François Bonivard or Bonnivard (1496 – 1570) was a Swiss patriot and historian whose life was the inspiration for Byron's 1816 poem The Prisoner of Chillon. Events January 3 - Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine. ... Events January 23 - The assassination of regent James Stewart, Earl of Moray throws Scotland into civil war February 25 - Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England. ... Generally speaking, a historian is a person who studies history. ... The poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron is often referred to simply as Byron. ...

He was the son of Louis Bonnivard, Seigneur de Lunes, and was born at Seyssel into an old family of Savoy. He was educated in Turin starting in 1510 by his uncle Jean Aimé de Bonnivard, then succeeded him as prior of St Victor, near Geneva. Young Bonivard opposed Charles III, Duke of Savoy in his efforts to control Geneva; the duke captured Bonivard and imprisoned him at Grolée from 1519 to 1521. This article is about the historical region of Savoy. ... Events Conquest of Pskov by Grand Prince Vasili III of Muscovy. ... Prior can refer to either The head of a priory, a type of monastery. ... Coat of arms of the Canton of Geneva Coat of arms of the City of Geneva Geneva (French: Genève, German: Genf, Italian: Ginevra, Romansh Genevra, Spanish: Ginebra) is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zurich), located where Lake Geneva (French: Lac de Genève or Lac L... Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ... Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. ...

The experience was not much of a deterrent; Bonivard continued his political activism. In 1530, he was set upon by robbers in the Jura, who turned him over to the Duke of Savoy. The duke imprisoned him again, this time underground in the Castle of Chillon. Bonivard was released by the Bernese when they conquered Vaud in 1536. His priory had meanwhile been destroyed, but Geneva awarded him a pension. He was made bourgeois of Geneva and sat on the Council of 200 in 1537. Events June 25 - Augsburg confession presented to Charles V of Holy Roman Empire. ... The Jura folds are located North of the main Alpine orogenic front, and are being continually deformed, accommodating the northwards compression due to Alpine folding. ... The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Swiss German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ... The Canton of Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland located in the southwestern part of the country. ... Events February 2 - Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... Events January 6 - Alessandro de Medici assassinated August 25 - The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, was formed. ...

Ultimately married four times, Bonivard was perpetually in debt.

In 1542, he was entrusted with compiling a history of Geneva from its beginning, and carried the story down to 1530 before he died. The manuscript was sent to Calvin for correction in 1551, but not actually published until 1831. It is not a highly regarded work, being both biased and uncritical. Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... Calvin may refer to the following: John Calvin, founder of the Calvinist strain of Protestantism Calvin, North Dakota Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan Calvin and Hobbes Matt Calvin sucks at orbital mechanics This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

In 1551, he donated his considerable library to the public. He left everything to the city of Geneva in his will. His exact date of death is not know because of a gap in the death records of the city. Events Russia, Reforming Synod of the metropolite Macaire, Orthodoxy: introduction of a calendar of the saints and an ecclesiastical law code ( Stoglav ) Major outbreak of the sweating sickness in England. ...