Directory

1606 CE

Explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós of Portugal, accompanied by a party of 160 men on the ships San Pedro, San Pablo and Los Tres Reyes, leads the first Europeans to discover the Pitcairn Islands. The first version of the Union Flag is created, to be worn as a national flag by English and Scottish ships. William Shakespeare's play King Lear is given its first recorded performance, staged at the Palace of Whitehall.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • June 23 – A treaty is signed in Vienna between the Archduchy of Austria and the semi-independent Principality of Transylvania. Archduke Rudolf agrees to recognize Stephen Bocskai as Prince of Transylvania in return for Bocksay's guarantee of constitutional and religious rights to the ethnic Hungarians within Transylvania's borders.source
  • November 11 – The Peace of Zsitvatorok is signed between the Ottoman and Holy Roman Empires. The independence of Transylvania is recognized by both sides, and Austria's annual tribute to the Ottomans is abolished.source

Conflict & Security

  • May 17 – Time of Troubles in Russia: The imposter Tsar Dmitry I is assassinated in the Kremlin by supporters of Vasili Shuisky.source
  • June or October – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: An improvised Spanish fleet under Luis Fajardo defeats the Dutch fleet under Willem Haultain.source
  • August 16 – Battle of Cape Rachado: A Dutch fleet is defeated by the Portuguese.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • January 29 – Explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós of Portugal, accompanied by a party of 160 men on the ships San Pedro, San Pablo and Los Tres Reyes, leads the first Europeans to discover the Pitcairn Islands.source
  • February 9 – Queirós and his crew discover Mehetia, followed three days later by the Tauere atoll.source
  • February 26 – Sailing on the Dutch ship Duyfken, Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon and the crew make the first confirmed sighting of Australia by a European, reaching the Cape York Peninsula, at the Pennefather River near what becomes Weipa, Queensland. The Duyfken follows by exploring the western coast.source
  • May 1 – Pedro Fernandes de Queirós discovers the islands of Vanuatu (also known as the New Hebrides). Believing them to be Australia, he names them La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo.source
  • July 14 – The expedition commanded by Portuguese explorer Luís Vaz de Torres, with the ships San Pedrico and Los Tres Reyes Magos, makes the first European sighting of South Pacific islands in New Guinea, starting with Rossel Island and Tagula Island. Discoveries follow on July 18 (Basilaki Island and Sideia Island), July 20 (the Dumoulin Islands and Sariba Island, and July 30 (Doini Island).source
  • October 2 – King Charles IX of Sweden founds the city of Vaasa, in the parish of Korsholm in Coastal Ostrobothnia.source
  • October – Luís Vaz de Torres is the first European to sail through the Torres Strait.source
  • December 19 – The Susan Constant sets out from the River Thames in England leading the Virginia Company's fleet for the foundation of Jamestown, Virginia.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 9 – The Black Nazarene, a statue, arrives in Manila from Mexico.source
  • March 19 – Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, in the Fortezza Vecchia Chapel of Saint Francesco, elevates Livorno to the rank of city.source
  • April 17 – Venetian Interdict: Pope Paul V places the Republic of Venice under an interdict, as well as excommunicating Leonardo Donato, the Doge of Venice, and members of the Venetian Senate.source
  • June 22 – By Act of Parliament in England, all Roman Catholics in England become required to swear an oath of allegiance to King James I, a Protestant raised in the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.source
  • July 1 – Scottish minister Patrick Simson and 44 other ministers of the Church of Scotland sign Simson's Protest to the Scottish Parliament against the introduction to Scotland of a hierarchy of bishops.source
  • July 3 – The Russian Orthodox bishop Hermogenes is installed as the new Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, replacing Ignatius.source
  • July 10 – England deports 47 Roman Catholic priests, including Thomas Garnet, putting them on board a ship bound for Flanders in modern-day Belgium. A royal proclamation is read to the group, warning them that they will be put to death if they ever return to the British Isles.source

Economy & Finance

  • April 10 – Charter of 1606: The First Charter of Virginia is adopted, by which King James I of England grants rights to the Virginia Company (comprising the London Company and Plymouth Company) to settle parts of the east coast of North America.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • April 12 – The first version of the Union Flag is created, to be worn as a national flag by English and Scottish ships.source

Crime & Justice

  • January 24 – Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators, for plotting against Parliament and James I of England, begins in London. They are hanged, drawn and quartered on January 30–31.source
  • September 20 – The trial of alleged poisoners in the Frankenstein gravediggers scandal begins in the Bohemian town of Frankenstein.source

Culture & Society

  • May 19 – Vasili Ivanovich Shuisky becomes the new Tsar of Russia as Vasili IV.source
  • July 24 – King Christian IV of Denmark, as the guest of his brother-in-law, King James of England, Scotland and Ireland, is welcomed at London, and the two monarchs are driven by coaches to a banquet at Theobalds House at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. They are entertained by playwright Ben Jonson's play, The Entertainment of the Kings of Great Britain and Denmark.source
  • July 31 – Playwright John Marston presents his own original play to King James and King Christian during the Danish monarch's visit to London.source
  • August (approx.) – Possible first performance of William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth in London.source
  • December 26 – William Shakespeare's play King Lear is given its first recorded performance, staged at the Palace of Whitehall.source

Births

  • January 30 – Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet, of Great Lever (d. 1674)source
  • February 12 – John Winthrop, the Younger, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1676)source
  • February 23 – George Frederick of Nassau-Siegen, officer in the Dutch Army (d. 1674)source
  • March 3 – Edmund Waller, English poet (d. 1687)source
  • March – Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester (d. 1680)source
  • May 12 – Joachim von Sandrart, German Baroque art-historian and painter (d. 1688)source
  • May 23 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish writer (d. 1682)source
  • June 19 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish politician and noble (d. 1649)source
  • July 13 – Roland Fréart de Chambray, French architectural theorist (d. 1676)source
  • August 18 – Maria Anna of Spain (d. 1646)source
  • September 18 – Zhang Xianzhong, Chinese rebel (d. 1647)source
  • September 22 – Li Zicheng, Chinese rebel (d. 1645)source
  • October 12 – Christoph Bernhard von Galen, Westphalian Catholic prince-bishop of Münster and military leader (d. 1678)source
  • November 12 – Jeanne Mance, French nurse and settler of New France (d. 1673)source

Deaths

  • January 30 – Robert Wintour, English conspirator (executed) (b. 1568)source
  • January 30 – Everard Digby, English conspirator (executed) (b. 1578)source
  • January 31 – Thomas Wintour, English conspirator (executed) (b. 1571)source
  • January 31 – Guy Fawkes, English conspirator (executed) (b. 1570)source
  • March 23 – Turibius of Mogrovejo, Spanish missionary Archbishop of Lima (b. 1538)source
  • March 23 – Saint Turibius de Mongrovejo, Spanish Grand Inquisitioner and missionary Archbishop of Lima (b. 1538)source
  • April 3 – Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devon, English politician (b. 1563)source
  • May 3 – Henry Garnet, English Jesuit (executed) (b. 1555)source
  • May 30 – Guru Arjan Dev, fifth of the Sikh gurus (executed) (b. 1563)source
  • June 21 – Derviş Mehmed Pasha is appointed the new Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Ahmed I after Sokolluzade Lala Mehmed Pasha dies of a stroke. Derviş Mehmed serves less than six months before Ahmed suddenly has him executed.source
  • July 10 – Simion Movilă becomes the new Prince of Moldavia upon the death of his older brother, Ieremia Movilă. Simion will reign for only 14 months before being poisoned on September 14, 1607.source
  • November 8 – Girolamo Mercuriale, Italian philologist and physician (b. 1530)source
  • November 20 – (burial date) John Lyly, English writer (b. 1553)source
  • December 29 – Stephen Bocskay, Prince of Transylvania (b. 1557)source