1596 (MDXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 1596th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 596th year of the 2nd millennium, the 96th year of the 16th century, and the 7th year of the 1590s decade. As of the start of 1596, the Gregorian calendar was 10 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.

• March 31 – René Descartes, French philosopher and physicist
• June 29 – Emperor Go-Mizunoo of Japan
• Micheal I of Russia, Russian Tsar

• January 28 – Sir Francis Drake, English explorer

• Warsaw becomes the capital of Poland.
• The Cudel War starts in Finland