WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 17. CENTURY
Find out what all happened in the first half of the 17. century

King Charles I of England sends soldiers to arrest members of Parliament, commencing England's slide into civil war. (4. January 1642)

English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial. (4. January 1649)

Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia. (7. January 1608)

Galileo Galilei makes his first observation of the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa, although he is not able to distinguish the last two until the following day. (7. January 1610)

Archbishop William Laud is beheaded at the Tower of London. (10. January 1645)

The city of Belém is founded in Pará, Brazil by Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco. (12. January 1616)

The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain. (13. January 1607)

The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut. (14. January 1639)

The first edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid, Spain. (16. January 1605)

Emperor Susenyos surprises an Oromo army at Ebenat; his army reportedly kills 12,000 Oromo at the cost of 400 of his men. (17. January 1608)

England's Long Parliament passes the "Vote of No Addresses", breaking off negotiations with King Charles I and thereby setting the scene for the second phase of the English Civil War. (17. January 1648)

San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; it is the oldest church still standing in the Philippines. (19. January 1607)

Charles I of England goes on trial for treason and other "high crimes". (20. January 1649)

Afonso Mendes, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. (24. January 1624)

Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their execution on January 31. (27. January 1606)

Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on the island of Saint Kitts. (28. January 1624)

An estimated 200 square miles (51,800 ha) along the coasts of the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary in the Kingdom of England are destroyed by massive flooding, resulting in an estimated 2,000 deaths. (30. January 1607)

Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster and Osnabrück is signed, ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain. (30. January 1648)

King Charles I of England is beheaded. (30. January 1649)

Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes is executed for plotting against Parliament and King James. (31. January 1606)