1585
1585 is the year of the Roanoke colony's first settlement attempt.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 1585 fits
Why 1585 is special
The later 1587 settlement vanished entirely, leaving the word CROATOAN carved on a post. What happened remains unresolved, and is one of the most durable unsolved questions in colonial American history.
1585 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 5, 317, 1585
- Prime factorisation
- 5 × 317
- Digit sum
- 19
- Digital root
- 1
Representations
- Decimal
- 1585
- Scientific notation
- 1.585 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D L X X X V
Binary
1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,585
Octal
3 0 6 1
3 × 512 + 0 × 64 + 6 × 8 + 1 × 1 = 1,585
Hexadecimal
6 3 1
6 × 256 + 3 × 16 + 1 × 1 = 1,585
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 32 + 16 + 1 = 1,585.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 5 coils of rope, 8 hobbles, 5 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 5 × 100 + 8 × 10 + 5 × 1 = 1,585. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 6 vertical wedges (sixties place), 2 corner wedges + 5 vertical wedges (units place)
26 × 60 + 25 = 1585. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Semiprime
- Lucky number (mathematical sieve)
Related numbers & connections
1585 is a year in the 16th century, in the 1580s.
Roanoke was attempted from 1585 and vanished; Jamestown was founded in 1607 and survived on tobacco. English settlement in North America succeeded on the second attempt.
View 1607 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- is associated with1607
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
In 1585, Roanoke Colony was established, later abandoned and known as the Lost Colony (North America).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: North AmericaPeriod: 1585The English settlement at Roanoke was found abandoned in 1590 with a single carved word and no bodies. Assimilation with local peoples is the most common explanation and none is established.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: North CarolinaPeriod: 1585–1590
Common questions
Is 1585 a prime number?
No, 1585 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1585?
The factors of 1585 are 1, 5, 317, 1585.
What is 1585 in Roman numerals?
1585 in Roman numerals is MDLXXXV.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026