1516 (MDXVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar, the 1516th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 516th year of the 2nd millennium, the 16th year of the 16th century, and the 7th year of the 1510s decade. As of the start of 1516, the Gregorian calendar was 10 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which was the dominant calendar of the time.

• The Royal Mail is established

• January 16 – King Bayinnong, king of the Toungoo dynasty of Burma
• February 18 – Mary I of England

• January 23 – King Ferdinand II of Aragon
• August 9 – Hieronymus Bosch, Dutch painter
• November 26 – Giovanni Bellini, Italian Renaissance painter