During the reign of Charles I, who inherited the throne from his father Philip, Habsburg Spain controlled territory ranging from Argentina to the Netherlands, and was among Europe's greatest powers. For this reason, this period of Spanish history has also been referred to as the "Age of Expansion." Although usually associated with its role in the history of Central Europe, the Habsburg family extended its realm into Spain from 1516 to 1700. Under Habsburg rule, Spain reached the zenith of its influence and power, but also began its slow decline. Spain's maritime supremacy was symbolized by the victory over the Ottomans at Lepanto in 1571, but in the following decades they suffered defeat at sea against England and the Netherlands. On land, Spain became embroiled in the Thirty Years' War, and in the second half of the 17th century they were defeated by the French, led by King Louis XIV. Habsburg rule came to an end in Spain with the death in 1700 of Charles II which resulted in the War of the Spanish Succession. The Habsburg years were also a Spanish Golden Age of cultural efflorescence. Some of the outstanding figures of the period were Diego Velázquez, El Greco, Miguel de Cervantes, and Pedro Calderón de la Barca.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_Spain

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1864: Union General Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of Cold Harbor. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor)

1889: The Armagh rail disaster killed 88 people near Armagh, Northern Ireland. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster)

1964: Anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison by the South African government. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela)

1979: A human-powered aircraft named Gossamer Albatross flew across the English Channel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross)

1987: U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"I don't want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that's why I'm grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop and to express all that's inside me!" -- Anne Frank (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anne_Frank)