|
Date |
Event(s) |
1 | 1499 | - 16 Nov 1499—16 Nov 1499: Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the throne, executed
|
2 | 1503 | - 1503—1503: Leonardo da Vinci paints Mona Lisa (-1505)
- 28 May 1503—28 May 1503: Marriage of King James IV of Scots and Margaret Tudor
|
3 | 1505 | - 1505—1505: Royal College of Surgeons founded in Edinburgh
|
4 | 1506 | - 22 Jan 1506—22 Jan 1506: First contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican
|
5 | 1507 | - 1507—1507: First printing press in Scotland set up in Edinburgh by Andrew Myllar
- Apr 1507—Apr 1507: Suggestion put forward that the New World be named America in honour of
Amerigo Vespucci (on Martin Waldseem?ller's world map)
|
6 | 1509 | - 1509—1509: Naturalisation papers start in England
- 22 Apr 1509—22 Apr 1509: Henry VIII becomes king of England (to 1547) at 17 years old
- 11 Jun 1509—11 Jun 1509: Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon
|
7 | 1512 | - 1512—1512: The Auld Alliance' treaty with France - all Scottish citizens became French and vice
versa
- 1512—1512: Admiralty founded in London
- Nov 1512—Nov 1512: Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, exhibited to the public for
the first time
|
8 | 1513 | - 16 Aug 1513—16 Aug 1513: Battle of the Spurs - English troops under Henry VIII defeat a French force at
Guinegate
- 9 Sep 1513—9 Sep 1513: Battle of Flodden, defeat of Scottish Army - death of King James IV of Scots
|
9 | 1514 | - 1514—1514: Recording of Testaments (wills) begins in Scotland
|
10 | 1515 | - 15 Nov 1515—15 Nov 1515: Thomas Wolsley invested as Cardinal
|
11 | 1516 | - 1516—1516: Thomas More writes Utopia'
|
12 | 1517 | - 31 Oct 1517—31 Oct 1517: Martin Luther fixes his 95 theses on church door at Wittenburg - regarded as
start of the Reformation
|
13 | 1518 | - 1518—1518: Treaty of London, a non-aggression pact between the major European nations: France,
England, Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy, Spain, Burgundy and the Netherlands - sponsored
by Cardinal Wolsey
|
14 | 1520 | - Nov 1520—Nov 1520: Three ships under the command of Ferdinand Magellan negotiate the Strait of
Magellan, becoming the first Europeans to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific
|
15 | 1521 | - 17 Apr 1521—17 Apr 1521: Martin Luther speaks to the assembly at the Diet of Worms, refusing to recant
his teachings
- 17 May 1521—17 May 1521: Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, executed for treason
- 25 May 1521—25 May 1521: Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor issues the Edict of
Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw
|
16 | 1522 | - 6 Sep 1522—6 Sep 1522: The Victoria, one of the surviving ships of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition,
becomes the first ship known to circumnavigate the world
|
17 | 1525 | - 1525—1525: New Testament translated into English by William Tyndale
|
18 | 1527 | - 1527—1527: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School founded in Sutton Coldfield
|
19 | 1528 | - 1528—1528: St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle completed
|
20 | 1531 | - 11 Feb 1531—11 Feb 1531: Henry VIII recognised as Supreme Head of the Church of England
|
21 | 1532 | - 1532—1532: Foundation of the Court of Session in Scotland
|
22 | 1533 | - 25 Jan 1533—25 Jan 1533: Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn secretly, wife #2 (she was crowned as Queen
on 1st June)
- 30 Mar 1533—30 Mar 1533: Thomas Cranmer becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
- 23 May 1533—23 May 1533: Henry VIII's marriage with Catherine of Aragon officially declared annulled
- 11 Jul 1533—11 Jul 1533: Henry VIII excommunicated by Pope Clement VII
- 17 Sep 1533—17 Sep 1533: Anne Boleyn gives birth to a daughter Elizabeth, to become Queen Elizabeth I
|
23 | 1534 | - 1534—1534: Reformation of the Catholic Church in England church (Henry VIII)
|
24 | 1535 | - 1535—1535: Sir Thomas More executed
|
25 | 1536 | - 1536—1536: Wales and England legally united by the Laws in Wales Act of 1535
- 1536—1536: Dissolution of monasteries starts in England (to 1540)
- 19 May 1536—19 May 1536: Anne Boleyn executed
- 30 May 1536—30 May 1536: Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, wife #3 (she was crowned as Queen on 29th
October)
- 18 Jul 1536—18 Jul 1536: The authority of the Pope is declared void in England
|
26 | 1537 | - 24 Oct 1537—24 Oct 1537: Jane Seymour dies from complications in giving birth to a son, the future
Edward VI
|
27 | 1538 | - 1538—1538: Henry VIII issues English Bible
- 1538—1538: English and Welsh parish registers start
- 17 Dec 1538—17 Dec 1538: Henry VIII excommunicated by Pope Paul III
|
28 | 1540 | - 1540—1540: Statute of Wills allows freehold land to be bequeathed
- 6 Jan 1540—6 Jan 1540: Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, the 'Flanders Mare', wife #4
- 9 Feb 1540—9 Feb 1540: First recorded horse racing event in Britain, at Chester
- 9 Jul 1540—9 Jul 1540: Henry VIII divorces Anne of Cleves
- 28 Jul 1540—28 Jul 1540: Thomas Cromwell executed; Henry VIII marries Catherine Howard the same day,
wife #5
|
29 | 1541 | - 1541—1541: Henry VIII proclaimed king (rather than feudal lord) of Ireland
|
30 | 1542 | - 13 Feb 1542—13 Feb 1542: Catherine Howard executed
- 14 Dec 1542—14 Dec 1542: Death of King James V of Scots; his baby daughter Mary ?Queen of Scots'
succeeds him just 6 days old
|
31 | 1543 | - 12 Jul 1543—12 Jul 1543: Henry VIII marries Catherine Parr, wife #6, who survives him
- 9 Sep 1543—9 Sep 1543: Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is officially crowned Queen of Scots' in
Stirling (spelling of the royal house changes from Stewart to Stuart)
|
32 | 1544 | - 1544—1544: Henry's VIII's Rough Wooing' of the Scottish Borders
- 1544—1544: Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland
|
33 | 1545 | - 20 Jul 1545—20 Jul 1545: Mary Rose, flagship of Henry VIII, sinks in the Solent - raised in 1982
|
34 | 1546 | - 1546—1546: Trinity College, Cambridge founded by Henry VIII
|
35 | 1547 | - 1547—1547: Ivan the Terrible takes title 'Tsar of all the Russias'
- 1547—1547: Vagrants Act passed (able-bodied tramps can be detained as slaves)
- 1547—1547: English replaced Latin in church services in England and Wales
- 28 Jan 1547—28 Jan 1547: Death of Henry VIII (succeeded by Edward VI, aged 9, to 1553)
- 20 Feb 1547—20 Feb 1547: Coronation of Edward VI in Westminster Abbey
- 10 Sep 1547—10 Sep 1547: Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, said to be the first 'modern' battle to be fought in the
British Isles
|
36 | 1548 | - 1548—1548: Priests in England allowed to marry (about a third then did so) - but see 1554
|
37 | 1549 | - 1549—1549: English Parliament declares enclosures legal
- 1549—1549: First Act of Uniformity in England made Catholic Mass illegal
- 1549—1549: Wedding ring finger changed from right to left hand
- 9 Jun 1549—9 Jun 1549: First Book of Common Prayer sanctioned by English Parliament
|
38 | 1550 | - 1550—1550: Walloon Protestants arrive as refugees from the Low Countries
|
39 | 1551 | - 1551—1551: Scotland: General Provincial Council orders each parish to keep a register of baptisms
and banns of marriage
|
40 | 1552 | - Mar 1552—Mar 1552: An 'Act of Uniformity' imposes the Protestant prayerbook of 1552 in England
|
41 | 1553 | - 6 Jul 1553—6 Jul 1553: Edward VI dies; Lady Jane Grey queen for a few days only
- 19 Jul 1553—19 Jul 1553: Mary Tudor ('Bloody Mary') comes to the throne
|
42 | 1554 | - 1554—1554: Brief Catholic restoration under Queen Mary Tudor - married priests forced to separate
at least 30 miles from their wives
- 12 Feb 1554—12 Feb 1554: Lady Jane Grey beheaded
|
43 | 1556 | - 21 Mar 1556—21 Mar 1556: Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer burned at the stake in Oxford
|
44 | 1558 | - 1558—1558: System of Counties adopted
- 1558—1558: Scottish parish registers start
- 7 Jan 1558—7 Jan 1558: French take Calais, last English possession in France
- 24 Apr 1558—24 Apr 1558: Marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to Fran?ois the Dauphin of France in Paris
- 17 Nov 1558—17 Nov 1558: Queen Mary Tudor of England dies and is succeeded by her half-sister
Elizabeth - Protestantism restored in England
|
45 | 1559 | - 1559—1559: Tobacco introduced to Europe
- 1559—1559: John Knox returns from Continent - strengthens case for Presbyterianism in Scotland
- 15 Jan 1559—15 Jan 1559: Elizabeth crowned in Westminster Abbey by Owen Oglethorpe, the Bishop of
Carlisle
- 29 Apr 1559—29 Apr 1559: Acts of Supremacy passed in Parliament, ending papal jurisdiction over England
& Wales; established Church of England
|
46 | 1560 | - 1560—1560: Establishment of Protestantism in Scotland - commissary courts thrown into confusion
- some records lost
- 27 Feb 1560—27 Feb 1560: Treaty of Berwick between Duc du Chatelherault (as governor of Scotland) and
the English, agreeing to act jointly to expel the French from Scotland
|
47 | 1561 | - 1561—1561: Spire of St Paul's, highest in England, destroyed by fire
- 1561—1561: The first coins produced by machinery (known as a 'mill') rather than by hand, but it
was a slow process and did not replace hand struck coinage until new machinery was
introduced in 1663
|
48 | 1562 | - 1562—1562: Earliest English slave-trading expedition, under John Hawkins - between Guinea and
the West Indies
|
49 | 1563 | - 28 Jul 1563—28 Jul 1563: The English surrender Le Havre to the French after a siege
|
50 | 1564 | - 26 Apr 1564—26 Apr 1564: Shakespeare baptised - he is said to have been born on Apr 23, St George's
Day; he certainly died on Apr 23, 1616
|
51 | 1565 | - 29 Jul 1565—29 Jul 1565: Marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, her first
cousin
|
52 | 1566 | - 9 Mar 1566—9 Mar 1566: Murder of David Riccio (or Rizzio) in Holyrood House
|
53 | 1567 | - 10 Feb 1567—10 Feb 1567: Murder of Darnley outside Holyrood House in an explosion
- 15 May 1567—15 May 1567: Marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
- 24 Jul 1567—24 Jul 1567: Mary Queen of Scots deposed and replaced by her 1 year old son James VI
|
54 | 1568 | - 13 May 1568—13 May 1568: Battle of Langside - Mary's flight to England and her imprisonment by Queen
Elizabeth I
|
55 | 1569 | - 1569—1569: Elizabeth I approved Sunday sports
|
56 | 1570 | - 25 Feb 1570—25 Feb 1570: Pope Pius V issued the papal bull 'Regnans in Excelsis' to excommunicate
Elizabeth I and her followers in the Church of England
|
57 | 1571 | - 1571—1571: Presbyterianism introduced into England by Thomas Cartwright
- 1571—1571: Repeal of Act prohibiting lending of money on interest - gradual change from
'subsistence economy' to 'cash economy' resulted
- 1571—1571: Beginning of penal legislation against Catholics in England
- 23 Jan 1571—23 Jan 1571: Opening of the Royal Exchange in London, founded by Sir Thomas Gresham -
this building destroyed in Great Fire of London 1666
|
58 | 1577 | - 1577—1577: James Burbage opens first theatre in London
|
59 | 1579 | - 1579—1579: Act of Uniformity in matters of religion enforced
|
60 | 1580 | - 1580—1580: Congregational movement founded by Robert Browne about this time
- 1580—1580: Colonisation of Ireland
- 6 Apr 1580—6 Apr 1580: Dover Straits earthquake, largest in the recorded history of England, mentioned
by Shakespeare - dozens of ships sunk and a tsunami hit Calais
|
61 | 1581 | - 1581—1581: English Levant Company founded
- 16 Jan 1581—16 Jan 1581: English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism
- 4 Apr 1581—4 Apr 1581: Francis Drake knighted by Elizabeth I aboard the Golden Hind after
circumnavigating the world
|
62 | 1583 | - 1583—1583: University of Edinburgh founded
- 1583—1583: Foundation of Cambridge University Press by Thomas Thomas
- Aug 1583—Aug 1583: Sir Humphrey Gilbert attempts to establish English authority at St John's,
Newfoundland
|
63 | 1584 | - 4 Jun 1584—4 Jun 1584: Sir Walter Raleigh establishes first English colony in the New World, on
Roanoke Island, Virginia (now in North Carolina) - the so-called 'Lost Colony'
|
64 | 1585 | - 1585—1585: Foundation of Oxford University Press
|
65 | 1587 | - 1587—1587: Introduction of potatoes to England
- 8 Feb 1587—8 Feb 1587: Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Fotheringay Castle, near Peterborough
- 19 Apr 1587—19 Apr 1587: Sir Francis Drake sinks the Spanish fleet in Cadiz harbour
- 11 Aug 1587—11 Aug 1587: Raleigh's second expedition to New World lands in North Carolina - first child
born in the New World of English parents was Virginia Dare (Aug 18)
|
66 | 1588 | - 1588—1588: Invention of shorthand by Dr Timothy Bright
- 19 Jul 1588—19 Jul 1588: Spanish Armada sighted off the Lizard (had set sail from Lisbon in late May)
- 29 Jul 1588—29 Jul 1588: Defeat of Spanish Armada off Gravelines
|
67 | 1591 | - 1591—1591: Trinity College, Dublin, founded
|
68 | 1592 | - 1592—1592: A Congregational (or Independent) Church formed in London
- 1592—1592: Scotland: Presbyterian Church formally established - all ministers equal - no bishops -
secular commissaries appointed by the Crown
|
69 | 1593 | - 1593—1593: British statute mile established by law
|
70 | 1594 | - 1594—1594: Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, leads Irish rebellion against English rule (-1603)
|
71 | 1597 | - 1597—1597: Poor Law Act for erection of parish workhouses for the Poor - Poor Rate collection
allowed
|
72 | 1598 | - 1598—1598: Bishop's transcripts of English and Welsh parish registers start - parish records were to
be kept in 'great decent books of parchment' and copies or 'Bishop's Transcripts' of new entries
were to be sent each month to the diocesan centre
|
73 | 1600 | - 1 Jan 1600—1 Jan 1600: Scotland adopts New Year beginning 1st January (previously 25th March)
- 31 Dec 1600—31 Dec 1600: British East India Company founded
|
74 | 1601 | - 1601—1601: Great English Poor Law Act passed
- 1601—1601: First use of fruit juice as a preventative for scurvy by James Lancaster
|
75 | 1602 | - 20 Mar 1602—20 Mar 1602: Dutch East India Company founded
- 8 Nov 1602—8 Nov 1602: Bodleian Library at Oxford University opened to the public
|
76 | 1603 | - 24 Mar 1603—24 Mar 1603: Death of Elizabeth I: union of Scottish and English crowns - under King James
VI of Scots and I of England (d. 1625)
- 25 Jul 1603—25 Jul 1603: Coronation - James VI of Scotland is crowned first king of Great Britain
|
77 | 1604 | - 1 Nov 1604—1 Nov 1604: Shakespeare: Othello' first presented
|
78 | 1605 | - 5 Nov 1605—5 Nov 1605: Gunpowder plot at Westminster (Guy Fawkes, etc)
|
79 | 1606 | - 1606—1606: The London Company chartered to colonise Virginia: the Susan Constant, Godspeed,
and Discovery leave England on 19th De c taking 144 days to reach America
- 1606—1606: Episcopacy established in Scotland (against wishes of the Scots)
- 31 Jan 1606—31 Jan 1606: Guy Fawkes and co-conspirators executed
- 12 Mar 1606—12 Mar 1606: Adoption of Union Flag as the flag of Great Britain' (the term Union Jack is
used officially only when the Union Flag is flown from the Jack Mast of a Royal Naval vessel)
|
80 | 1607 | - 14 May 1607—14 May 1607: Jamestown, Virginia settled - to become the first permanent British colony in
North America
|
81 | 1608 | - 1608—1608: First use of telescope by Galileo - he observed the moons of Jupiter two years later in
Jan 1610
|
82 | 1610 | - 1610—1610: James VI & I established the Episcopal Church in Scotland - Prebyterians persecuted
and many of their records lost
|
83 | 1611 | - 1611—1611: Authorised (King James) Version of Bible in Britain
- 22 May 1611—22 May 1611: James VI & I created the title of baronet
|
84 | 1613 | - 1613—1613: A copper farthing was produced, as a silver coin would be too small
- 29 Jun 1613—29 Jun 1613: The Globe Theatre in London burns during a performance of Henry the Eighth
(finally pulled down in 1644)
|
85 | 1616 | - 23 Apr 1616—23 Apr 1616: Tuesday Apr 23 (Julian calendar): Death of Shakespeare
|
86 | 1618 | - 1618—1618: Sir Walter Raleigh beheaded for allegedly conspiring against James I
|
87 | 1619 | - 4 Dec 1619—4 Dec 1619: (Nov 24 old style): Colonists from Berkeley Parish in England disembark in
Virginia and give thanks to God (considered by many to be the first Thanksgiving in the
Americas)
|
88 | 1620 | - 1620—1620: Manufacture of coke (the fuel, not the drink!) patented by Dud Dudley
- 21 Dec 1620—21 Dec 1620: (Dec 16 old style): The Mayflower reaches America - founds Plymouth, New
England (had initially set sail from Southampton on Aug 5)
|
89 | 1621 | - 1621—1621: Chimneys to be made of brick and to be four and a half feet above the roof
|
90 | 1622 | - 1622—1622: First English newspaper appeared - Weekly News'
|
91 | 1624 | - 1624—1624: Monopoly Act in England: patents protected
- 1624—1624: Edmund Gunter introduces the surveyor's chain (measurement of length)
|
92 | 1625 | - 1625—1625: The size of bricks standardised in England around this time
- 27 Mar 1625—27 Mar 1625: Death of King James VI & I
|
93 | 1628 | - 1 Mar 1628—1 Mar 1628: Writs issued by Charles I that every county in England (not just seaport towns)
pay ship tax by this date
|
94 | 1629 | - 10 Mar 1629—10 Mar 1629: Parliament dissolved by King Charles I - did not meet for another 11 yea
|
95 | 1633 | - Jun 1633—Jun 1633: Galileo summoned by Inquisition for publishing in favour of Copernican theory
|
96 | 1635 | - 1635—1635: Letter Office of England & Scotland started
- 1635—1635: Flintlock small arms invented around this time (replaces matchlock)
|
97 | 1636 | - 1636—1636: Hackney Carriages in use by now in London
|
98 | 1638 | - 1638—1638: King Charles regarded protests against the prayerbook as treason - forced Scots to choose
between their church and the King - a ?Covenant' swearing to resist these changes to the
Death was signed in Greyfriars Church Edinburgh and was accepted by hundreds of
thousands of Scots (revival of Presbyterian Church)
|
99 | 1639 | - 1639—1639: Act of Toleration in England established religious toleration
|
100 | 1640 | - 3 Nov 1640—3 Nov 1640: Charles I forced to recall Parliament (the 'Long Parliament') due to Scottish
invasion
|
101 | 1641 | - 1641—1641: Charles I's policies cause insurrection in Ulster and Civil War in England
- 1641—1641: Charles I and the English Parliament acknowledge the Prebyterian Church in Scotland
- 23 Oct 1641—23 Oct 1641: 50,000 Irish killed in an uprising in Ulster
|
102 | 1642 | - 1642—1642: The Civil War interrupted the keeping of parish registers
- 1642—1642: English theatres closed by Puritans (till 1660)
- 22 Aug 1642—22 Aug 1642: Charles I raises his standard at Nottingham - First Civil War in England (to
1649)
- 13 Nov 1642—13 Nov 1642: Battle of Turnham Green - Royalist forces withdraw in face of the
Parliamentarian army and fail to take London
- 24 Nov 1642—24 Nov 1642: Abel Janszoon Tasman discovers Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania)
- 18 Dec 1642—18 Dec 1642: Abel Janszoon Tasman first European to set foot in New Zealand
|
103 | 1643 | - 13 Dec 1643—13 Dec 1643: Battle of Alton - victory for Parliamentarians - Sir Richard Bolle killed in St
Lawrence's church
|
104 | 1644 | - 29 Jun 1644—29 Jun 1644: Battle of Cropredy Bridge - Royalists beat the Parliamentarian forces
- 2 Jul 1644—2 Jul 1644: Battle of Marston Moor, near York - Parliamentarian forces beat the Royalists
|
105 | 1645 | - 1645—1645: Battle of Philiphaugh in Scotland
- 1645—1645: Scotland: Each county and burgh ordered to raise and maintain a number of foot
soldiers, according to population, to serve as militia - population of Scotland estimated at
420,000
- 1645—1645: Plague made its last appearance in Scotland
- 14 Jun 1645—14 Jun 1645: Battle of Naseby: Parliament's New Model Army crushes the Royalist forces
|
106 | 1646 | - 5 May 1646—5 May 1646: Charles I surrenders to the Scottish Army at Newark
- 20 Jun 1646—20 Jun 1646: Royalists sign articles of surrender at Oxford
|
107 | 1648 | - 1648—1648: Society of Friends (Quakers) founded by George Fox
- 1648—1648: First practical thermometers made
|
108 | 1649 | - 1649—1649: Cromwell's Irish campaign starts
- 1649—1649: King Charles II proclaimed King of Scots and England in Scotland
- 6 Jan 1649—6 Jan 1649: 'Rump' Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial
- 30 Jan 1649—30 Jan 1649: King Charles I executed
- 19 May 1649—19 May 1649: Commonwealth declared
- 20 Dec 1649—20 Dec 1649: Theatres banned by Cromwell
- 20 Dec 1649—20 Dec 1649: Christmas banned by Cromwell
|
109 | 1650 | - 1650—1650: Coffee brought to England about this time
|
110 | 1651 | - 1651—1651: The second English Civil War (1651-1652)
- 1651—1651: Scottish prisoners transported to the British settlements in America
- 3 Sep 1651—3 Sep 1651: Battle of Worcester
|
111 | 1653 | - 1653—1653: Commonwealth registers start
- 1653—1653: Under the Act of Settlement Cromwell's opponents stripped of land
- 1653—1653: Provincial probate courts abolished - probates granted only in London
- 20 Apr 1653—20 Apr 1653: Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament
- 16 Dec 1653—16 Dec 1653: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England,
Scotland and Ireland
|
112 | 1657 | - 1657—1657: Post Office established by Act of Parliament [others say 1660]
- 1657—1657: A few Jews permitted to settle in England
|
113 | 1658 | - 1658—1658: Richard Cromwell (son of Oliver) Lord Protector (-1660)
- 3 Sep 1658—3 Sep 1658: Death of Oliver Cromwell
|
114 | 1659 | - 1659—1659: Start of national meteorological Temperature records in the UK
- 6 Feb 1659—6 Feb 1659: Date of first known bank cheque to be drawn
|
115 | 1660 | - 1660—1660: Commonwealth registers ended, Parish Registers resumed
- 1660—1660: Provincial Probate Courts re-established
- 1660—1660: Clarendon code restricts Puritans' religious freedom
- 1660—1660: Composition of light discovered by Newton
- 1660—1660: Honourable East India Company founded by British
- 1 Jan 1660—1 Jan 1660: Samuel Pepys starts his diary
- 29 May 1660—29 May 1660: Restoration of British monarchy (Charles II) - 'Oak Apple Day' - theatres
reopened
- 17 Oct 1660—17 Oct 1660: Ten Regicides are executed at Charing Cross or Tyburn
- 28 Nov 1660—28 Nov 1660: Twelve men, including Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, John Wilkins, and Sir
Robert Moray decide to found what is later known as the Royal Society
- 8 Dec 1660—8 Dec 1660: First actress plays in London (Margaret Hughes as Desdemona)
|
116 | 1661 | - 1661—1661: Restoration of Episcopacy in Scotland
- 1661—1661: Board of Trade founded in London
- 1661—1661: Hand-struck postage stamps first used
- 1661—1661: Corporation Act prevents non-Anglicans from holding municipal office
- 30 Jan 1661—30 Jan 1661: Oliver Cromwell formally 'executed', having been dead for over two years!
|
117 | 1662 | - 1662—1662: 'Hearth Tax' introduced - until 1689 (1690 in Scotland)
- 1662—1662: Poor Relief Act or Act of Settlement' - gave JPs the power to return any wandering
poor to the parish of origin (repealed 1834)
- 1662—1662: Tea introduced to Britain
- 24 Aug 1662—24 Aug 1662: Act of Uniformity - Acceptance of Book of Common Prayer required - About
2,000 vicars and rectors driven from their parishes as nonconformists (Presbyterians and
Independents) - Persecution of all non-conformists - Presbyterianism dis-established -
Episcopalian Church of England restored
|
118 | 1664 | - 29 May 1664—29 May 1664: Oak Apple Day - the birthday of Charles II and the day when he entered
London at the Restoration; commanded by Act of Parliament in 1664 to be observed as a day
of thanksgiving. A special service (expunged in 1859) was inserted in the Book of Common
Prayer and people wore sprigs of oak with gilded oak-apples on that day.
- 27 Aug 1664—27 Aug 1664: Nieuw Amsterdam becomes New York as 300 English soldiers under Col.
Mathias Nicolls take the town from the Dutch under orders from Charles II. The town is
renamed after the King's brother James, Duke of York
|
119 | 1665 | - 1665—1665: Great Plague of London (July-October) kills over 60,000
- 1665—1665: Five-mile Act restricts non-conformist ministers in Britain
- 7 Nov 1665—7 Nov 1665: The ?London Gazette' first published - one of the official journals of record of the
United Kingdom government and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the
United Kingdom
|
120 | 1666 | - 1666—1666: Use of semaphore signalling pioneered by Lord Worcester
- 1666—1666: Newton formulated Laws of Gravity
- 2 Sep 1666—2 Sep 1666: Great Fire of London, after a drought beginning 27 June (2-6 Sep)
|
121 | 1668 | - 1668—1668: British East India Company obtains control of Bombay
- 1668—1668: Newton constructs reflecting telescope
|
122 | 1669 | - 31 May 1669—31 May 1669: Last entry in Pepys's diary
|
123 | 1670 | - 26 May 1670—26 May 1670: King Charles II and King Louis XIV of France sign the Secret Treaty of Dover
|
124 | 1671 | - 9 May 1671—9 May 1671: Thomas Blood caught stealing the Crown Jewels
|
125 | 1672 | - 1672—1672: High Court of Justiciary established in Scotland
- 1672—1672: War with Holland (to 1674) - British Army increased to 10,000 men
|
126 | 1673 | - 1673—1673: First Test Act deprives British Catholics and Non-conformists of Public Office
|
127 | 1674 | - 10 Nov 1674—10 Nov 1674: Treaty of Westminster - Netherlands cedes New Netherlands (on the eastern
coast of North America) to Britain
|
128 | 1675 | - 1675—1675: Beginning of Whig party under Shaftsbury
- 1675—1675: Rebuilding of St Paul's started by Wren (completed 1710)
- 4 Mar 1675—4 Mar 1675: John Flamsteed appointed first Astronomer Royal of England
- 10 Aug 1675—10 Aug 1675: Building of Royal Greenwich Observatory started
|
129 | 1676 | - 1676—1676: Compton Census, named after its initiator Henry Compton, Bishop of London, was
intended to discover the number of Anglican conformists, Roman Catholic recusants and
Protestant dissenters in England and Wales from enquiries made in individual parishes
|
130 | 1677 | - 1677—1677: Lee's Collection of Names of Merchants in London' published
|
131 | 1678 | - 1678—1678: Extension of Test Act to peers
|
132 | 1679 | - 1679—1679: Tories first so named
- 27 May 1679—27 May 1679: Habeas Corpus Act becomes law in England - (later repealed from time to
time)
|
133 | 1680 | - 1680—1680: William Dockwra(y) begins his London Penny Post
- 1680—1680: Dodo becomes extinct in Mauritius through over-hunting
|
134 | 1681 | - 1681—1681: Second Test Act (against non-conformists) passed by Westminster Parliament
- 1681—1681: Oil lighting first used in London streets
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135 | 1682 | - 1682—1682: Pennsylvania founded by William Penn
- 1682—1682: Library of Advocates founded in Edinburgh - later National Library of Scotland
- 1682—1682: Halley observes the comet which bears his name
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136 | 1683 | - 1683—1683: Wild boar become extinct in Britain
- 6 Jun 1683—6 Jun 1683: Ashmolean Museum opened at Oxford - first museum in Britain
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137 | 1685 | - 1685—1685: James the Second (1685-1689, died 1701) - Monmouth rebellion and battle of
Sedgemoor - British Army raised to 20,000 men
- 1685—1685: Earl of Argyll's Invasion of Scotland
- 1685—1685: Judge Jeffreys and the Bloody Assizes - 320 executed, 800 transported
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138 | 1686 | - 1686—1686: Release of all prisoners held for their religious beliefs
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139 | 1687 | - 4 Apr 1687—4 Apr 1687: James II issues the Declaration of Indulgence, suspending laws against Catholics
and non-conformists
- 5 Jul 1687—5 Jul 1687: Newton published his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica' - written
in Latin
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140 | 1688 | - 1688—1688: British Army raised to 40,000
- 1688—1688: Bill of Rights limits the powers of the monarchy over parliament
- 1688—1688: Hearth Tax abolished
- 1688—1688: Mutiny Act
- Feb 1688—Feb 1688: Edward Lloyd's Coffee House opens - later became Lloyd's of London
- Nov 1688—Nov 1688: The Glorious Revolution: James II abdicates
- 5 Nov 1688—5 Nov 1688: William of Orange lands at Torbay
- Dec 1688—Dec 1688: Siege of Londonderry (began Dec 1688; ended 28 Jul 1689)
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141 | 1689 | - 1689—1689: Devonport naval dockyard established
- 13 Feb 1689—13 Feb 1689: William III and Mary II, daughter of James II, jointly take the throne (only William, however, has regal power)
- 12 Mar 1689—12 Mar 1689: Deposed James VII & II flees to Ireland - defeated at the Battle of the Boyne (1
Jul 1690)
- 24 May 1689—24 May 1689: Toleration Act passed for Protestant non-conformists
- 27 Jul 1689—27 Jul 1689: Battle of Killiecrankie in Scotland - Jacobites defeated Government troops but
at high cost
- 16 Dec 1689—16 Dec 1689: Bill of Rights passed by Parliament, ending King's divine right to raise taxes or
wage war
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142 | 1690 | - 20 May 1690—20 May 1690: England passes Act of Grace, forgiving Roman Catholic followers of James II
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143 | 1692 | - 1692—1692: Land Tax introduced - originally designed as an annual tax on personal estate, public
offices and land. For practical purposes, however, assessors tended to avoid assessing items of
wealth other than landed property so that it became known as the Land Tax.
- 1692—1692: French intention to invade England came to nothing
- 13 Feb 1692—13 Feb 1692: The massacre of Glencoe - Clan Campbell sides with King William and
murders members of Clan McDonald
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144 | 1693 | - 4 Aug 1693—4 Aug 1693: Date traditionally ascribed to Dom Pierre P?rignon 's invention of Champagne
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145 | 1694 | - 1694—1694: National Debt came into effect in England
- 1694—1694: Stamp Duties introduced into Britain from Holland
- 1694—1694: Mary II death leaves William III as sole ruler
- 1694—1694: Triennial Act, new Parliamentary elections every three years
- 1694—1694: Scotland: Poll Tax imposed on all over sixteen, except the destitute and insane (-1699)
- 27 Jul 1694—27 Jul 1694: Bank of England founded by William Paterson (a Scot)
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146 | 1695 | - 1695—1695: Freedom of Press in England granted
- 1695—1695: Bank of Scotland founded
- 1695—1695: Act of Parliament imposes a fine on all who fail to inform the parish minister of the
birth of a child (repealed 1706)
- 1695—1695: Start of Dissenters' lists in parish registers - children born but not christened in the
parish church - some were named 'Papist' and others 'Protestants'
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147 | 1697 | - 2 Dec 1697—2 Dec 1697: Official opening of St Paul's Cathedral
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148 | 1698 | - 1698—1698: Invention of steam engine by Capt Thomas Savery
- 1698—1698: Darien Expedition: a disastrous attempt to establish a Scots settlement in Panama
- 1698—1698: Duties (taxes) on entries in parish registers - repealed after five years
- 4 Jan 1698—4 Jan 1698: Most of the Palace of Whitehall in London destroyed by fire
- 14 Nov 1698—14 Nov 1698: Eddystone Lighthouse (Henry Winstanley's) first lit; completed 10 days earlier
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149 | 1700 | - 1700—1700: Population in England and Scotland approx 7.5 million
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150 | 1701 | - 1701—1701: Act of Settlement bars Catholics from the British throne
- 23 May 1701—23 May 1701: After being convicted of piracy and murdering William Moore, Captain
William Kidd hanged in London
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151 | 1702 | - 8 Mar 1702—8 Mar 1702: Anne Stuart becomes Queen
- 11 Mar 1702—11 Mar 1702: First English daily newspaper The Daily Courant (till 1735)
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152 | 1703 | - 4 Aug 1703—4 Aug 1703: British take Gibraltar
- 24 Nov 1703—24 Nov 1703: Climate: Most violent storms of the millennium cause vast damage
across southern England - about a third of Britain's merchant fleet lost, and Eddystone
lighthouse destroyed on 27 November (Nov 24 - Dec 2)
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