leather upholstery used for furniture tea first drunk in England Giovanni Riccioli creates map of moon with names used today actress Nell Gwyn born John Donne "Paradoxes, Problems" Hayashi Shunsai publishes a history of Japan, "O- Dai- Ichi-Ran" the minuet comes into fashion in French court first opera house in Vienna Otto von Guericke invents air pump Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector Moliére writes "L'Etourdi" (comedy) first letter boxes in Paris Cromwell readmits Jews to England first regular newspaper in Berlin Spinoza excommunicated Rembrandt declares bankruptcy opening of first London opera house Edmund Halley born creation of new House of Lords drinking chocolate introduced in London first stockings manufactured in Paris first fountain pens manufactured in Paris Cromwell dies, succeeded by his son, Richard typhoid fever famine in India author Daniel Defoe born Moliére writes "L'Ecole des femmes" (comedy) last silver pennies minted in London Christopher Wren designs the Sheldonian Theatre (Oxford) french furniture prevails throughout Europe Jupiter, Mars and Venus Peter Chamberlen invents midwifery forceps Isaac Newton experiments with gravitation Isaac Newton invents differential calculus first modern census taken in Quebec Great Plague of London starts first known turf race in New York colony of New Jersey founded English privateers take Tobago Antonio Stradivari labels his first violin Isaac Newton measures the moon's orbit cheddar cheese first made Great Fire of London English author Jonathan Swift born Guilio Rospigliosi becomes Pope Clement IX Mexico Cathedral finished National Observatory - Paris, founded French army uses hand grenades S.Carolina founded Rembrandt dies outbreak of cholera in China for flying Thomas Willis describes for first time symptoms of diabetes first minute hands on watches highwayman Rob Roy born Jan van der Heyde and his son Mitsui family banking house founded in Japan Marquette & Joliet reach source of Mississippi River Richard "Beau" Nash born, English courtier war between Sweden and Denmark Sir Christopher Wren rebuilds St. Paul's Cathedral Benedetto Odescalchi becomes Pope Innocent XI Sir Christopher Wren begins Trinity College Library Influenze epidemic in England legal protection of the Sabbath in England first chyrsanthemums arrive in Holland from Japan import of all French goods banned in England first ballets in Germany arrive from France the Dodo bird, becomes extinct first checks in England Versailless becomes French royal residence mill with 100 looms established in Amsterdam Peter II, King of Portugal Newton describes mathematical theory of tides wild boars become extinct in Great Britian J.S.Bach born first French settlers in Texas Halley draws first meteorlogical map Venetian bombardment Suleiman III, Sultan of Turkey Smyrna destroyed by earthquake French burn Baden-Baden Peter the Great becomes Czar of Russia Turks conquer Belgrade Calcutta founded first directory of addresses published in Paris William & Mary College founded earthquake in Jamaica Hussain becomes Shah of Persia salt tax doubled in England Royal Bank of Scotland founded a window tax is levied in England China conquers western Mongolia last remains of Maya civilization destroyed in Yucatan by Spanish Pierre Le Moyne, sieur d'Iberville founds first European settlement in Louisiana, at Fort Maurepas Peter the Great decrees that New Year in Russia will begin on Jan.1 instead of Sept.1 |
Sir Isaac Newton made fundamental contributions to every major area of scientific and mathematical concern to his generation. Oliver Cromwell was one of the most important figures in British history, a great general, and lord protector of the Commonwealth, or republic, of England, Scotland, and Ireland for five years. Edmond Halley was an English astronomer who discovered the proper motion of stars and the periodicity of comets. Louis XIV, France's Sun King, had the longest reign in European history (72 years). Peter the Great, tsar of Russia and the first Russian emperor, was an unusually powerful and prepossessing ruler and laid the foundation of the modern Russian state. Rene Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle was the European discoverer of the lower Mississippi. Charles XII, King of Sweden was one of the great military kings of European history. |