Final answer:
The publication of Nicolas Copernicus's text On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres contributed to the commencement of the scientific revolution in the 16th century.
Step-by-step explanation:
The historical event that directly contributed to the commencement of the scientific revolution in the 16th century was the publication of Nicolas Copernicus's text On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. This work refuted the geocentric theory, which proposed that the Earth was the center of the universe, and instead presented the heliocentric theory, with the sun at the center. The heliocentric theory challenged traditional views of the cosmos and sparked a revolution in scientific thought.