16th century

The 16th century was a time of significant religious strife in Europe. The Catholic Church sought control of the institutions of government to control the populations of countries such as France and England. Throughout the century, the fortunes of the average Protestant and Catholic varied, depending upon which religion had the ear of the government of the day. (TV: The Massacre; AUDIO: The Marian Conspiracy)

It was a century that drew the particular interest to the Doctor. Not only was he keenly interested in what was happening in France during this period, (TV: The Massacre) he was particularly fascinated by reign of the House of Tudor, which was regnant in England throughout the century. He made several trips to the various Tudor courts. He was known to have met with Henry VIII, (TV: "Strangers in Space", The Power of Three) Lady Jane Grey (PROSE: The Nine-Day Queen) and Mary I, (AUDIO: The Marian Conspiracy) but he was particularly interested in the last of the Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth I, and returned to her court several times during her reign, both in this century and the next. At some point around 1562, he even married and had sex with that so-called "virgin queen". (TV: The Shakespeare Code, The End of Time, The Beast Below, The Day of the Doctor) He also had several encounters with John Dee, one of Elizabeth's closest advisers. (PROSE: Mortlake; PROSE: Managra) Also during the Tudor reign, Hexagoran scouts visited London, and centuries later would recreate it on Luparis as Lupara. (AUDIO: Hexagora)

The Doctor also met with some of the century's keenest minds. He befriended Leonardo da Vinci during either the first decade of this century, or the last decade of the previous one. (TV: The Masque of Mandragora, City of Death) He was also intensely interested in the life and career of William Shakespeare, whom he ran into at several points, both at the end of this century and the beginning of the next. (TV: The Shakespeare Code, AUDIO: The Kingmaker)

It was in this century that the Order of Saint Peter was founded in Eastern Europe. (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)

It was also among the centuries endured by Ashildr, (TV: The Woman Who Lived) a 9th century Viking girl who was rendered effectively immortal when she was brought back to life by the Twelfth Doctor through a self-repairing Mire repair kit. (TV: The Girl Who Died)