1508

Events

• February - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor attacks Venice
• June 6 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three year truce and cede several territories to Venice
• December 10 - League of Cambrai formed as an alliance against Venice between Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand II of Aragon.
• December - Michelangelo Buonarroti begins work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
• Lebna Dengel succeeds his father Na'od as Emperor of Ethiopia. Due to his young age, his grandmother Eleni acts as regent.

Births

• Primoz Trubar, the author of the first printed book in Slovenian
• Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva
• Jean Daurat
• November 30 - Andrea Palladio

Deaths

• May 27 - Ludovico Sforza, former Duke of Milan.
• Isaac Abrabanel (also called Isaac Abravanel, Isaac Abarbanel), Jewish statesman, philosopher and theologian
• Na'od , Emperor of Ethiopia (killed in battle)