1691 CE

The Battle of Slankamen takes place between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire and allies at Syrmia (now the Serbian province of Vojvodina), and 25,000 Ottomans are killed, including Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha, the Grand Vizier. War of the Grand Alliance: English and Dutch forces are defeated by the French in the Battle of Leuze. The Treaty of Limerick, ending the Williamite War in Ireland and guaranteeing civil rights to Roman Catholics, is signed. The Flight of the Wild Geese follows.

In the 1690s, the 17th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 23 – Spanish colonial administrator Domingo Terán de los Ríos, most recently the governor of Sonora y Sinaloa on the east side of the Gulf of California, is assigned by the Viceroy of New Spain to administer a new province that governs lands on both sides of the Río Bravo del Norte, "Coahuila y Tejas", and effectively becomes the first Governor of Texas.source
February 13 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony issues the first paper money in North America, in lieu of coins, two months after a December 20 law authorizing the printing. The oldest known specimen, for 20 Massachusetts shillings bears the date "Feb. 3, 1690" based on the British old style calendar in use at the time.source
May 6 – The Province of New York establishes the New York Supreme Court as the Supreme Court of Judicature. It is the oldest Supreme Court with general original jurisdiction.source
22 July – surrender and treaty of Galway.Ireland source
October 3 – The Treaty of Limerick, ending the Williamite War in Ireland and guaranteeing civil rights to Roman Catholics, is signed. The Flight of the Wild Geese follows.source
3 October – the Treaty of Limerick ends the Williamite War in Ireland. The Flight of the Wild Geese – the departure of the Jacobite army – follows.England source
3 October – Treaty of Limerick ends the Williamite War. Its terms are immediately broken by the English.Ireland source
October 17 (October 7 O.S.) – In New England, the two separate colonies of Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony are united into a single entity by an act of the King and Queen of England.source
10 November – A new dock is inaugurated at the Royal Naval Shipyard at Bremerholm.Denmark source

Conflict & Security

January 6 – King William III of England, who rules Scotland and Ireland as well as being the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, departs from Margate to tend to the affairs of the Netherlands.source
January 14 – A fleet of ships carrying 827 Spanish Navy sailors and marines arrives at Manzanillo Bay on the island of Hispaniola in what is now the Dominican Republic and joins 700 Spanish cavalry, then proceeds westward to invade the French side of the island in what is now Haiti.source
March 5 – Nine Years' War: French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons.source
March 20 – Leisler's Rebellion: A new governor arrives in New York – Jacob Leisler surrenders, after a standoff of several hours.source
March 29 – The Siege of Mons ends in the city's surrender.source
June 23 – Ahmed II (1691–1695) succeeds Suleiman II (1687–1691), as Ottoman Emperor.source
August 11 – Battle of La Prairie in Canada: An English and Iroquois force come north from Albany, New York to attack Montreal, but are repulsed with significant casualties by the French and their First Nations allies.source
August–October – Williamite War in Ireland: Siege of Limerick.Ireland source
September 3 – HMS Coronation and HMS Harwich are lost in a storm while making for shelter in Plymouth Sound with 900 killed.source
3 September – HMS Coronation and HMS Harwich are lost in a storm while making for shelter in Plymouth Sound with 900 killed.England source
September 18 – War of the Grand Alliance: English and Dutch forces are defeated by the French in the Battle of Leuze.source
18 September – War of the Grand Alliance: English and Dutch forces defeated by the French at the Battle of Leuze.England source
December 6 – During the Morean War, Captain Luca Dalla Rocca of Naples betrays Venice by surrendering the fortress of Gramvousa, on the island of Crete to the Ottoman Turks, in return for a large amount of money and sanctuary in Istanbul.source
December 22 – Patrick Sarsfield and 19,000 troops of the Irish Army who had been supporters of the Jacobite Rebellion leave the country and relocate to France.source
The Khalkha submit to the Manchu invaders, bringing most of modern-day Mongolia under the rule of the Qing Dynasty.source

Exploration & Expansion

22 December – the Flight of the Wild Geese begins, as Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan leads 19,000 Irish soldiers on ships to France, Spain and onwards to join the armies of Europe.Ireland source
The Danish government gives up its policy of import restrictions as a result of pressure from the Netherlands.Denmark source
Taphus on St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies is renamed to Amalienborg.Denmark source

Religion & Belief

April – John Tillotson enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury.England source
July 12 – Pope Innocent XII becomes the 242nd pope, succeeding Pope Alexander VIII.source
November 26 – In Limerick, "A Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the Preservation of Their Majesties, the Success of Their Forces in the reducing of Ireland, and for His Majesties Safe Return" is celebrated in all Anglican churches in Britain and Ireland by order of Archbishop Tillotson.source

Technology & Infrastructure

HMNB Devonport, currently one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy and the largest naval base in Western Europe, opens.source
The textile factory Barnängens manufaktur is founded in Stockholm, Sweden.source
The Åmdal copperwork is established.Norway source

Science & Discovery

February 28 – An annular solar eclipse is visible across the Philippines, North Borneo and eastern Sumatra.source
August 23 – A total solar eclipse is visible across South America, Central America and Mexico.source
Michel Rolle invents Rolle's theorem, which states that any real-valued differentiable function that attains equal values at two distinct points must have at least one stationary point somewhere between them.source

Crime & Justice

January 15 – King Louis XIV of France issues an order specifically prohibiting play of games of chance, specifically naming basset and similar games, on penalty of 1,000 livres for the first offence.source
March 14 – The Public Security Police Force of Macau is founded.source
May 6 – The Spanish Inquisition condemns and forcibly baptizes 219 Xuetas in Palma, Majorca. When 37 try to escape the island, they are burned alive at the stake.source
May 16 – Jacob Leisler is hanged for treason.source

Disasters & Accidents

April 9 – A fire at the Palace of Whitehall in London destroys its Stone Gallery.source
9 April – a fire at the Palace of Whitehall in London destroys its Stone Gallery.England source
Nygade in Copenhagen is created as a result of a fire in 1685.Denmark source
The theater company Dän Swänska Theatren is dissolved.Sweden source

Culture & Society

March 17 – The Athenian Mercury begins twice-weekly publication by The Athenian Society in London.source
June – The first performance takes place of the semi-opera King Arthur with a libretto by John Dryden and music by Henry Purcell.source
June – first performance of the semi-opera King Arthur with a libretto by John Dryden and music by Henry Purcell.England source
August 27 – In Scotland, King William offers the Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite rising of 1689 if they agree to pledge allegiance to him before New Year's Day.source
Nimavar school in Isfahan, Iran is built and opens in this era of Suleiman I.source
The Society for the Reformation of Manners is founded in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the aim of suppressing profanity, immorality, and other lewd activities in general, and of brothels and prostitution in particular.source
Sir William Petty's Political Anatomy of Ireland (written 1672) is first published, posthumously in Dublin.Ireland source

Births

January 16 – Peter Scheemakers, Flemish sculptor (died 1781)source
January 18 – William Finch, British diplomat (died 1766)source
February 8 – John Adams Sr., British colonial farmer, minister, father of the U.S. president, John Adams (died 1761)source
March 12 – Dionisia de Santa María Mitas Talangpaz, Filipino saint (died 1732)source
March 22 – Philipp von Stosch, Prussian antiquarian (died 1757)source
March 28 - Charles Emil Lewenhaupt, general (died 1743)Sweden source
May 27 – James Alexander, American lawyer in colonial New York (died 1756)source
June 2 – Nicolau Nasoni, Italian architect (died 1773)source
June 17 – Giovanni Paolo Panini, Italian painter and architect (died 1765)source
17 July – Peder von Todderud, Army general and landowner (died 1772).Norway source
August 28 – Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress consort (died 1750)source
August 29 – Richard Challoner, English Catholic prelate (died 1781)source
September 3 – Antoine-Alexis Perier de Salvert, French naval officer (died 1757)source
October 1 – Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the British House of Commons (died 1768)source
October 14 – John Lovewell, Nashua, New Hampshire hero (died 1725)source
27 October – Jacob Severin, merchant (died 1753)Denmark source
November 9 – Antonio Francesco Gori, Italian antiquarian (died 1757)source
Ferdinando Ruggieri, architect (dies 1741)Italy source

Deaths

January 13 – George Fox, English founder of the Society of Friends (born 1624)source
13 January – George Fox, founder of the Quakers (born 1624)England source
January 23 – William Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen (born 1649)source
February 1 – Pope Alexander VIII, pope of the Catholic Church from 1689 to 1691 (born 1610)source
February 27 – Luo Wenzao, First Chinese bishop (born 1615)source
3 April - Jean Petitot, painter (born 1607)France source
May 29 – Cornelis Tromp, Dutch admiral (born 1629)source
June 15 – Henry Pollexfen, English politician (born 1632)source
July 12 – Williamite War in Ireland – Battle of Aughrim: Protestant Williamite forces, led by Godert de Ginkell, decisively defeat Jacobites under the Marquis de St Ruth (who is killed).source
July 12 – John Hamilton, Irish military officer of Scottish descent (born 1650)source
12 July – Williamite War in Ireland: Battle of Aughrim in County Galway: Protestant Williamite forces led by Godert de Ginkell decisively defeat Jacobites under the Marquis de St Ruth (who is killed).Ireland source
August 14 – Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel, Irish rebel (born 1630)source
August 19 – The Battle of Slankamen takes place between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire and allies at Syrmia (now the Serbian province of Vojvodina), and 25,000 Ottomans are killed, including Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha, the Grand Vizier.source
December 8 – Richard Baxter, English Puritan church leader, poet, and hymn-writer (born 1615)source
December 23 – Katherine Jones, Viscountess Ranelagh, Anglo-Irish scientist (born 1615)source
December 31 – Robert Boyle, Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor (born 1627)source
December – Louis de Vanens, French alchemist and poisoner (born 1647)source
Sven Andersson (farmworker) (born 1668)Sweden source