Timeline December 1552

Events in December 1552 3

• 1483 – 1552 Paolo Giovio (1483-1552) Died 11 December 1552, aged 69 The Italian bishop, physician, and historian died in Florence after a long career chronicling contemporary European politics. His Historiae sui temporis and biographical collections of portraits and lives of illustrious men were widely read across Renaissance Europe. His approach to biographical writing shaped the genre for generations.
• 1506 – 1552 Francis Xavier (1506-1552) Died 3 December 1552, aged 46 The Navarrese Jesuit missionary died of fever on Shangchuan Island off the coast of China while awaiting passage to the mainland. A co-founder of the Society of Jesus, he had spent over a decade evangelizing in India, Southeast Asia, and Japan. He was later canonized and is venerated as a patron saint of missionaries.
• 1552 Charles V besieges Metz Imperial army fails to retake the city from France Charles V personally led a large imperial army to besiege Metz, recently seized by France, hoping to reverse the year's setbacks. The French garrison under Francis, Duke of Guise, held the fortifications through the winter. Disease and cold forced the emperor to abandon the siege on New Year's Eve, leaving Metz in French hands.