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London theaters reopen; actresses appear onstage for the first time
Previously, female roles had been performed by young boys. The advent of women actors opened up a world of titillation and scandal, appreciated by audiences from all levels of society; from merchants to nobles and even King Charles II himself. It also brought about a variety of changes to the theatre. -
Charles II is proclaimed king of England (crowned in 1661)
He was 12 when the Civil War began and two years later was appointed nominal commander-in-chief in western England. With the parliamentary victory he was forced into exile on the continent. He was in the Netherlands when, in 1649, he learnt of his father's execution. -
Plague claims more than 68,000 people in London
Many thought this was a punishment from a wrathful God. This also became known as the "Black Death." -
Great Fire destroys much of London
It started as a small fire in a bakery, which spread as a result of Lord Mayor Bludworth being hesitant to allow the destruction of the near by houses. -
Glorious (Bloodless): Revolution James II is succeeded by Protestant rulers of William and Mary
The overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III. -
Alexander Pope publishes part of The Rape of the Lock
The poem satirises a minor incident by comparing it to the epic world of the gods. It was based on an actual incident recounted by Pope's friend, John Caryll. -
Swift publishes A Modest Proposal, protesting English treatment of the Irish poor
Swift suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food for rich gentlemen and ladies. This satirical hyperbole mocks heartless attitudes towards the poor, as well as British policy toward Ireland in general. -
Voltaire publishes Candide
A French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. -
George III is crowned king of England; becomes known as the king who lost the American Colonies
George III is often accused of obstinately trying to keep Great Britain at war with the revolutionaries in America, despite the opinions of his own ministers. -
British Parliament passes Stamp Act for taxing American Colonies
This law required colonists to purchase a government-issued stamp for legal documents and other paper goods. -
African American Poet Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subject, Religious and Moral is published in London
Phillis Wheatley broke barriers as the first American black woman poet to be published, opening the door for future black authors. -
Boston Tea Party occurs
The Tea Party was a protest in reaction to a tax meant to help raise funds following the French and Indian War. But the tax was also a political power move on behalf of Parliament, meant to reassert control over the colonies. -
Mary Wollstonecraft publishes A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
The first great feminist treatise. Wollstonecraft preached that intellect will always govern and sought “to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body. -
Napoleon heads revolutionary government in France
Inspired by liberal and radical ideas, the Revolution profoundly altered the course of modern history, triggering the global decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies. Through the Revolutionary Wars, it unleashed a wave of global conflicts that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East.
