Explore 160 historical events from 1650–1659.
John Cleveland was an English poet who supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War. He was best known for political satire.
John Cleveland, English poet and author (born 1613)
Pope Alexander VII, born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death, in May 1667.
Pope Alexander VII appointed François de Laval as the first apostolic vicar of New France
Oliver Cromwell was an English statesman, farmer and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the …
Oliver Cromwell, English general and politician, Lord Protector of England (born 1599)
The Anglo-Spanish War of 1654–1660 was fought between the Commonwealth of England and Habsburg Spain. It was driven by the economic and religious rivalry between the two countries,…
Anglo-Spanish War: The largest battle ever fought on Jamaica, the three-day Battle of Rio Nuevo, began
The Restoration War between Portugal and Spain began in 1641 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668, bringing a formal end to the Iberian Union. The period from 1640 to 1668 w…
Portuguese Restoration War: Having crossed the Minho and entered Portuguese territory, a Spanish army was victorious…
Robert Blake was an English naval officer who served as general at sea and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1656 to 1657. Blake served under Oliver Cromwell during the Engl…
English Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet, under heavy fire from the shore, at the Battle of Santa Cr
Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or p…
Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City)
Sambhaji, also known as Shambhuraje, ruled from 1681 to 1689 as the second king (Chhatrapati) of the Maratha Empire, a prominent state in early modern India. He was the eldest son …
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Indian(Maratha) emperor (died 1689)
Frederick I, of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was Elector of Brandenburg (1688–1713) and Duke of Prussia in personal union (Brandenburg–Prussia). The latter function he upgraded to roy…
Frederick I of Prussia (died 1713)
Philipp Heinrich Erlebach was a German Baroque composer, a prolific writer of church music and secular music. Much of his work is lost due to a fire.
Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, German composer (died 1714)
Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena, surname also spelt Galli da Bibiena or Bibbiena, was an Italian Baroque-era architect, designer, and painter.
Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect and painter (died 1743)
Andrew Bobola, SJ was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the "Apostle of Lithuania" and the "hunter of souls". He was beaten and tortured to death dur…
Andrew Bobola, Polish missionary and martyr (born 1591)
William Harvey was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, pulmon…
William Harvey, English physician and academic (born 1578)
William Bradford was an English Pilgrim Separatist originally from the West Riding of Yorkshire in Northern England. He moved to Leiden in the Dutch Republic in order to escape per…
William Bradford, English-American politician, 2nd Governor of Plymouth Colony (born 1590)
Zynoviy Bohdan Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky of the Abdank coat of arms was a Ruthenian nobleman and military commander of Zaporozhian Cossacks as Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, which …
Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ukrainian soldier and politician, 1st Hetman of Zaporizhian Host (born 1595)
John Lilburne, also known as Freeborn John, was an English political Leveller before, during and after the English Civil Wars 1642–1650. He coined the term "freeborn rights", defin…
John Lilburne, English activist (born 1614)
Arvid Wittenberg or Arvid Wirtenberg von Debern, was a Swedish count, field marshal and privy councillor. Born in Porvoo, Finland, he died imprisoned in Zamość, Poland, 7 September…
Arvid Wittenberg, Swedish field marshal (born 1606)
The Anglo-Spanish War was fought between England and Spain between 1654 and 1660. It was driven by the economic and religious rivalry between the two countries, with each side atta…
Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy sank much of a Spanish treasure fleet at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife off th
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller, is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of …
A joined Hospitaller-Venetian fleet defeats a numerically superior Ottoman fleet in the battle of the Dardanelles.
The Raid on Malaga was a military action by the English against the Spanish city of Málaga on 21 July 1656 as part of the Anglo–Spanish War (1654–1660).
The Raid on Málaga takes place during the Anglo-Spanish War.
The Northern War of 1655–1660 was fought between the Swedish Empire and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with participation at different times by Russia, Brandenburg-Prussia, th…
Second Northern War: Battle of Warsaw begins.
The Battle of Warsaw took place near Warsaw on July 28–July 30 [O.S. July 18–20] 1656, between the armies of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden and Brandenburg. It was a…
The Battle of Warsaw ends with a Swedish-Brandenburger victory over a larger Polish-Lithuanian force.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Leake was a Royal Navy officer and politician who represented Rochester in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1715. He served in the T…
John Leake, Royal Navy admiral (died 1720)
Lieutenant général des armées navales Claude, comte de Forbin-Gardanne was a French military officer and diplomat. From 1685 to 1688, he led a diplomatic mission to the Ayutthaya K…
Claude de Forbin, French general (died 1733)