1657 CE

Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish treasure fleet under heavy fire at Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Admiral Blake dies of old wounds at sea off Plymouth. His body is given a lying in state in the Queen's House, Greenwich and a full state funeral in Cromwell's presence, and he becomes one of the first commoners to be honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey (although reinterred after the Restoration). Christina, former Queen regnant of Sweden, has Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi killed in her presence, at the Palace of Fontainebleau.

In the 1650s, the 17th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • January 29 – Rule of the Major-Generals (regional military government) in England is abolished.source
  • January – Iver Krabbe was appointed commander-in-chief of the Norwegian army, the first non-Stattholder of Norway to hold the position.Norwaysource
  • February 4 – Resettlement of the Jews in England: Oliver Cromwell gives Antonio Fernandez Carvajal the assurance of the right of Jews to remain in England.source
  • 13 March – Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660): With the Treaty of Paris, France and England form an alliance against Spain; England receives Dunkirk.Englandsource
  • March 23 – Anglo-Spanish War (1654–60): By the Treaty of Paris, France and England form an alliance against Spain; England will receive Dunkirk.source
  • Treaty of Paris: Anglo-French alliance targeting DunkirkBelgiumsource
  • March – The Treaty of Paris allied the English Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell with King Louis XIV of France against King Philip IV of Spain.Francesource
  • April 20 – The Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City) are granted freedom of religion, as full citizens.source
  • 8 June – the Parliament of England passes the Act of Settlement for the Assuring, Confirming and Settling of lands and estates in Ireland, confirming legal arrangements made under the Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652.Irelandsource
  • July 13 – Following his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to Oliver Cromwell, English army leader John Lambert is ordered to resign his commissions.source
  • 13 July – following his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to Oliver Cromwell, English army leader John Lambert is ordered to resign his commissions.Englandsource
  • September 19 – Brandenburg and Poland sign the Treaty of Wehlau.source
  • September 24 – The first autopsy and coroner's jury verdict in the Colony of Maryland are recorded.source
  • October 1 – Treaty of Raalte: William III, Prince of Orange is no longer stadtholder of Overijssel.source
  • November 6 – Brandenburg and Poland sign the Treaty of Bromberg.source
  • 17 November – Henry Cromwell, son of Oliver Cromwell, appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.Irelandsource
  • The 54th Infantry Regiment was formed.Francesource

Conflict & Security

  • January 8 – Miles Sindercombe and his group of disaffected Levellers are betrayed in their attempt to assassinate Oliver Cromwell by blowing up the Palace of Whitehall in London and are arrested.source
  • 8 January – Miles Sindercombe and his group of disaffected Levellers are betrayed in their attempt to assassinate Oliver Cromwell by blowing up the Palace of Whitehall in London and arrested.Englandsource
  • 21 March – Army of Flanders recovers Saint-Ghislain from the French.Belgiumsource
  • April 20 – Anglo-Spanish War – Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: English Admiral Robert Blake attempts to seize a Spanish treasure fleet.source
  • 20 April – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish treasure fleet under heavy fire at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.Englandsource
  • 28-30 May – Prince of Condé foils a French attempt on Cambrai.Belgiumsource
  • June 1 – King Frederick III of Denmark signs a manifesto, de facto declaring war on Sweden.source
  • June 1 – Dano-Swedish War (1657–1658): King Frederick III of Denmark signs a manifesto de facto declaring war on Sweden.Swedensource
  • June 5 – The Dano-Swedish War (1657–58), in Norway called Krabbekrigen (named after Iver Krabbe) starts.Norwaysource
  • June to August – French besiege and capture Montmédy in the Duchy of LuxembourgBelgiumsource
  • September 27 – Norwegian troops fought in the Battle of Hjärtum.Norwaysource
  • October 3 – French troops occupy Mardyck.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • August 20 – The ship Les Armes d'Amsterdam arrives at Quebec, New France. Among the passengers is Michel Mathieu Brunet dit Lestang (1638–1708), colonist, explorer and co-discoverer of modern-day Green Bay, Wisconsin, and ancestor of the Brunet, Lestang and Carisse families of North America.source

Religion & Belief

  • May 8 – Lord Protector Cromwell confirms his refusal of the crown of England, preferring the title "Lord Protector".source
  • 8 May – Cromwell formally rejects the offer to become King.Englandsource
  • June 1 – The first eleven Quaker settlers arrive in New Amsterdam (later New York City), and are allowed to practice their faith.source
  • 26 June – Andreas Creusen installed as Archbishop of MechelenBelgiumsource
  • 26 June – Parliament reinforces the "Oath of Abjuration": anyone refusing to swear an oath to renounce the Pope's supremacy is to be "adjudged a Papist" and suffer confiscation of two-thirds of their property.Englandsource
  • Katharina Pepijn, Portrait of Norbertus van Couwerven, Abbot of St Michael's Abbey, AntwerpBelgiumsource

Economy & Finance

  • England's first chocolate house is opened in London and introduction of tea in England while coffee is introduced to France.source
  • Undated – England's first chocolate house is opened in London, together with the Rainbow Coffee House, the city's second such establishment; while tobacconist and coffee house owner Thomas Garway is the first person to introduce tea in England.Englandsource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • July - The Stockholms Banco is opened.Swedensource
  • December 27 – The Flushing Remonstrance is signed in New Amsterdam, at the site of the future (1862) Flushing Town Hall in New York City.source
  • Ulefos Jernværk is established.Norwaysource

Health & Medicine

  • 27 September – Brussels government institutes import restrictions on French wines.Belgiumsource
  • September – Shah Jahan becomes ill, allowing his son to take control of the Mughal Empire.source

Crime & Justice

  • 14 August – The first execution at Nytorv in Copenhagen takes place.Denmarksource
  • November 10 – Christina, former Queen regnant of Sweden, has Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi killed in her presence, at the Palace of Fontainebleau.source
  • David Teniers the Younger, The Entry of Don Juan of Austria into BrusselsBelgiumsource

Disasters & Accidents

  • March 2 – The Great Fire of Meireki in Edo, Japan, destroys most of the city and damages Edo Castle, killing an estimated 100,000 people.source

Culture & Society

  • 4 February – resettlement of the Jews in England: Oliver Cromwell gives Antonio Fernandez Carvajal the assurance of the right of Jews to remain in England. This year the country's first Jewish cemetery in modern times is opened in London.Englandsource
  • February 23 – In England, the Humble Petition and Advice offers Lord Protector Cromwell the crown.source
  • 23 February – Oliver Cromwell is offered the Crown by the Humble Petition and Advice.Englandsource
  • 26 June – Cromwell is installed as Lord Protector for the second time at a ceremony at Westminster.Englandsource
  • Christiaan Huygens writes the first book to be published on probability theory, De ratiociniis in ludo aleae ("On Reasoning in Games of Chance").source
  • Thomas Middleton's tragedy Women Beware Women (c. 1623–24) is published posthumously in London.source
  • The Accademia del Cimento is founded in Florence, Italy.source
  • Andreas Gryphius' drama Katharina von Georgien is published in Breslau.source

Births

  • January 4 – Sébastien Rale, French missionary (died 1724)source
  • 17 January (baptism) – Pieter van Bloemen, painter (died 1720)Belgiumsource
  • February 10 – George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter, English Army general (died 1731)source
  • February 11 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French scientist and man of letters (died 1757)source
  • March 1 – Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian (died 1740)source
  • March 19 – Jean Leclerc, Swiss theologian and biblical scholar (died 1736)source
  • March 28 - Ebba Maria De la Gardie, poet and singer (died 1697)Swedensource
  • May 14 – Sambhaji, Maratha ruler (died 1689)source
  • July 8 – Abraham de Peyster, New Amsterdam/New York politician (died 1728)source
  • July 11 – King Frederick I of Prussia (died 1713)source
  • September 21 – Sultan Muhammad Akbar, Mughal prince (died 1706)source
  • September 27 – Sofia Alekseyevna of Russia, Russian regent (died 1704)source
  • October 4 – Francesco Solimena, Italian painter (died 1747)source
  • November 28 – Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias, heir apparent to the Spanish throne (died 1661)source
  • 1 December – Karen Brahe, book collector (born 1736)Denmarksource
  • December 14 – Edmund Dunch, English Whig politician (died 1719)source
  • 14 December – Edmund Dunch, Member of Parliament (died 1719)Englandsource
  • December 23 – Hannah Duston, Massachusetts Puritan mother of 8, taken captive during King William's War (died 1736)source

Deaths

  • 13 February – Erik Juel, noble Privy Councillor (born 1591)Denmarksource
  • March – Edward Hopkins, colonial Connecticut politician (born 1600)source
  • April 2 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1608)source
  • April 2 – Jean-Jacques Olier, French Catholic priest (born 1608)source
  • 2 April – Ferdinand III (born 1608), Holy Roman EmperorBelgiumsource
  • April ? – Richard Lovelace, English Cavalier poet (born 1617)source
  • May 9 – William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony (born 1590)source
  • May 10 – Gustav Horn, Count of Pori, Swedish soldier and politician (born 1592)source
  • May 10 - Gustav Horn, Count of Pori, politician (born 1592)Swedensource
  • June 3 – William Harvey, English physician (born 1578)source
  • August 6 – Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ukrainian Cossack Hetman (born c. 1595)source
  • August 7 – Robert Blake, British admiral (born 1599)source
  • 17 August – Admiral Blake dies of old wounds at sea off Plymouth. His body is given a lying in state in the Queen's House, Greenwich and a full state funeral in Cromwell's presence, and he becomes one of the first commoners to be honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey (although reinterred after the Restoration).Englandsource
  • August 19 – Frans Snyders, Flemish painter (born 1579)source
  • August 29 – John Lilburne, English dissenter (born c. 1614)source
  • September 27 – Olimpia Maidalchini, politically active Roman noble (born 1591)source
  • October 4 – Prince Maurice of Savoy, Catholic cardinal and Prince of Savoy (born 1593)source
  • November 18 – Luke Wadding, Irish Franciscan friar and historian (born 1588)source