most are profitable. 1598: The province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México is established in Northern New Spain. The region would later become a territory of Mexico, the New Mexico Territory in the United States, and the US State of New Mexico. 1598: Death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, known as the unifier of Japan. 1599: The Mali Empire is defeated at the Battle of Jenné. 1599: The van Neck expedition returns to Europe. The expedition makes a 400 per cent profit. (to 1600) 1599: March, Leaving Europe the previous year, a fleet of eight ships under Jacob van Neck was the first Dutch fleet to reach the ‘Spice Islands’ of Maluku. 1600: Giordano Bruno is burned at the stake for heresy in Rome. 1600: Battle of Sekigahara in Japan. End of the Warring States period and beginning of the Edo period. 1600: The Portuguese win a major naval battle in the bay of Ambon. Later in the year, the Dutch join forces with the local Hituese in an anti-Portuguese alliance, in return for which the Dutch would have the sole right to purchase spices from Hitu. 1600: Elizabeth I grants a charter to the British East India Company beginning the English advance in Asia. 1600: Michael the Brave unifies the three Romanian principalities: Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania after the Battle of Șelimbăr from 1599. Undated Polybius' "The Histories" translated into Italian, English, German and French. Mississippian culture disappears. Medallion rug, variant Star Ushak style, Anatolia (modern Turkey), is made. It is now kept at The Saint Louis Art Museum. Gallery Inventions, discoveries, introductions Related article: List of 16th century inventions. The Columbian Exchange introduces many plants, animals and diseases to the Old and New Worlds. Introduction of the spinning wheel revolutionizes textile production in Europe. The letter J is introduced into the English alphabet. 1500: First portable watch is created by Peter Henlein of Germany. 1513: Juan Ponce de León sights Florida and Vasco Núñez de Balboa sights the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean. 1519–22: Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano lead the first circumnavigation of the World. 1519–1540: In America, Hernando de Soto expeditions map the Gulf of Mexico coastline and bays. 1525: Modern square root symbol (√) 1540: Francisco Vásquez de Coronado sights the Grand Canyon. 1541–42: Francisco de Orellana sails the length of the Amazon River. 1542–43: Firearms are introduced into Japan by the Portuguese. 1543: Copernicus