1602

Years: 1599 1600 1601 - 1602 - 1603 1604 1605
Decades: 1570s 1580s 1590s - 1600s - 1610s 1620s 1630s
Centuries: 16th century - 17th century - 18th century 1602 in literature 1602 in music 1602 in science

Events

February 14 - William Shakespeare First performance of Twelfth Night on Candlemas
March 20 - The Dutch East India Company is established as The United East India Company by the Dutch States-General
May 15 - Bartolomew Gosnold becomes the first European to discover Cape Cod.
June - James Lancaster's East India Company fleet arrives at Achin, Sumatra to deal with the local ruler. Having defeated Portugal's ally, the ruler is happy to do business, and Lancaster seizes a large Portuguese Galleon and loots it.
The Netherlands begins establishing itself as ruler of Indonesia
Ben Jonson writes Poetaster
William Shakespeare writes The Merry Wives of Windsor
Persia declares war on Ottoman Empire
Bodleian Library founded
In Praque, Florian Mathias performs the first successfull bowel surgery – removes a dagger from stomach
Jesuit missionary Jeronimo de Angeluin arrives in Japan