the most recent pope to date with the regnal name "Marcellus".

Marcello Cervini's father, Ricardo Cervini, was a personal friend of Pope Clement VII. Cervini served in the household of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. When Farnese became Pope Paul III, Cervini served as his secretary and was employed on a number of diplomatic missions.

Historical Significance

Pope Marcellus II (Italian: Marcello II; 6 May 1501 – 1 May 1555), born Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 1555 to his death, 22 days later.

Events Before

  1. Bayinnaung is crowned King of Burma, assembles the largest empire in Southeast Asian history

    Bayinnaung is crowned King of Burma, assembles the largest empire in Southeast Asian history

  2. City of São Paulo founded in Brazil

    São Paulo is the capital city of the state of São Paulo, as well as the most populous city in Brazil, South America, the Americas, and in the Western and Southern Hemispheres.

  3. Queen Maria of England marries Philip, king of Naples/Jerusalem

    Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her...

  4. Mary I of England (37) marries Prince Philip of Spain (27) (later Philip II) at Winchester Cathedral, England

    Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her...

  5. Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands

    Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands

Events After

  1. Shaanxi Earthquake, the deadliest ever recorded, kills 830,000 in Shaanxi Province, China

    The 1976 Tangshan earthquake was a Mw 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, China, at 19:42:55 UTC on 27 July (03:42:55, 28 July local time).

  2. Second Battle of Panipat: Hindu Emperor of North India Hem Chandra Vikramaditya is defeated by forces of Mughal Emperor

    Second Battle of Panipat: Hindu Emperor of North India Hem Chandra Vikramaditya is defeated by forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar, who captures and later beheads Hem Chandra

  3. Mughal emperor Humayun trips and falls down the stairs of his library, dies three days later [or 20 Jan]

    Mughal emperor Humayun trips and falls down the stairs of his library, dies three days later [or 20 Jan]

  4. Cardinal Reginald Pole becomes archbishop of Canterbury

    Reginald Pole (12 March 1500 – 17 November 1558) was an English cardinal and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1556 to 1558 during the Marian Restoration of...

  5. Origin of the Fasli Era in India

    Origin of the Fasli Era in India

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 9, 1555?
Pope Marcellus II (Italian: Marcello II; 6 May 1501 – 1 May 1555), born Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 1555 to his death, 22 days later. Marcellus succeeded Pope Julius III. Before his accession as pope he had been Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.
Why is Marcello Cervini is elected Pope Marcellus II significant?
Pope Marcellus II (Italian: Marcello II; 6 May 1501 – 1 May 1555), born Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 1555 to his death, 22 days later.

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