1542
| Years: 1539 1540 1541 - 1542 - 1543 1544 1545 | |
| Decades: 1510s 1520s 1530s - 1540s - 1550s 1560s 1570s | |
| Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century | |
Events
- War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French.
- November 25 - Battle of Solway Moss. An English army invades Scotland and defeats a Scottish army.
- December 14 - Princess Mary Stuart becomes Queen Mary I of Scotland.
- The first contact of Japan with the West occurs when a Portuguese ship, blown off its course to China, lands in Japan.
Births
- June 24 - St. John of the Cross, Spanish Carmelite friar and poet
- December 7/December 8 - Queen Mary I of Scotland
- Akbar, Jellaladin Mahommed, ruler of the Mughal Empire
Deaths
- February 13 - Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, executed for adultery
- May 21 - Hernando de Soto, explorer
- August 24 - Gasparo Contarini, Italian diplomat and cardinal (b. 1483)
- December 14 - King James V of Scotland.