Famous People Born In 1530

Jan Kochanowski was a Polish Renaissance poet whose poetic patterns became a key component of the Polish literary language. Kochanowski is considered the greatest Polish poet before the arrival of Adam Bernard Mickiewicz. Jan Kochanowski is best remembered for his magnum opus Treny, a series of 19 elegies on the demise of his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Urszula.

Ruy López de Segura was a Spanish Catholic priest, author, and chess player. He is credited with authoring one of Europe's first books about modern chess. The best chess player in Spain for about two decades, Ruy López de Segura made immense contributions to chess opening theory.

Part of Irish folklore, Grace O'Malley was known as The Pirate Queen. Born into a seafaring family and was known for her unrelenting attitude toward the English. Known for her exploits in the Nine Years' War, she refused to bow down to Queen Elizabeth, as she herself was a queen.

Polish bishop and philosopher Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki is best remembered for his Latin book De optimo senator, or The Accomplished Senator, dedicated to King Sigismund II Augustus, whom he served. The book not only showcased Poland’s democratic and social systems but also influenced the formation of the 1791 Polish Constitution.

Simon Pereyns was a Flemish painter who gained fame after moving to Mexico in 1566. Among his most prominent work was Virgin of Forgiveness, which was housed at the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. Unfortunately, the painting was destroyed in a fire in 1967. 

Uesugi Kenshin was one of the most influential 16th-century Japanese military figures and a daimyō of the Sengoku period. His military prowess earned him the nickname Dragon of Echigo. Born Nagao Torachiyo, he changed his name after defeated leader Uesugi Norimasa took refuge in his home and adopted him.

Moses Isserles was a Polish Ashkenazic rabbi, scholar, and talmudist. He is best remembered for his immense contribution to Halakha, the collective body of Jewish religious laws. Moses Isserles is also remembered for his inline commentary on several religious texts that are considered important by the Jewish community. 

John Whitgift served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 until his death in 1604. Whitgift was also a teacher and is credited with teaching Francis Bacon and his brother Anthony Bacon in the 1570s. He is also credited with establishing charitable foundations like The Whitgift Foundation, which aims at providing care for the elderly and education for the young.