Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I dies on Jan 12, 1519 and his grandson Charles V becomes the new Holy Roman Emperor on June 28, 1519.
Charles had to secure the support of the seven electors and defeated rivals like Francis I of France through extensive bribery, funded by the Fugger banking family. Charles's election united his inherited Spanish, Burgundian, and Austrian territories and marked a new era of Habsburg dominance in Europe.