1645 CE

(Saint George's Day) – English Civil War: one hundred and fifty Irish soldiers bound for service with King Charles I of England are captured at sea by Parliamentarians and killed at Pembroke in Wales. Qing dynasty regent Dorgon issues a queue order ordering all Han Chinese men to shave their forehead, and braid the rest of their hair into a queue, identical to those of the Manchus. The Colegio de Santo Tomas is elevated by Pope Innocent X into the University of Santo Tomas, in his brief In Supreminenti. It has the oldest extant University Charter in the Philippines, as well as the whole of Asia.

In the 1640s, the 17th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

February 15 – English Civil War: The New Model Army is officially founded.source
April 3 – The House of Lords passes the Self-denying Ordinance, requiring members of the Parliament of England to resign commissions in the armed services.source
3 April – the House of Lords passes the Self-denying ordinance, requiring members of the Parliament of England to resign commissions in the armed services.England source
13 August — The Second Treaty of Brömsebro is signed, putting an end to the Torstenson War. The island Øsel is ceded to Sweden.Denmark source
13 August - The Treaty of Brömsebro resulted in the ceding of the Norwegian provinces of Jemtland and Herjedalen to Sweden.Norway source
13 August - The Treaty of Brömsebro is signed between Sweden and Denmark–Norway, ending the Torstenson War and ceding Jemtland, Herjedalen, Gotland and Ösel (Saaremaa) to Sweden, which also holds the province of Halland for a period of 30 years, as a guarantee.Sweden source
August 23 (August 13 Old Style) – The Treaty of Brömsebro is signed between Sweden and Denmark–Norway, ending the Torstenson War and ceding Jemtland, Herjedalen, Gotland and Ösel (Saaremaa) to Sweden, which also holds the province of Halland for a period of 30 years, as a guarantee.source

Conflict & Security

January 14 – English Civil War: Thomas Fairfax is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Parliamentarians.source
January 29 – English Civil War: Armistice talks open at Uxbridge.source
29 January–22 February – English Civil War: Treaty of Uxbridge, armistice talks at Uxbridge, which prove fruitless.England source
February 2 – Battle of Inverlochy: The Scottish Covenanters are defeated by Montrose.source
February 28 – English Civil War: The Uxbridge armistice talks fail.source
February – The Dano-Carical Conflict begins.Denmark source
March 4 – English Civil War: Prince Rupert leaves Oxford for Bristol.source
March 5 – Thirty Years' War – Battle of Jankau: The armies of Sweden decisively defeat the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, in southern Bohemia, some 50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast of Prague.source
5 March - Battle of Jankau: The armies of Sweden decisively defeat the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, in southern Bohemia, some 50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast of Prague].Sweden source
April 23 (St George's Day) – English Civil War: One hundred and fifty Irish soldiers bound for service with King Charles I of England are captured at sea by Parliamentarians and killed at Pembroke in Wales.source
April 23 (Saint George's Day) – English Civil War: one hundred and fifty Irish soldiers bound for service with King Charles I of England are captured at sea by Parliamentarians and killed at Pembroke in Wales.Ireland source
May 2 – Thirty Years' War – Battle of Herbsthausen (or Mergentheim): The Bavarian army, led by Franz von Mercy, catches French forces led by Marshal Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne unawares, and heavily defeats them.source
May 9 – Battle of Auldearn: Scottish Covenanters are defeated by Montrose.source
May 20–30 - Yangzhou massacre, one of the most destructive massacres in historyChina source
June 1 – English Civil War: Prince Rupert's army sacks Leicester.source
June 10 – English Civil War: Oliver Cromwell is confirmed as the Lieutenant-General of the Cavalry.source
June 14 – English Civil War – Battle of Naseby: 12,000 Royalist forces are beaten by 15,000 Parliamentarian soldiers.source
14 June – English Civil War: Battle of Naseby – 12,000 Royalist forces are beaten by 15,000 Parliamentarian soldiers.England source
June 28 – English Civil War: The Royalists lose Carlisle.source
July 2 – English Civil War: Battle of Alford – Alford, Aberdeenshire.source
July 10 – English Civil War: Battle of Langport – Cromwell wins in Somerset.source
July 30 – English Civil War: Scottish Covenanters under Lord Leven begin the Siege of Hereford, a Royalist stronghold.source
September 1 – English Civil War: Scottish Covenanters abandon the Siege of Hereford and retreat northwardssource
September 10 – English Civil War: Prince Rupert surrenders Bristol.source
September 13 – Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Battle of Philiphaugh – The Covenanters under Sir David Leslie defeat the Royalists under Montrose near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates. After the battle, prisoners and 300 camp followers (many of them women and children) are slaughtered by Covenanters in cold blood.source
September 24 – English Civil War: Battle of Rowton Heath – Parliamentarians defeat the Royalist cavalry.source
October 8–14 – English Civil War: The Third siege of Basing House by Oliver Cromwell results in its destruction.source
October 11 – English Civil War: Re-fortification of Bourne Castle in Lincolnshire against a threatened Royalist attack begins.source
December 18 – English Civil War: The Royalist stronghold of Hereford is seized in a swift attack by Parliamentary forces under John Birch.source
Bamana forces from Ségou invade the Mali heartland, destroying the Mali Empire after its 400 years as a unified state.source
Norwegian troops fought in the Battle of Vänersborg.Norway source
Lennart Torstenson resigns as the leader of the Swedish army.Sweden source

Exploration & Expansion

The Stolberg-Wernigerode branch of the family of the counts of Stolberg and Wernigerode is founded in Germany.source
From newly captured Xi'an, in early April 1645 the Qing mounted a campaign against the rich commercial and agricultural region of Jiangnan south of the lower Yangtze RiverChina source

Religion & Belief

January 3 – The Long Parliament adopts the Directory for Public Worship in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, replacing the Book of Common Prayer (1559). Holy Days (other than Sundays) are not to be observed.source
3 January – the Long Parliament adopts A Directory for the Publique Worship of God throughout the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Together with an Ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of Common-Prayer, and for Establishing and Observing of this Present Directory throughout the Kingdom of England and the Dominion of Wales, drawn up by a parliamentary subcommittee appointed by it, replacing the Book of Common Prayer. Holy Days (other than Sundays) are not to be observed.England source
10 January – Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud executed for treason on Tower Hill, London.England source
November 20 – The Colegio de Santo Tomas is elevated by Pope Innocent X into the University of Santo Tomas, in his brief In Supreminenti. It has the oldest extant University Charter in the Philippines, as well as the whole of Asia.source
Regarding the Chinese Rites controversy, Rome's Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith sided with the Dominicans over the Jesuit in 1645 by condemning the Chinese rites based on their brief, rendering them incompatible with Roman Catholic faithChina source
The Society of Jesus establishes a school in Galway, the predecessor of Coláiste Iognáid.Ireland source

Economy & Finance

Smålands nation, Uppsala is founded.Sweden source

Technology & Infrastructure

First issue of Post- och Inrikes Tidningar.Sweden source

Health & Medicine

3 March — Simon Paulli gives his first public lecture in the new Domus Anatomica in Copenhagen.Denmark source
March 31 – Fearing the spread of the Black Death (plague), Edinburgh Town Council prohibits all gatherings except weddings and funerals.source
April 10 – Because of the plague, the Edinburgh town council orders that the college graduation ceremony should be moved forward, so that students can leave the city (on November 19, teaching resumes in Linlithgow).source
July 21 – Qing dynasty regent Dorgon issues a queue order ordering all Han Chinese men to shave their forehead, and braid the rest of their hair into a queue, identical to those of the Manchus.source
October 8 – Jeanne Mance founds the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, the first hospital in North America.source

Crime & Justice

27 August – eighteen suspected witches hanged following the Bury St. Edmunds witch trial.England source
Wallpaper begins to replace tapestries, as a wall decoration.source
Abraham Wuchters creates a full-length portrait of Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve.Denmark source

Climate & Environment

The Solar cycle enters the 70-year Maunder Minimum, during which sunspots will be rare.source

Culture & Society

15 February – English Civil War: New Model Army officially founded.England source
July 23 – Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia comes to the throne.source
25 December – Christmas, being omitted from the Directory of Public Worship is not officially observed under Parliamentarian rule.England source
The Roxbury Latin School is founded.source
Stephanius publishes Saxonis Grammatici Historiæ Danicæ Libri XVI, a Latin edition of Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum.Denmark source
Francois Morneau married Marie Mornet - 1645France source
John Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae is published in Leuven.Ireland source

Births

January 28 – Gottfried Vopelius, German academic (died 1715)source
February 13 – Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland, England (died 1693)source
February 16 – John Sharp, English Archbishop of York (died 1714)source
May 15 – George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, British judge (died 1689)source
June 15 – Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, English politician (died 1712)source
15 June – Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, politician (died 1712)England source
July 27 – Frederik Johan van Baer, Dutch army commander (died 1713)source
July 28 – Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, French princess (died 1721)source
August 10 – Eusebio Kino, Italian Catholic missionary (died 1711)source
August 14 – Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora, Mexican academic (died 1700)source
August 16 – Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (died 1696)source
16 August – Jean de La Bruyère, writer (died 1696)France source
September 21 – Louis Jolliet, French Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America (died 1700)source
September 22 – Chikka Devaraja, Ruler of Mysore (died 1704)source
September 25 – Naitō Kiyokazu, Japanese daimyō who ruled the Takatō Domain (died 1714)source
November 17 – Nicolas Lemery, French chemist (died 1715)source
John Fenwick, Jacobite conspirator (executed 1697)England source
Haquin Spegel, religious author and hymn writer who held several bishop's seats (died 1714)Sweden source

Deaths

January 10 – William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (born 1573)source
January 10 – Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud is executed for treason on Tower Hill, London.source
10 January – William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (born 1573; executed)England source
January 30 – Mary Ward, English Roman Catholic Religious Sister and Venerable (born 1585)source
January 31 — Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve, diplomat, illegitimate son of Christian IVDenmark source
February 24 – Philip VII, Count of Waldeck-Wildungen (1638–1645) (born 1613)source
15 March - Johan Skytte, politician (born 1577)Sweden source
April 17 – Daniel Featley, English theologian and controversialist (born 1582)source
May 26 – Mariana de Jesús de Paredes, Ecuadorian Roman Catholic hermit and saint (born 1618)source
June 13 – Miyamoto Musashi, Japanese swordsman (born c. 1584)source
July 13 – Marie de Gournay, French writer (born 1565)source
July 17 – Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, Scottish politician (born c. 1590)source
July 22 – Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, Spanish statesman (born 1587)source
July 23 – Tsar Michael I of Russia (born 1596)source
August 28 – Hugo Grotius, Dutch philosopher and writer (born 1583)source
September 8 – Francisco de Quevedo, Spanish writer (born 1580)source
December 17 – Nur Jahan, empress consort of the Mughal Empire (born 1577)source
Shi Kefa, Ming dynasty official and calligrapher, killed in the defense of YangzhouChina source