1673 CE
Test Act: Roman Catholics and others who refuse to receive the sacrament of the Church of England cannot vote, hold public office, preach, teach, attend the universities or assemble for meetings in England. On June 12, the king's Catholic brother, James, Duke of York, is forced to resign the office of Lord High Admiral because of the Act. The Test Act is passed, preventing Roman Catholics from holding public office. In America, trader Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary-explorer Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.
In the 1670s, the 17th century.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
- 8 March – under pressure from Parliament, King Charles II withdraws the Royal Declaration of Indulgence.Englandsource
- July 11 – The Netherlands and Denmark-Norway sign a defense treaty.source
- 30 July (9 August New Style) – Third Anglo-Dutch War: a Dutch fleet retakes New York in the American colonies, renaming it New Orange.Englandsource
- August 30 – Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, Spain, Netherlands and the Lutherans form an anti-French covenant.source
- 30 August – Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, Spain, Netherlands and the Lutherans form an anti-French covenant.Francesource
- December 19 – King Louis XIV of France issues a decree recognizing the legitimacy of (and giving royal titles to) the three children whom he had sired through his mistress, Madame de Montespan: Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine; Louis César, Count of Vexin; and Louise Françoise, Princess of Condé.source
- Wu Sangui ends his connection to the Qing dynasty and declares the Zhou dynasty. An Emperor is not named, implying that an heir to the Ming dynasty will become emperor.Chinasource
- Parliament of England votes an annual Regium Donum to augment the stipends of Presbyterian clergy in Ireland.Irelandsource
Conflict & Security
- 28 May (7 June New Style) – Third Anglo-Dutch War: First Battle of Schooneveld – The Dutch Republic fleet commanded by Michiel de Ruyter defeats the allied Anglo-French fleet commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine.Englandsource
- 4 June (14 June New Style) – Third Anglo-Dutch War: Second Battle of Schooneveld – The Dutch fleet again defeats the Anglo-French.Englandsource
- June 7 – First Battle of Schooneveld: In a sea battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, fought off the Netherlands coast, the Dutch Republic fleet (commanded by Michiel de Ruyter) defeats the allied Anglo-French fleet, commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine.source
- 7 June – First Battle of Schooneveld: In a sea battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, fought off the Netherlands coast, the Dutch Republic fleet (commanded by Michiel de Ruyter) defeats the allied Anglo-French fleet, commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine.Francesource
- June 14 – Second Battle of Schooneveld: The Dutch fleet again defeats the joint Anglo-French fleet.source
- 14 June – The Dutch fleet again defeats the combined Anglo-French fleet in the Second Battle of Schooneveld.Francesource
- July 6 – French troops conquer Maastricht.source
- August 8 – In the American colonies, a Dutch battle fleet of 23 ships demands the surrender of New York.source
- August 9 – Dutch forces under Admiral Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest recapture New York from the English; the city is known as New Orange until regained by the English in 1674.source
- 11 August (21 August New Style) – Third Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of Texel (Kijkduin) – The Dutch fleet again defeats the Anglo-French, preventing England's Blackheath Army from landing in Zeeland.Englandsource
- August 21 – Battle of Texel (Kijkduin): The Dutch fleet under Michiel de Ruyter defeats the English and French fleet. This prevents England's Blackheath Army from landing in Zeeland.source
- 21 August – Battle of Texel: The Dutch fleet (under de Ruyter) again defeats the combined Anglo-French fleet.Francesource
- September 12 – William, Prince of Orange occupies Naarden, Netherlands.source
- November 11 – Battle of Khotyn: Polish and Lithuanian military units, under the command of soon-to-be-king Jan Sobieski, defeat the Turkish army. In this battle, which takes place one day after the death of Poland and Lithuania's monarch, Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, the rockets invented by Kazimierz Siemienowicz are successfully used.source
- November 13 – Dutch troops commanded by Raimondo Montecuccoli and William, Prince of Orange conquer Bonn.source
- December 28 – In China, General Wu Sangui begins the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, a rebellion against the Qing dynasty by killing the Governor of the Yunnan province, Zhu Guozhi. Within 10 days, he leads troops on an expedition to take over the neighboring Guizhou province and by 1676 controls 11 of China's provinces.source
- December — The Revolt of the Three Feudatories broke out in 1673 when Wu Sangui's forces, based in his fiefdom in Yunnan, overran most of southwest China and he tried to ally himself with local generals such as Wang Fuchen. He declares his intent to restore the Ming dynastyChinasource
- 1673, Wu's forces captured Hunan and Sichuan provincesChinasource
Exploration & Expansion
- May 17 – In America, trader Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary-explorer Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.source
- 17 May – Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette joins Louis Jolliet on his expedition to explore the northern Mississippi River.Francesource
- June 17 – French explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet reach the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and descend to Arkansas.source
- France begins its expedition against Ceylon.source
- The stalactic grotto of Antiparos (Aegean Sea) is discovered.source
Religion & Belief
- March 29 – Test Act: Roman Catholics and others who refuse to receive the sacrament of the Church of England cannot vote, hold public office, preach, teach, attend the universities or assemble for meetings in England. On June 12, the king's Catholic brother, James, Duke of York, is forced to resign the office of Lord High Admiral because of the Act.source
- June – Peter Talbot, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, goes into exile.Irelandsource
- 26 November - King Christian V established the Countship of Jarlsberg.Norwaysource
- Archpriest Petrovich Avvakum writes his Zhitie (Life), as the first Russian autobiography.source
- Austre Moland Church was built.Norwaysource
- Inauguration of the Christina ChurchSwedensource
Economy & Finance
- The Mitsui family's trading and banking house is founded in Japan.source
Technology & Infrastructure
Science & Discovery
Health & Medicine
- 10 February – The première of Molière's comédie-ballet The Imaginary Invalid (Le malade imaginaire) takes place in Paris. During the fourth performance, the playwright, playing the title rôle, collapses on stage, dying soon after.Francesource
- 29 March – the Test Act is passed, preventing Roman Catholics from holding public office.Englandsource
- November 9 – King Charles II of England removes Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, from his position as Lord Chancellor.source
- Chelsea Physic Garden, the second oldest botanic garden in England, is founded by the Society of Apothecaries, for the study of medicinal and other plants.source
- Prince of Pingnan Shang Kexi, ill and of old age, inquires if he might be allowed to retire from his fiefdom and retire back to ManchuriaChinasource
- Chelsea Physic Garden established as the Apothecaries’ Garden in London.Englandsource
Crime & Justice
- January 22 – Impersonator Mary Carleton is hanged at Newgate Prison in London, for multiple thefts and returning from penal transportation.source
- 22 January – impostor Mary Carleton is hanged in Newgate Prison in London for multiple thefts and returning from penal transportation.Englandsource
Climate & Environment
Culture & Society
- February 10 – Molière's comédie-ballet The Imaginary Invalid premiers in Paris. During the fourth performance, on February 17, the playwright, playing the title rôle, collapses on stage, dying soon after.source
- April 27 – Cadmus et Hermione, the first opera written by Jean-Baptiste Lully, premières at the Paris Opera in France.source
- 27 April? – Jean-Baptiste Lully's first opera, Cadmus et Hermione, is premièred.Francesource
- 12 June – James, Duke of York, is forced to resign the office of Lord High Admiral because of the Test Act, making his Catholicism public.Englandsource
- 19 June – Thomas Osborne becomes Lord High Treasurer.Englandsource
- 3 July – Elkanah Settle's play The Empress of Morocco first publicly performed at the Dorset Garden Theatre in London by the Duke's Company and published with illustrations.Englandsource
- July 24 – Edmund Halley enters The Queen's College, Oxford, as an undergraduate.source
- 9 November – the King removes Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, from his position as Lord Chancellor.Englandsource
- November 14 – Christopher Wren is knighted in England.source
- November 23 – James, Duke of York, marries Mary of Modena; they meet for the first time immediately before the ceremony in Dover.source
- 23 November – the widowed James, Duke of York, the King's brother and heir, marries Mary of Modena; they meet for the first time immediately before the ceremony in Dover.Englandsource
- Nysø Manor at Præstø is completed as the first manor house in Denmark to be designed in the Baroque style.Denmarksource
- The monarch makes his Eriksgata.Swedensource
Births
- 6 January – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, Member of Parliament (died 1744)Englandsource
- January 31 – St. Louis Maria Grignion de Montfort, French missionary priest (died 1716)source
- April 27 – Claude Gillot, French artist (died 1722)source
- July 20 – John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair, Scottish soldier and diplomat (died 1747)source
- August 8 – John Ker, Scottish informer (died 1726)source
- August 10 – Johann Konrad Dippel, German alchemist (died 1734)source
- August 11 – Richard Mead, English physician (died 1754)source
- August 18 – Louise Élisabeth de Joybert, politically active Canadian governors' wife (died 1740)source
- 28 September – Abraham Kløcker, merchant (died 1730)Denmarksource
- October 26 – Dimitrie Cantemir, Moldavian linguist and scholar (died 1723)source
- December 30 – Ahmed III, Ottoman Sultan (died 1736)source
- Povel Juel, civil servant and writer (died 1723).Norwaysource
- Christina Piper, politically influential countess and landowner (died 1752)Swedensource
Deaths
- February 17 – Molière, French writer and actor (born 1622)source
- March 12 – Margaret Theresa of Spain (born 1651)source
- March 15 – Salvator Rosa, Italian painter and poet (born 1615)source
- March 20 – Augustyn Kordecki, Polish prior (born 1603)source
- June 18 – Jeanne Mance, French Canadian settler (born 1606)source
- June 25 – Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan, French soldier (born 1611)source
- July 4 – Robert Moray, English Freemason (born 1608 or 1609)source
- July 15 – Helena Fourment, Dutch model, second wife of Peter Paul Rubens (born 1614)source
- August 17 – Regnier de Graaf, Dutch physician and anatomist (born 1641)source
- 13 October – Christoffer Gabel, statesman (born 1617)Denmarksource
- October 17 – Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, English statesman (born 1630)source
- November 10 – Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, King of Poland (born 1640)source
- December 8 – Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal dies only five days after arriving in Mexico City to take office as the new viceroy of New Spain. He is replaced on December 13 by Payo Enríquez de Rivera, the former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Mexico.source
- December 15 – Margaret Cavendish, English writer (born 1623)source
- 15 December – Margaret Cavendish, writer (born 1623)Englandsource
- December 31 – Oliver St John, English statesman and judge (born c. 1598)source
- Zhu Guozhi, Governor of YunnanChinasource
- Anna Margareta von Haugwitz, countess (born 1622)Swedensource