On This Day

Ottoman fleet under Piri Reis retakes the port of Aden (modern Yemen) from the Portuguese

Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis; born Muhiddin Piri; c. 1470–1553) was an Ottoman Turkish cartographer, admiral, navigator, and corsair.

Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis; born Muhiddin Piri; c. 1470–1553) was an Ottoman Turkish cartographer, admiral, navigator, and corsair. He is best known for his 1513 world map and his nautical atlas, the Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of the Sea). His maps combined classical sources, his own seafaring knowledge, and information from new European discoveries. His cartography was more engaged with the Age of Discovery than other Ottoman works from the period.

Piri Reis began his maritime career sailing with his uncle, the corsair Kemal Reis, with whom he entered Ottoman naval service. He later commanded his own ship in the Ottoman–Venetian wars and, following his uncle’s death, began the cartographic work for which he became best known. In 1516, he took part in the conquest of Egypt.

Historical Significance

Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis; born Muhiddin Piri; c.

Events Before

  1. Ivan the Terrible, aged 17, crowns himself the first Tsar of Russia

    Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in…

  2. Russian Tsar Ivan IV [Ivan the Terrible] (17) marries Anastasia Romanova (17)

    Russian Tsar Ivan IV [Ivan the Terrible] (17) marries Anastasia Romanova (17)

  3. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is executed in the Tower of London for treason

    Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey,, was an English nobleman, politician and poet. He was one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry and was the last known person to have been executed at the...

  4. Capitulation of Wittenberg: John Frederick I, Protestant Elector of Saxony, resigns after his capture by Catholic Hapsbu

    Capitulation of Wittenberg: John Frederick I, Protestant Elector of Saxony, resigns after his capture by Catholic Hapsburg forces of Charles V at the Battle of Mühlberg,

  5. Great fire in Moscow, a third of the largely wooden city destroyed and 2-3,000 killed

    Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in...

Events After

  1. The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded

    Salvador], formerly known as Cidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, literally "City of the Holy Savior of the Bay of All the Saints") is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the…

  2. Book of Common Prayer is adopted by the Church of England

    The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism.

  3. Tomé de Sousa appointed as the 1st Governor-General of Brazil

    Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579) was the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549 until 1553. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim.

  4. Kett's uprising occupies Norwich, England

    Kett's Rebellion was a revolt in the English county of Norfolk during the reign of Edward VI, largely in response to the enclosure of land.

  5. Jews are expelled from Ghent, Belgium

    Jews are expelled from Ghent, Belgium

More from the 1540s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 26, 1548?
Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis; born Muhiddin Piri; c. 1470–1553) was an Ottoman Turkish cartographer, admiral, navigator, and corsair. He is best known for his 1513 world map and his nautical atlas, the Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of the Sea).
Why is Ottoman fleet under Piri Reis retakes the port of Aden (modern Yemen) from th... significant?
Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis; born Muhiddin Piri; c.

Explore More