1604 CE

The Hampton Court Conference is held between James I of England, the Anglican bishops and representatives of the Puritans. Work begins on the Authorized King James Version of the Bible and revision of the Book of Common Prayer. Ottoman–Safavid War: General Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha, commander of the eastern Ottoman Army, leads troops on a march from Constantinople to fight the Persia's Safavid Army in Armenia, but arrives too late to save the city of Yerevan. Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–18): Shāh Abbas I of Persia's Safavid army captures the city of Yerevan from the Ottoman Empire after a siege. At this time the Shāh begins the expulsion of Armenians from Jolfa to New Julfa in his capital of Isfahan; more than 25,000 die during the exodus.

In the 1600s, the 17th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

February 24 – At Linköping in Sweden, the Riksdag declares that Sigismund, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, who has been absent for five years, has effectively abdicated as King of Sweden, and recognizes Karl, Duke of Södermanland, as the new monarch.source
March 19 – King James opens his first parliamentary session as King of England. In his opening speech to the "Blessed Parliament", the King makes clear that he wants to bring a legal union between England and Scotland and that he does not wish to be "a husband to two wives." The House of Commons refuses to agree with him on the unification of the crown or on the funding that the King requests.source
July 11 – Derry chartered as a city.Ireland source
July 16 – The last of the 18 sessions of the English and Spanish peace conference is held at the Old Somerset House in London, with the parties reaching an agreement on terms of a treaty.source
24 July - Anders Lauritsson Green becomes Chancellor of Norway.Norway source
August 18 – England concludes the Treaty of London with Spain, ending the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), an intermittent conflict within the Eighty Years' War.source
France signs a treaty with the Ottoman Empire, strengthening trade relations with Sultan Ahmed I.France source
Henry IV introduces the paulette tax, allowing officeholders to make positions hereditary by paying an annual fee.France source
The town of Son is founded (lost town status in 1963).Norway source

Conflict & Security

April 9 – On the first day of the new year 966 M.E. on the Burmese calendar, King Nyaungyan Min of Burma makes a triumphant return to his capital at Inwa after his victory in the war against the principality of Mongnai (Monē), one of the Shan States between Burma and Siamsource
April 18 – Maurice of Nassau assembles a combined army of 7,000 Dutch and 4,000 English soldiers to make an attack on the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium).source
May 19 – Maurice of Nassau begins the Siege of Sluis, a port in the Spanish Netherlands, with 11,000 Dutch and English troops. Despite reinforcements from Spanish relief troops, the city surrenders after three months, with both sides having lost hundreds of casualties.source
May 20 – Five conspirators in England, led by Robert Catesby, who has invited Thomas Wintour, John Wright, Thomas Percy and Guy Fawkes, meet at the Duck and Drake Inn in London to make a plan for the assassination of King James.source
May 20 – Peace discussions between England and Spain begin at Somerset House in London to end the Anglo-Spanish War after 19 years of fighting.source
June 9 – Thomas Percy, one of the English conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I, is appointed as one of the king's bodyguards by the Earl of Northumberland.source
June 15 – Ottoman–Safavid War: General Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha, commander of the eastern Ottoman Army, leads troops on a march from Constantinople to fight the Persia's Safavid Army in Armenia, but arrives too late to save the city of Yerevan.source
June – Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–18): Shāh Abbas I of Persia's Safavid army captures the city of Yerevan from the Ottoman Empire after a siege. At this time the Shāh begins the expulsion of Armenians from Jolfa to New Julfa in his capital of Isfahan; more than 25,000 die during the exodus.source
August 5 – Sokolluzade Mehmed Pasha becomes the new Ottoman Grand Vizier, replacing the late Yavuz Ali Pashasource
August 19 – The Dutch siege of Sluis in the Spanish Netherlands ends after three months, a day after relief troops commanded by General Ambrogio Spinola retreat. At least 2,000 of the members of the Spanish garrison inside had been killed or incapacitated by disease and famine. Sluis becomes part of the Netherlands afterward.source
September 20 – After a bloody three-year siege. Ostend is finally captured by Spanish forces under Ambrogio Spinolasource
25 September - Polish victory in the Battle of Weissenstein.Sweden source

Exploration & Expansion

May 22 – English entrepreneur Charles Leigh and a crew of 46 arrive in South America at what is now the Oyapock River in French Guiana after traveling on the ship Olive Plant. The 35 men and boys who stay create a colonial settlement which they call Oliveleigh, and make a claim to all of the area.source
Before 1 October, Huntingdon Beaumont completes the Wollaton Wagonway, built to transport coal from the mines at Strelley to Wollaton just west of Nottingham, England, the world's oldest wagonway with provenance.source
France begins settling Acadia, first successful French North American colony.source

Religion & Belief

January 14 – The Hampton Court Conference is held between James I of England, the Anglican bishops and representatives of the Puritans. Work begins on the Authorized King James Version of the Bible and revision of the Book of Common Prayer.source
February 14 – King James of England denounces the Roman Catholic Church after learning from one of his spies, Sir Anthony Standen, that Queen Anne has been sent a rosary from the Pope.source
February 17 – King James issues an order for all Jesuits and all Roman Catholic priests to leave his kingdom by March 19.source
April 17 – Tsar Dmitry of Russia makes a public conversion to Roman Catholicism in order to attract the aid of Jesuits in his attempt to rule all of Russia.source
July 4 – The Jesuits Act 1603 (officially "An Act for the due execution of the Statutes against Jesuits, seminary Priests and recusants") is given royal assent by King James I of England to create penalties against Jesuits and Catholics who send their children abroad to Catholic colleges.source
July 7 – On 11 Safar 1013 AH in the Islamic calendar, the decree of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I is read aloud in the Great Mosque of Mecca, declaring that Idris ibn Hasan has been proclaimed the new Sharif of Mecca, in partnership with Idris's brother Fuhayd ibn Hasan and Idris and Fuhayd's nephew, Muhsin ibn Husaynsource
July 22 – King James begins fundraising for his project for an accurate translation of the Holy Bible into English, asking Richard Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, to contact all Anglican churches for donations.source
September 1 – Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the religious text of Sikhism, whose compilation by Guru Arjan was completed on August 29, is installed at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.source
4 December – Christian IV’s Norwegian Law of 1604 is issued, essentially as a translation into Danish of the older Norwegian law of Magnus law-mender established and recorded in Norwegian in 1274 and 1276.Norway source
4 December – Hiring anyone who had attended Jesuit schools in positions in schools and churches was made illegal.Norway source
The Papacy is expected to fall this year by Tobias Hess and Simon Studion according to their correspondence in 1597.source
A special court, Chambre de l’Édit, is established to resolve disputes between Protestants and Catholics.France source

Economy & Finance

July 7 – King James angrily dismisses the English parliament after failing to get full financial subsidies. He tells the members in his closing speech, "I am not of such a stock as to praise fools."source
Economic reforms continue under Maximilien de Béthune, Duke de Sully, focusing on agriculture, trade, and infrastructure.France source

Technology & Infrastructure

March 22 – Karl IX begins his reign as King of Sweden.source
Henry IV advances Parisian development, working on projects like the Louvre and Place Royale.France source

Science & Discovery

First publication of Christopher Marlowe's play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, in London.source

Health & Medicine

March 15 – More than seven months after their July 25, 1603 coronation, King James I and Anne, Queen consort make the traditional Royal Entry to London. The ceremonies have been postponed from 1603 because of the ongoing plague.source

Crime & Justice

According to legend, the vault of Christian Rosenkreuz is discovered.source

Climate & Environment

December 29 – The 1604 Quanzhou earthquake, with an estimated 8.1 magnitude, shakes the Taiwan Strait leaving several dead.source

Culture & Society

January 1 – The earliest recorded performance of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream takes place at Hampton Court prior to the main presentation, The Masque of Indian and China Knights, which is performed by courtiers of King James.source
November 1 – The first recorded performance of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, takes place at the Palace of Whitehall in London.source
The Table Alphabeticall, the first known English dictionary to be organized by alphabetical ordering, is published.source
Lancelot de Casteau's L'Ouverture de cuisine published in Liège, including the first printed recipe for choux pastry.source
Christian IV's Arsenal is completed at Slotsholmen in CopenhagenDenmark source

Births

February 24 – Arcangela Tarabotti, born Elena Tarabotti, Venetian nun and feminist (died 1652)source
March 10 – Johann Rudolf Glauber, German-Dutch alchemist and chemist (approximate date; d. 1670)source
March 10 (claimed) – David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore (died 1642)Ireland source
March 19 – King John IV of Portugal (died 1656)source
April 5 – Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine (died 1675)source
April 9 – Duke Francis Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg (died 1658)source
April 17 – Frans Luycx, Flemish Baroque painter (died 1668)source
April 28 – Joris Jansen Rapelje, Early Dutch settler in colonial North America (died 1662)source
May 28 – Catherine of Brandenburg, Princess of Transylvania (1629–1630) (died 1649)source
June 4 – Claudia de' Medici (died 1648)source
June 17 – John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen (died 1679)source
August 12 – Tokugawa Iemitsu, Japanese shōgun (died 1651)source
September 13 – Sir William Brereton, 1st Baronet, English soldier and politician (died 1661)source
October 14 - Nils Brahe, soldier (died 1632)Sweden source
November 3 – Osman II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (died 1622)source
November 6 – George Ent, English scientist (died 1689)source
Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, nobleman and figure in English Civil War (died 1657)Ireland source
Niels Hanssøn Meng, timber trader and Mayor (died 1676).Norway source

Deaths

January 28 – Brian Oge O'Rourke, King of West Breifne.Ireland source
February 29 – John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death (born c. 1530)source
March 4 – Fausto Paolo Sozzini, Italian theologian (born 1539)source
March 13 – Arnaud d'Ossat, French diplomat and writer (born 1537)source
April 8 – Daniyal, Imperial Prince of the Timurid Dynasty, Viceroy of Deccan (born 1572)source
17 April – Rasmus Hjort, priest, humanist, educator (born c.1525).Norway source
April 19 – Kuroda Yoshitaka, Japanese daimyō (born 1546)source
April 25 – Pietro de' Medici, Italian noble (born 1554)source
May 13 – Christine of Hesse, Duchess consort (born 1543)Denmark source
June 10 – Isabella Andreini, Italian actress (born 1562)source
June 24 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, Lord Great Chamberlain of England, poet and possibly playwright (born 1550)source
August 29 – Hamida Banu Begum, wife of the Mughal emperor Humayun (born 1527)source
August 30 – John Juvenal Ancina, Italian Oratorian and bishop (born 1545)source
September 23 – Gabriel Vásquez, Spanish theologian (born 1549)source
October 4 – Za Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia, is killed in battle with the forces of Za Sellase, who restores his cousin Yaqob to the throne.source
October 9 – William Peryam, British judge (born 1534)source
17 October – Ingeborg Skeel, noble, land owner and county sheriff (born c.1545)Denmark source
October 22 – Domingo Báñez, Spanish theologian (born 1528)source