The Battle of Kircholm occurs between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden.
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What Happened in October?
Explorations, great battles, and crowned leaders. Discover meaningful events and milestones from October throughout history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Dutch East India Company (VOC) is established to facilitate colonial trade.
Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei demonstrates his newly built telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei discovers the four largest moons of Jupiter, now known as the Galilean moons.
Dutch sea captain Dirk Hartog makes the second recorded landfall by a European on Australian soil.
Sir Walter Raleigh is executed outside the Palace of Westminster. He was one of the most famous explorers of Elizabeth I's reign and a favorite of the Queen's. Raleigh was also a scholar and a poet, but he is usually remembered for introducing the essential potato, and the addictive tobacco. More
The War of the Mantuan Succession begins, a conflict between France and the Habsburg Monarchy over control of the Duchy of Mantua.
The Treaty of Hartford ends the Pequot War between the Pequot tribe and English settlers in New England.
The Bishop's War between England and Scotland resulting from King Charles I's attempts to impose religious reforms on Scotland came to an end with the Treaty of Ripon setting the stage for the Civil Wars. More
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 begins, marking a significant conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.
The Battle of Edgehill between the Royalist army under King Charles I and the Parliamentarian army led by the Earl of Essex takes place, marking the first major conflict of the English Civil War. The battle was fought near Edge Hill in southern Warwickshire, and neither side gained a decisive advantage, leading to a four-year war.
The Thirty Years' War ends with the Peace of Westphalia, a series of treaties negotiated in the Westphalian towns of Münster and Osnabrück which officially ended the devastating conflict that ravaged Europe; changing the map of Europe irrevocably.
Quakers William Robinson and Marmaduke Stephenson are hanged in Boston by the Puritans. Mary Dyer was also scheduled to be hanged however, her life was spared by a last minute reprieve. The day after her reprieve, Mary wrote to the General Court refusing to accept her pardon's terms.
While the General Court attempted to soften the terms, Mary left for Rhode Island only to return in the spring of 1660. She was resolute; either the authorities would change their laws or they would need to hang a woman. She was publicly hanged on June 1, 1660. More
The Treaty of Oliva is signed, ending the Second Northern War and recognizing Swedish territorial losses.
The Great Plague of London reaches its peak, causing widespread death and disruption.
King Philip's War, a conflict between Native American tribes and English settlers, concludes with the Treaty of Casco.
The Popish Plot, a fabricated conspiracy against King Charles II of England, emerges, leading to anti-Catholic sentiment.
The first Mennonites to establish a permanent settlement in North America arrived in Philadelphia. Invited to the city by its Quaker founder, William Penn, they settled in Germantown, then a small village about six miles north of the city. More
King Louis XIV of France revokes the Edict of Nantes, leading to the persecution of Huguenots and the weakening of religious tolerance.
France's King Louis XIV suspends the Edict of Nantes, revoking the religious rights of Huguenots.