-
London theaters reopen; actresses appear onstage for the first time
One of Charles II's first actions upon his restoration to the throne in May 1660 was to reopen the theaters, which had been outlawed under the repressive regime of Oliver Cromwell. -
Charles II is proclaimed king of England (crowned in 1661)
Charles lived in exile until he was crowned King of England, Ireland and Scotland in 1661. His reign marking the Restoration period, Charles was known for his cavorting lifestyle and feuds with Parliament. -
Plague claims more than 68000 people in London
The Plague took about 16% of London -
Great Fire destroys much of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall. -
Glorious (Bloodless):Revolution James II is succeeded by Protestant rulers of William and Mary
James made one serious attempt to recover his crowns from William and Mary when he landed in Ireland in 1689. -
Alexander Pope publishes part of The Rape of the Lock
The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic narrative poem written by Alexander Pope, first published anonymously in Lintot's Miscellaneous Poems and Translations in May 1712 in two cantos -
Swift publishes A Modest Proposal, protesting English treatment of the irish poor
A Modest Proposal, published in 1729 in response to worsening conditions in Ireland, is perhaps the severest and most scathing of all Swift's pamphlets. The tract did not shock or outrage contemporary readers as Swift must have intended; its economics was taken as a great joke, its more incisive critiques ignored. -
Voltaire publishes Candide
Candide is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best in 1759 -
George III is crowned king of England: becomes known as the king who lost the American Colonies
George III was king of Great Britain during some of the nation’s most tumultuous years, including those of the American Revolutionary War. -
British Parliament passes Stamp Act for taxing American Colonies
The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. -
African American poes Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subject, Religious and Moral is published in London
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley, Negro Servant to Mr. John Wheatley, of Boston, in New England is a collection of 39 poems written by Phillis Wheatley the first professional African-American woman poet in America and the first African-American woman whose writings were published. -
Boston Tea Party occurs
The Boston Tea Party happened in 3 British ships in the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party took place because the colonists did not want to have to pay taxes on the British tea. -
Mary Wollstonecraft publishes A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, written by the 18th-century British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, is one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy -
Napoleon heads revolutionary government in France
The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799, and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the French Empire.
