1542 in science

Botany

• Leonhart Fuchs publishes his new herbal De historia stirpium commentarii insignes in Basel.

  Exploration

• Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explores the coast of California.

  Physiology and medicine

• Jean Fernel publishes De naturali parte medicinae, presenting human physiology as integral to the study of medicine.

  Births

• approx. date – Peder Sørensen, Danish physician

  Deaths

• August – Peter Henlein, Nuremberg watchmaker