Historical Events
- Jan 23 France & Sweden sign anti-German Treaty of Barwald
- Feb 5 Founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams arrives in Boston from England
- May 17 Earl Johann Tilly attacks Maagdenburg
- May 18 English colony Massachusetts Bay grants Puritan voting right
- May 18 John Winthrop is elected 1st Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
- May 20 Magdeburg in Germany seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire under earl Johann Tilly, most inhabitants massacred, one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years' War
- May 30 The Treaty of Fontainebleau signed between Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, and the Kingdom of France, establishing a secret alliance between them during the Thirty Years' War.
- Jun 17 Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal
- Jun 19 Peace of Cherasco: Charles de Gonzaga-Nevers becomes duke of Mantua
- Jun 20 The sack of Baltimore: the Irish village of Baltimore is attacked by Algerian pirates
- More Historical Events
Famous People Born in 1631
- Mar 16 René Le Bossu, French critic (d. 1680)
- Apr 6 Vincenzo De Grandis, composer
- Apr 8 Cornelis de Heem, Dutch painter, born in Leiden, Netherlands (d. 1695)
- Jul 15 Jens Juel, Danish diplomat (d. 1700)
- Aug 19 John Dryden, English poet (1st Poet Laureate 1668-1700), born in Aldwincle, Northamptonshire (d. 1700) [OS=Aug 9]
More Famous Birthdays
World Leaders in 1631
Charles I
John SmithArticles and Photos
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal in all its glory, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan I for his beloved wife, Mumtaz MahalMay 17Taj Mahal: A Monument To Love
An emperor’s beloved wife died on this day. Heartbroken, he began a 22-year project to build a unique monument on her burial site – the magnificent Taj Mahal.June 17
