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Birth of Louis XIV
On September 5th 1638, Louis XIV, was born in Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, France. He was the first born child to Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria. His birth was a miracle, he was baptized and given the name Louis-Dieudonné, which meant "Gift of God". His birth would lead France to become a powerful ruling country in Europe for the next 76 years.
Source: (Maurice Ashley 1-5) -
Louis XIV succeeds the throne
When Louis XIII died due to Chron's Disease, his son succeeded the throne on May 14th, 1643. His godfather and Chief Minister, Cardinal Jules Marazin, was in charge of his education. Louis XIV's governor, Nicolas de Neufville, was in charge of watching over him. Being so young, France feared the young king ruling 19 million subjects and an unsteady government. This beginning would lead to Louis XIV becoming one of France's longest rulers for 72 years.
Source: (Biography.com Editors) -
Dutch begin to colonize Southern Africa
In 1652, a settlement began in Cape Town, South Africa. It began when the Dutch created the Dutch East India company. Europeans were introduced to black slaves, and goods from Europe were also introduced. This led to the expansion of settlement all over Southern Africa.
Source: (Encyclopedia Britannica, Martin Legassick) -
France becomes a leading power
In 1648, a civil war broke out in France, called the Fronde. This was because Louis XIV's mother and Marazin introduced policies on Louis's rule, that angered the nobles. The royal family was forced to leave Paris. By 1653, the order was restored, and a peace treaty was negotiated with Hapsburg Spain. This event would lead to the marriage of Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse of Spain.
Source: (History.com Staff) -
Louis XIV marries Marie-Thérèse of Spain
At 22, Louis XIV married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse of Spain. She was the daughter of Spain's King, Philip IV. Although Louis had his eyes for Marazin's niece, he was to marry Marie-Thérèse for political reasons. Their marriage ensured a peace treaty negotiated with Hapsburg Spain. Together they would birth 6 children, and his grandson would become the next ruler of France.
Source: (History.com Staff) -
The English capture Jamaica
On May 5th, 1655, 7,000 English troops were directed to capture the island of Hispaniola, but instead captured Jamaica. Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables sent their troops to Jamaica because their mission to Hispaniola failed. They figured they should capture Jamaica, since it was already invaded by pirates. This event ended 146 years of Spanish rule in Jamaica.
Source: (English Troops Capture Jamaica, Carole Bos) -
Restoration of Charles II
On May 25th, 1660, Charles II was restored to the throne as King of England. In 1646, Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarians defeated King Charles I’s Royalists, and took over England. The death of Charles I, made his son king. Charles II had to wait until the death of Oliver Cromwell to become King. This event ended the 11 years of military rule in England.
Source: (History.com Staff) -
Louis XIV rules as an Absolute Monarch
After the death of Marazin, Louis XIV chose to rule without a chief minister. He thought he was chosen through divine right, and that he was god's representative on earth. He chose the sun as a symbol to represent himself, which made him known as the "Sun King". Louis XIV is known for his famous quote, “L’État, c’est moi”, which means I am the state. Louis XIV become one of the most powerful rulers of time in France.
Source: (History.com Staff) -
Extinction of the Dodo bird
From the island of Mauritius, 700 miles east off of Madagascar, there lived the Dodo bird. At 3 feet tall and 50 pounds, the flightless bird became extinct within 75 years. Dodos feared nothing, because they didn't have any predators. The last Dodo bird seen by any human was in 1662. Without this bird, Dutch sailors wouldn't have been able to survive.
Source: (ThoughtCo, Bob Strauss) -
War of Devolution
In 1667, Louis XIV led France to invade the Spanish Netherlands, considering that it was inherited to his wife. The war was between Spain and France, and it lasted for about a year. It ended when the French surrendered and gave the Spanish Netherlands back to Spain.
Source: (Biography.com Editors) -
Popularization of Chocolate
In 1670, the popularization of chocolate spread throughout the American colonies. Dorothy Jones and Jane Barnard were 2 women in Boston who opened up a public house to sell chocolate. The Aztecs first discovered chocolate, and only men were allowed to drink it. Soon Spaniards altered the way of producing it to make it taste better. This would lead to chocolate being spread all through out the world, as it becomes a popular treat.
Source: (History of Chocolate, Rodney Synder) -
The construction of The Palace of Versailles
In 1682, Louis XIV ordered the Palace of Versailles to be built. 13 miles away from Paris, the Palace of Versailles is where he moved, himself, his government, and his court to. This extravagant structure included complex gardens,1400 fountains, 700 rooms, and many more things. The construction took 40 years to complete and cost around 2 billion dollars. Louis XIV's lavish lifestyle left France in substantial debt.,
Source: (Gale, Anne Commire) -
Louis XIV revokes the Edict of Nantes
In 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes. The Edict of Nantes granted freedom of worship and other rights to French Protestants or Huguenots. Louis XIV ordered Protestant churches and schools to be destroyed. Over 1 million Huguenots became jobless. This caused for the massive emigration of Protestants from France to other countries.
Source: (History.com Staff) -
Peter the Great tours Western Europe
In 1697, Peter the Great went on a journey, known as the "Grand Embassy" to discover Western Europe's customs. He was the first czar to travel to the west and was quite noticeable. Before returning home Peter visited England and Austria. This event improved Russia by making the country more civilized and updated with the rest of the world.
Source: (Roger B. Beck 532) -
War of Spanish Succession
In 1701, the War of Succession put France in a huge debt. In this war, Louis XIV, defended his grandson Philip V’s inheritance of Spain and its empire. This event was catastrophic for Louis XIV and France. This event led to the people of France looking differently at him, and it ended a year before his death.
Source: (History.com Staff) -
Death of Louis XIV
On September 1st, 1751, Louis XIV died from Gangrene. His illness began when he came back from a hunting trip in August. He felt a sharp pain in his legs, soon it had gotten worse and black marks appeared. When the illness reached his bones, he was forced to stay in bed. Days later he died, after his body was on display, he was moved to Saint-Denis where he was buried. This was a new beginning for France and soon Louis XV would rule.
Source: (Palace of Versailles, Catherine Pégard)
