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.
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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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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 signs the Edict of Fontainebleau, on October 18, 1685, replacing the 1598 Edict of Nantes and revoking the religious rights and civil liberties of the Huguenots. This action officially outlawed Protestantism in France, demanding the destruction of churches, closing schools, and forcing conversions to Catholicism.
The Williamite War in Ireland concludes with the signing of the Treaty of Limerick, on October 3, 1691, granting religious freedom property protection, and civil rights to Catholics under certain conditions.
However the English Parliament later undermined these guarantees with Penal Laws, leading to a legacy of broken promises and Irish resentment, famously summed up as "remember Limerick and English treachery".
The Treaty of Karlowitz is signed, marking the end of the Great Turkish War and resulting in territorial changes in southeastern Europe.
The Collegiate School of Connecticut (later Yale University) is founded in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Collegiate School of Connecticut (later Yale University) is founded in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Hōei earthquake strikes Japan, causing widespread damage and loss of life.
The Siege of Lille during the War of the Spanish Succession concludes with the city's surrender to Allied forces.
The South Sea Bubble, a financial crisis in England, reaches its peak, leading to economic turmoil.
Peter the Great of Russia establishes the city of Saint Petersburg as the new capital circa October 1721
Maria Theresa , at 23 yeas of age, becomes the ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy following the death of her father, Emperor Charles VI. A number of European powers, including Frederick the Great of Prussia, challenged her claim, initiating the War of the Austrian Succession. Despite the initial challenges, she proved to be a formidable ruler, strengthening the monarchy and moving towards a more modern state.
The Battle of Rocoux occurs during the War of the Austrian Succession, with French forces defeating an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army.
Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, a Jacobite claimant to the British throne arrives in France after suffering a major defeat at the Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746, during his Jacobite rebellion as he attempted to restore the the Stuart monarchy.
He was welcomed in France as a hero but was unable to get further French support since France had made peace with Britain and he was forced to leave France in 1748. Charles never regained the throne and lived the rest of his life in exile. He later suffered from alcoholism and died in Rome in 1788.