On This Day

Spanish Armada heavily damaged in storms in the Bay of Biscay along the Galician coast of Spain, some ships return to A

Spanish Armada heavily damaged in storms in the Bay of Biscay along the Galician coast of Spain, some ships return to A Coruña for repairs

The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, lit. 'Great and Most Fortunate Navy') was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat appointed by Philip II of Spain. His orders were to sail up the English Channel, join with the army of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma in Flanders, and escort an invasion force that would land in England and overthrow Elizabeth I. Its purpose was to reinstate Catholicism in England, end English support for the Dutch Republic in the north and prevent attacks by English and Dutch privateers against Spanish interests in the Americas.

The Spanish were opposed by an English fleet based in Plymouth.

Historical Significance

The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, lit.

Events Before

  1. Queen Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant for her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots

    Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567. The…

  2. Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Eliz

    Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I in the Babington Plot

  3. Deventer and Zutphen surrender to Spain

    Zutphen] ; Dutch Low Saxon: Zutfent) is a city and municipality located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.

  4. Puritan English parliamentary leader Sir Peter Wentworth confined in London Tower

    Puritan English parliamentary leader Sir Peter Wentworth confined in London Tower

  5. 2nd English colony forms on Roanoke Island off North Carolina

    Roanoke Island () is an island in Dare County, bordered by the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Events After

  1. Job is elected as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

    The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

  2. Spanish troops conquer Geertruidenberg after the garrison of English and Dutch troops surrenders

    The English Armada (Spanish: Invencible Inglesa, lit. 'Invincible English'), also known as the Counter Armada, the Drake–Norris Expedition, or the Portugal Expedition, was an attack fleet sent...

  3. William Bradford is born

    William Bradford separatist leader, known for english separatist leader, was born on 1589-03-19.

  4. Catherine de' Medici dies

    Catherine de' Medici dies

  5. Battle of Ivry: French King Henry IV defeats the Catholic League during the French Wars of Religion

    The Battle of Ivry was fought on 14 March 1590, during the French Wars of Religion.

More from the 1580s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 19, 1588?
The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, lit. 'Great and Most Fortunate Navy') was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat appointed by Philip II of Spain. His orders were to sail up the English Channel, join with the army of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma in Flanders, and escort an invasion force that would land in England and overthrow Elizabeth I.
Why is Spanish Armada heavily damaged in storms in the Bay of Biscay along the Galic... significant?
The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, lit.

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