Famous People Born In 1560

Born to a tailor, Annibale Carracci set up a painters’ studio named Accademia degli Incamminati with his brother and cousin, thus establishing the famous Carracci family of painters. A significant figure of the Baroque movement, he is remembered for his iconic works such as Domine, Quo Vadis?

Dutch theologian and professor Jacobus Arminius opposed the orthodox Calvinism of his time and introduced a new system, known as Arminianism, in response. He is remembered for his Opera theologica, published posthumously, and for paving the path for the growth of Methodism in the West.

Firishta was a Persian historian who served as the court historian for the Deccan Sultans in India. He is best remembered for his work Tarikh-i Firishta, a history of India with emphasis on Deccan dynasties' history. Firishta is often credited with throwing light on the history of the Deccan sultanates.

Orphaned at the age of three, Ii Naomasa was initially groomed by his foster mother, Ii Naotora, a daimyō of the Sengoku period. He was later sent to Tokugawa Ieyasu, under whom he began his career, rising swiftly through ranks to become Hyōbu-dayū. Considered one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Tokugawa, he was also a favorite of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Born to a French physician in Switzerland, Gaspard Bauhin was a qualified physician himself and later made some of the most significant contributions to the classification of plants. Known for his Pinax theatri botanica, he also provided one of the initial descriptions of the ileocecal (or Bauhin’s) valve.

Naoe Kanetsugu, also known as Yamashiro no Kami, was a House of Uesugi minister and a samurai. Some of his most notable battles were the Battle of Tedorigawa and the Odawara Campaign. Even after the surrender of the Uesugi clan to the Tokugawa, he was made eligible for a stipend.

Spanish painter Juan Sánchez Cotán is regarded as one of the pioneers of Baroque realism. He is best known for his still lifes, also known as bodegones, which showed a signature illusion of depth and volume using light and shadow. His subjects ranged from fruits and vegetables to birds.

Calvinist pastor Anton Praetorius was known for his vocal opposition to witchhunts and the practice of burning of witches. He also spoke against the tenet of crimen exceptum, which stated that torture is acceptable as a form of punishment when the crime is of a serious nature.

Mostly known for his religious poems, Scottish poet Alexander Hume was initially a lawyer. Disinterested with the corrupt legal system of his time, he joined the Logie Kirk church as a minister. He later served the Church of Scotland as its Moderator of the General Assembly.

Born to the governor of the Denbigh Castle, Hugh Myddelton grew up to become a successful goldsmith and then a merchant. He later also excelled as a clothmaker. His interest in engineering led him to build a canal for the supply of clean water to London. He also owned a few mines.

Wenceslas Cobergher was a Flemish engineer, architect, painter, numismatist, antiquarian, and economist. He is best remembered for overseeing the draining of De Moeren on the Franco-Belgian border. Wenceslas Cobergher is also credited with introducing to the Southern Netherlands the Flemish Baroque style of architecture.