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
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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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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.
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.
A major earthquake of an estimated 9.2 magnitude and a following tsunami, demolish the Peruvian city of Lima and the port city of Callao, killing 18,000 persons. Most of the 3000 homes in Lima were destroyed with only two dozen remaining standing. All offices and all 74 churches were destroyed or damaged.
To the south, many buildings collapsed all the way to Cañete, and to Chancay in the north. The disrupted area embraced 44,000 square kilometers. A little later in the evening, a following tsunami, devastated the neighboring port of Callao, destroying the port itself and sweeping miles inland. In contrast to Lima, only a handful of Callao’s inhabitants survived. More
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed on October 18, 1748, ending the War of the Austrian Succession and restoring most territorial boundaries.
The St. Petersburg State University is founded by Empress Elizabeth of Russia.
The Lisbon earthquake and tsunami strike Portugal, resulting in massive destruction and loss of life.
The Siege of Louisbourg during the French and Indian War ends with British forces capturing the fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia.
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George III becomes King of Great Britain at the age of 22, following the death of his grandfather, George II. He experienced behavioral changes after a fever around age 25 but he recovered.
He suffered from other "mania" episodes in 1788, leading on to his final, permanent decline beginning in 1810, at the age of 72. He remained mentally unfit to rule for the last decade of his life.