Bajazet
Jan 1 Jean Racine's five-act tragedy play "Bajazet" premieres in Paris
Newton Reports to the Royal Society
Feb 8 Isaac Newton reads 1st optics paper before Royal Society in London
- Feb 23 Joan Blaeus publishers destroyed by fire in Amsterdam
Declaration of Indulgence
Mar 15 King Charles II of England enacts the Declaration of Indulgence in an unsuccessful attempt to extend religious liberty to Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics in his realms
- Apr 6 France declares war on Netherlands
- May 2 John Maitland becomes Duke of Lauderdale and Earl of March.
- May 6 Brandenburg monarch Frederik Willem signs treaty with Netherlands
- May 15 1st copyright law enacted by Massachusetts
- May 17 Frontenac becomes Governor of New France (Canada)
- Jun 7 Battle by Solebay: Dutch admiral M de Ruyter beats French/English fleet
- Jun 12 French army under Gen Turenne crosses Rhine at Lobith
- Jun 21 French troops under King Louis XIV occupy Utrecht
Event of Interest
Jun 21 Grand Pensionary of Holland Johan de Witt seriously wounded
William III Appointed Stadholder
Jul 8 William III is appointed stadholder by the States General in the Netherlands
- Jul 9 William III inaugurated as viceroy of Holland and Zealand
- Aug 20 Former Grand Pensionary of Holland Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis are brutally murdered by an angry mob in The Hague
- Sep 6 William of Orange 's troops reconquer Naarden from France
- Oct 18 Poland & Turkey sign Peace of Buczacz
- Dec 10 New York Governor Lovelace announces monthly mail service between New York & Boston
- Dec 23 Giovanni Cassini discovers Rhea, a satellite of Saturn
- Dec 30 Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden Neth