10 July - Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England.
19 July - Thomas WhiteLord Mayor of London proclaims Queen Mary as the rightful Queen — Lady Jane Grey is imprisoned after using the title of queen for nine days.
9 August - Mary arrives in London from Framlingham.
22 August - Duke of Northumberland, a supporter of Lady Jane Grey, executed.
Approximate date - Ralph Roister Doister, the first known comedy in the English language, is written by London schoolmaster Nicholas Udall for his pupils to perform. Gammer Gurton's Needle by "Mr. S." follows.
1554
25 January - Wyatt's rebellion: Sir Thomas Wyatt leads a rebellion against Queen Mary's proposed marriage to Prince Philip of Spain.
9 February - Wyatt's rebellion collapses and he surrenders in London.
12 February - After claiming the throne of England the previous year, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason alongside her husband.
17 March - Princess Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London, suspected of involvement in Wyatt's rebellion.
21 May - A Royal Charter is granted to Derby School.
Richard Eden translates The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, urging his countrymen to follow the lead of Spain in exploring the New World.
1556
January - Soldier Sir Henry Dudley, from France, plots to raise an invasion force which is planned to land on the Isle of Wight, march on London, remove Queen Mary to exile in Spain and place the Protestant Elizabeth on the throne. By July, the plot is discovered and abandoned.
10 February - House of Commons makes a 'Loyal Address', urging Queen Elizabeth to marry.
2 April - Peace of Cateau Cambrésis - France makes peace with England and Spain. France gives up most of its gains in Italy (including Savoy), keeping only Saluzzo, but keeps the three Lorraine bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun, and the formerly English town of Calais.
