1667 CE

Prince Prithviraj Singh, eldest son of the Maharaja Jaswant Singh of the Kingdom of Marwar (within India's Mughal Empire, part of the modern-day Rajasthan state) dies painfully at the age of 14, supposedly after putting on a khalat (a ceremonial robe) given to him by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. According to the folklore of Marwar, the khalat was actually a garment infused with poison that penetrated the skin. In India, Assam troops led by General Lachit Borphukan, dispatched by King Supangmung, captures the Mughal Empire city of Guwahati after a victory in battle at Itakhuli. Emperor Aurangzeb, ruler of the Mughal Empire in India, orders a massive counterattack on Assam's Ahom kingdom after learning that Mughal troops had captured Guwahati. Aurangzeb appoints Raja Ram Singh to command a force of 36,000 infantry, 18,000 cavalry, 2,000 archers and 40 ships to conquer Ahom. The war lasts until the defeat of the Mughals by the smaller Ahom force in March 1671.

In the 1660s, the 17th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

February 6 (January 27 O.S.) – The Treaty of Andrusovo is signed during the Russo-Polish War. Poland cedes eastern Ukraine, including Kiev and Smolensk, to Russia, ending Poland's status as a major Central European power.source
February – Charles II secretly signs a treaty with France, formally agreed in April.England source
21 July (Old Style – 31 July New Style) – The Second Anglo-Dutch War is ended by the Treaty of Breda, negotiation of which began on 14 May and coming into effect in August. In the Americas, the Dutch retain control of Surinam, the English retain New Netherland and the French Acadia.England source
July 31 – Second Anglo-Dutch War – The Treaty of Breda ends the war by England against the Dutch Republic, France and Denmark and Norway. In the Americas, the Dutch retain control of Surinam, the English retain New Netherland and the French Acadia.source
31 July – Denmark-Norway signs an agreement with England as part of the Treaty of Breda (1667), ending the Second Anglo-Dutch War.Denmark source
31 July – The Treaty of Breda ends the Second Anglo-Dutch War and recognizes Acadia as a French possession.France source
August 24 – The Treaty of Breda goes into effect after having been signed on July 31, bringing an end to hostilities between England and its three opponents.source
30 August – The Earl of Clarendon is dismissed as Lord Chancellor.England source
Overhoffretten, the highest legal court in Norway, is established.Norway source
Swedish Diplomats are involved in The Treaty of Breda.Sweden source

Conflict & Security

January 11 – Aurangzeb, monarch of the Mughal Empire, orders the removal of Rao Karan Singh as Maharaja of the Bikaner State (part of the modern-day Rajasthan state of India) because of Karan's dereliction of duty in battle.source
February 5 – In the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the English Royal Navy warship HMS Saint Patrick is captured less than nine months after being launched, when it fights a battle off the coast of England and North Foreland, Kent. Captain Robert Saunders and 8 of his crew are killed while fighting the Dutch ships Delft and Shakerlo. The Dutch Navy renames the ship the Zwanenburg.source
5 February – In the Second Anglo-Dutch War, warship HMS Saint Patrick is captured less than nine months after being launched, when it fights an action off the North Foreland. Captain Robert Saunders and 8 of his crew are killed while fighting Dutch ships Delft and Shakerlo. The Dutch Navy renames the ship Zwanenburg.England source
February 25 – During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a Dutch Navy force commanded by Admiral Abraham Crijnssen arrives at the English colony of Surinam in South America and sails up the Suriname River to Fort Willoughby (later Fort Zeelandia at Paramaribo). Bombardment of the fort begins the next day, and its commander, William Byam surrenders, effectively giving control of Surinam to the Dutch Republic. The cession is confirmed with the signing of the Peace of Breda on July 31.source
25 February – During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a Dutch Navy force commanded by Admiral Abraham Crijnssen arrives at the English South American colony of Surinam and sails up the Suriname River to Fort Willoughby (Paramaribo). Bombardment of the fort begins the next day, and its commander, William Byam surrenders, effectively giving control of Surinam to the Dutch Republic.England source
April 29–May 1 – Second Anglo-Dutch War: A Dutch flotilla under Admiral van Ghent enters the Firth of Forth in Scotland and bombards Burntisland.source
May 24 – After King Philip IV of Spain reneges on payment of a large dowry to King Louis XIV of France, promised to Louis as a gift for Louis' marriage to Philip's daughter Princess Maria Theresa, the War of Devolution begins between France and Spain. The French Army invades the Spanish Netherlands (modern-day Belgium), entering Flanders and Franche-Comté. By the time the war ends on May 2, 1668, parts of the Spanish Netherlands are ceded to France.source
24 May – The War of Devolution begins: France invades Flanders and Franche-Comté; on 10 August the siege of Lille, the war's only main engagement, begins, ending in a French victory.France source
June 19–24 – The raid on the Medway in England is carried out when a fleet from the Dutch Republic under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter takes Sheerness fort, sails up the River Medway, raids Chatham Dockyard, and tows away the royal flagship The Royal Charles.source
June 26 – Louis XIV of France conquers Tournai.source
26 June – Louis XIV conquers Tournai.France source
2 July – A Dutch marine force lands near Woodbridge, Suffolk, and prevents Landguard Fort from being reinforced but a direct assault on the fort is beaten off by the garrison, The Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot, predecessor of the Royal Marines, and hence the first land action fought by marines.England source
August 5 – The province of Holland in the Dutch Republic passes the "Perpetual Edict" declaring that it will no longer acknowledge the authority of the republic's Stadtholder, and other provinces soon follow suit.source
August 10 – The Siege of Lille, at this time part of the Spanish Netherlands (modern-day Belgium) begins and becomes the only major engagement of the "War of Devolution" between France and Spain. The Spanish Army surrenders after 16 days.source
August 15 – The League of the Rhine is dissolved by agreement of its members, nine years and one day after its formation as a military alliance between German kingdoms in the western part of the Holy Roman Empire.source
November 2 – In India, Assam troops led by General Lachit Borphukan, dispatched by King Supangmung, captures the Mughal Empire city of Guwahati after a victory in battle at Itakhuli.source
December 19 – Emperor Aurangzeb, ruler of the Mughal Empire in India, orders a massive counterattack on Assam's Ahom kingdom after learning that Mughal troops had captured Guwahati. Aurangzeb appoints Raja Ram Singh to command a force of 36,000 infantry, 18,000 cavalry, 2,000 archers and 40 ships to conquer Ahom. The war lasts until the defeat of the Mughals by the smaller Ahom force in March 1671.source
The first military campaign of Stenka Razin is conducted in Russia.source
The French army uses grenadiers.source
Russian former Qing soldier Gantimur, along with his relatives and forty elders of his tribe, went over to the Russians to seek an alliance. An immediate attempt made by the Qing authorities to secure his return by force was unsuccessful, and special envoys sent by order of the Kangxi Emperor were also unsuccessful persuading Gantimur to come back to the side of the QingChina source
Qing emissary Kong Yuanzhang is sent to Taiwan to convince Zheng Jing to surrender. Zheng refuses, citing prosperous trading conditionsChina source
9–14 June – Raid on the Medway: a Dutch fleet under admiral Michiel de Ruyter lands on Canvey Island to seize supplies, takes Sheerness fort, sails up the River Medway, raids Chatham Dockyard and escapes with the royal barge The Royal Charles.England source

Exploration & Expansion

March 27 – In North America (Canada), explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle is released from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).source
30 November–1 December – The Earl of Clarendon goes into exile on the continent.England source
After Shivaji's escape, hostilities between the Marathas and the Mughals ebb, with Mughal sardar Jaswant Singh acting as intermediary between Shivaji and Aurangzeb for new peace proposals.source

Religion & Belief

February 27 (February 17 O.S.) – Joasaphus II is elected by the Council of Bishops as the new Patriarch of Moscow, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, after conservative clerics depose Patriarch Nikon for his reformation of the Church.source
10 May – A second Conventicle Act, preventing groups of more than five non-followers of the Church of England from assembling, comes into effect with increased incentives for the authorities to prosecute.England source
June 20 – Giulio Rospigliosi is elected by the College of Cardinals to succeed the late Pope Alexander VII, after receiving 61 of the 64 votes of the cardinals present. He takes the regnal name Pope Clement IX, becoming the 238th head of the Roman Catholic Church.source
October 18 – Yohannes I becomes king of Ethiopia, following the death of his father Negus Fasilides.source

Technology & Infrastructure

27 June – An attempt by Dutch ships to enter the River Thames above Gravesend is called off.England source
August 18 – In an effort to prevent narrow streets from being blocked from all light by tall buildings, the city of Paris enacts its first building code limiting the height of new construction. Buildings may be no taller than eight toise – 15.6 m – tall. In 1783, rules are implemented to consider the width of the street.source
Fredriksberg Fortress is established.Norway source

Science & Discovery

Isaac Newton has investigated and written on optics, acoustics, the infinitesimal calculus, mechanism and thermodynamics. The works will be published only years later.source

Health & Medicine

Robert Hooke demonstrates that the alteration of the blood in the lungs is essential for respiration.source
Wu Sangui submitted a request to the Kangxi Emperor, asking for permission to be relieved of his duties in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, on the premise that he was ill, but Kangxi, not yet ready for a trial of strength with him, refused.China source

Crime & Justice

June 15 – The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys. He transfuses the blood of a sheep to a 15-year-old boy. (Though this operation is a success, a later patient dies from the procedure and Denys is accused of murder).source
The imperial Deliberative Council investigates Suksaha after he retires as regent. Two days later on September 2, the Council ordered Suksaha and all his male kin arrested; on September 4, finding Suksaha guilty of twenty-four "grave crimes" and recommended that he and many of his male relatives be executed, along with many members of the imperial guard who had supposedly connived in Suksaha's schemes.China source

Disasters & Accidents

February 8 – The first part of the Rebuilding of London Act 1666, following the destruction by the Great Fire of London of 1666, goes into effect as royal assent is given to the Fire of London Disputes Act 1666, which establishes the Fire Court. The Court, sitting at Clifford's Inn near Fleet Street, hears cases starting on February 27 and continuing until the end of 1668.source
8 February – The first part of the Rebuilding of London Act 1666, following last year's Great Fire of London, goes into effect as royal assent is given to the Fire of London Disputes Act 1666, which establishes the Fire Court. The Court, sitting at Clifford's Inn near Fleet Street, hears cases starting on February 27 and continuing until the end of 1668.England source

Climate & Environment

January 19 – The town of Anzonico in Switzerland is destroyed by an avalanche.source
April 6 – The 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake in the Republic of Ragusa (part of modern-day Croatia) kills as many as 5,000 people, roughly one sixth of the population, and levels most of the buildings in Dubrovnik.source
September 6 – The "Dreadful Hurricane of 1667" ravages southeast Virginia, bringing 12 days of rain, blowing down plantation homes and stripping fields of crops.source
November 25 – A devastating earthquake rocks Caucasia and kills 80,000 people.source
c. 13–17 July – Exceptionally warm spell peaks.England source
6–7 March – Exceptionally cold spell.England source

Culture & Society

January 27 – The 2,000 seat Opernhaus am Taschenberg, a theater in Dresden (capital of the Electorate of Saxony) opens with its first production, Pietro Ziani's opera Il teseo.source
February 22 – The Lejonkulan ("lion's den") opens at Stockholm in Sweden as the first permanent theater in Scandinavia, with the performance of Jean Magnon's Orontes en Satira.source
March – Louis XIV of France abolishes the livre parisis (Paris pound), in favor of the much more widely used livre tournois (Tours pound). He also designates Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie as the first chief of "police" of Paris.source
March – Louis XIV abolishes the livre parisis (Paris pound), in favor of the much more widely used livre tournois (Tours pound). He also designates Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie as the first chief of police of Paris.France source
April 27 – The blind, impoverished, 58-year-old John Milton seals a contract for publication of Paradise Lost with London printer Samuel Simmons, for an initial payment of £5. The first edition is published in October and sells out in eighteen months.source
27 April – John Milton seals a contract for publication of Paradise Lost with London printer Samuel Simmons for an initial payment of £5. The first edition is published in October and sells out in eighteen months.England source
June 27 – George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, one of the five members of the Cabal ministry in England (Lords Chudleigh, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale), turns himself in after a warrant for his arrest is issued on February 25 on charges of treason (including the casting of the horoscope of King Charles II). He is held in the Tower of London for four years before being released on July 17, 1671.source
27 June – George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, one of the five members of the Cabal ministry (Lords Chudleigh, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale), turns himself in after a warrant for his arrest is issued on 25 February on charges of treason (including the casting of the King's horoscope). He is held in the Tower of London for four years before being released on 17 July 1671.England source
August 15 – John Dryden's comedy Sir Martin Mar-all, or The Feign'd Innocence is given its first performance, presented by the players of the King's Theatre in London.source
August 25 – In China, 14-year-old Xuanye, the Kangxi Emperor, participates in an ascension ceremony to take full power to rule China, bringing an end to the domination of the "Four Regents" who had been ruling in his name when he had first inherited the throne at the age of 6. The move comes shortly after the August 12 death of one of the regents, Sonin, when it becomes clear that the regents were planning to expand their power in advance of Kangxi's coming of age.source
China Illustrata, a book written by the Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) is published. It compiles the 17th century European knowledge on the Chinese Empire and its neighboring countriesChina source
c. February – Elkanah Settle's play Cambyses, King of Persia first performed.England source
William Penn attends meetings of the Quakers in Cork, marking his conversion.Ireland source
Inauguration of the theater in Lejonkulan in Stockholm, the first confirmed permanent theater in Sweden.Sweden source

Births

April 29 – John Arbuthnot, English physician and writer (died 1735)source
May 26 – Abraham de Moivre, French mathematician (died 1754)source
June 18 – Ivan Trubetskoy, Russian field marshal (died 1750)source
July 2 – Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal (died 1740)source
July 27 – Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (died 1748)source
August 11 – Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, last of the Medicis of Italy (died 1743)source
September 5 – Giovanni Girolamo Saccheri, Italian mathematician (died 1733)source
September 28 – Asano Naganori, Japanese warlord (died 1701)source
November 2 – James Sobieski, Crown Prince of Poland (died 1737)source
November 5 – Christoph Ludwig Agricola, German painter (died 1719)source
November 30 – Jonathan Swift, Irish writer (died 1745)source
December 9 – William Whiston, English mathematician (died 1752)source
9 December – William Whiston, mathematician (died 1752)England source
December 25 – Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Munster (died 1743)source
Susanna Centlivre, English actress and playwright (died 1723)source
Ye Tianshi (1667–1747) was a Chinese medical scholar who was the major proponent of the "school of warm diseases".China source
Anna Colbjørnsdatter, national heroine (d.1736)Norway source
Brita Biörn, famous cunning woman (died unknown year)Sweden source

Deaths

April 25 – Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur, Spanish saint and missionary to Guatemala (born 1626)source
May 2 – George Wither, English writer (born 1588)source
2 May – George Wither, writer (born 1588)England source
5 May – Georg Reichwein, Sr., military officer (born 1593),Norway source
May 7 – Johann Jakob Froberger, German composer (born 1616)source
May 8 – Prince Prithviraj Singh, eldest son of the Maharaja Jaswant Singh of the Kingdom of Marwar (within India's Mughal Empire, part of the modern-day Rajasthan state) dies painfully at the age of 14, supposedly after putting on a khalat (a ceremonial robe) given to him by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. According to the folklore of Marwar, the khalat was actually a garment infused with poison that penetrated the skin.source
May 10 – Marie Louise Gonzaga, Polish queen (born 1611)source
May 22 – Pope Alexander VII (born 1599)source
June 5 – Francesco Sforza Pallavicino, Italian cardinal and historian (born 1607)source
June 20 – James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, British prince (born 1663)source
July 28 – Abraham Cowley, English poet (born 1618)source
August 3 – Francesco Borromini, Swiss sculptor and architect (born 1599)source
August 13 – Jeremy Taylor, Irish clergyman and writer (born 1613)source
August 28 – Jai Singh I, Maharaja of Jaipur (born 1611)source
20 September – Niels Trolle, Governor-general of Norway (born 1599)Denmark source
October 18 – Emperor Fasilides of Ethiopia (born 1603)source
October 24 – Godefroy Wendelin, Flemish astronomer (born 1580)source
Soni (索尼; 1601–1667), or Sonin, a Manchu of the Hešeri clan who served as one of the Four RegentsChina source