Historical Events in 1666
- Apr 18 Peace of Kleef: Netherlands & bishop Von Galen of Munster
- Jun 4 Battle at Dunkirk: English vs Dutch fleet
- Jun 11 -14] Vierdaagse Sea battle (Ruyter-Monk vs Prince Ruprecht)
- Aug 4 Hurricane hits Guadeloupe, Martinique and St Christopher; thousands die
- Aug 4 Sea battle between Netherlands and England
- Aug 5 English fleet beats Dutch under Michiel de Ruyter
- Aug 9 Rear Admiral Robert Holmes leads a raid on the Dutch island of Terschelling, destroying 150 merchant ships in the Vlie estuary, and pillaging the town of West-Terschelling, an act later known as "Holmes's Bonfire".
- Sep 2 Great Fire of London begins at 2am in Pudding Lane, 80% of London is destroyed
More Historical Events
Famous People Born in 1666
- Jan 5 Guru Gobind Singh, Tenth Guru of Sikhism, founder and General of Khalsa Army, social reformist and poet, born in Patna Sahib (d. 1708)
- Feb 9 George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, British soldier (d. 1737)
- Feb 15 Antonio M Valsalva, Italian anatomist (eardrums, glottis)
- Mar 15 George Bähr, German architect (Frauenkirche, Dresden) (d. 1738)
- Apr 17 François Valentijn, Dutch vicar and writer (Old and New East-India), born in Dordrecht, Netherlands (d. 1727)
More Famous Birthdays
Famous People in 1666
Rembrandt van Rijn
Painter
Rembrandt van RijnWorld Leaders in 1666
- Charles II
King of England - Louis XIV
The Sun King of France
Charles II
Louis XIVFamous People Who Died in 1666
- Jan 18 Adriaen A Bloemaert, Dutch landscape painter, dies at about 56
- Jan 20 Anna of Austria, Spanish princess, Austrian archduchess, Queen of France as wife of Louis XIII and regent of France (1643-51) for her son Louis XIV, dies of breast cancer at 64
- Jan 22 Shah Jahan, 5th Mughal Emperor of India (1628-58) who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, dies at 74
- Jan 24 Johann Andreas Herbst, composer, dies at 77
- Feb 24 Nicholas Lanier, English composer, dies at 77
More Famous Deaths
1666 in Articles and Photos
The Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London began on this day when sparks from a baker’s oven ignited his home. Fanned by strong winds, the blaze consumed 80 per cent of the city.
September 2, 1666Collector Samuel Pepys Sets a Shining Example
Fire, warfare and discontent meant 1666 was not a good year, his collection of silver plate seemingly providing the only bright spot for diarist Samuel Pepys.
December 31, 1666
