May - August - Unsuccessful siege of Paris by Henry IV of France. Henry is forced to raise the siege when the Duke of Parma comes to its relief with a Spanish army.
The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China begins to neglect court affairs and grants his court eunuchs unprecedented power by allowing their bureaus the privilege to collect federal taxes from the provinces of China. Court eunuch leaders of the Directorate of Ceremonial would act as virtual, de facto dictators of the state, such as Wei Zhongxian in the 1620s.