Directory

1691 CE

The Battle of Slankamen takes place between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire and allies at Syrmia (now the Serbian province of Vojvodina), and 25,000 Ottomans are killed, including Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha, the Grand Vizier. War of the Grand Alliance: English and Dutch forces are defeated by the French in the Battle of Leuze. The Treaty of Limerick, ending the Williamite War in Ireland and guaranteeing civil rights to Roman Catholics, is signed. The Flight of the Wild Geese follows.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • January 23 – Spanish colonial administrator Domingo Terán de los Ríos, most recently the governor of Sonora y Sinaloa on the east side of the Gulf of California, is assigned by the Viceroy of New Spain to administer a new province that governs lands on both sides of the Río Bravo del Norte, "Coahuila y Tejas", and effectively becomes the first Governor of Texas.source
  • February 13 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony issues the first paper money in North America, in lieu of coins, two months after a December 20 law authorizing the printing. The oldest known specimen, for 20 Massachusetts shillings bears the date "Feb. 3, 1690" based on the British old style calendar in use at the time.source
  • May 6 – The Province of New York establishes the New York Supreme Court as the Supreme Court of Judicature. It is the oldest Supreme Court with general original jurisdiction.source
  • October 3 – The Treaty of Limerick, ending the Williamite War in Ireland and guaranteeing civil rights to Roman Catholics, is signed. The Flight of the Wild Geese follows.source
  • October 17 (October 7 O.S.) – In New England, the two separate colonies of Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony are united into a single entity by an act of the King and Queen of England.source

Conflict & Security

  • January 6 – King William III of England, who rules Scotland and Ireland as well as being the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, departs from Margate to tend to the affairs of the Netherlands.source
  • January 14 – A fleet of ships carrying 827 Spanish Navy sailors and marines arrives at Manzanillo Bay on the island of Hispaniola in what is now the Dominican Republic and joins 700 Spanish cavalry, then proceeds westward to invade the French side of the island in what is now Haiti.source
  • March 5 – Nine Years' War: French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons.source
  • March 20 – Leisler's Rebellion: A new governor arrives in New York – Jacob Leisler surrenders, after a standoff of several hours.source
  • March 29 – The Siege of Mons ends in the city's surrender.source
  • June 23 – Ahmed II (1691–1695) succeeds Suleiman II (1687–1691), as Ottoman Emperor.source
  • July 12 – Williamite War in Ireland – Battle of Aughrim: Protestant Williamite forces, led by Godert de Ginkell, decisively defeat Jacobites under the Marquis de St Ruth (who is killed).source
  • August 11 – Battle of La Prairie in Canada: An English and Iroquois force come north from Albany, New York to attack Montreal, but are repulsed with significant casualties by the French and their First Nations allies.source
  • August 19 – The Battle of Slankamen takes place between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire and allies at Syrmia (now the Serbian province of Vojvodina), and 25,000 Ottomans are killed, including Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha, the Grand Vizier.source
  • September 3 – HMS Coronation and HMS Harwich are lost in a storm while making for shelter in Plymouth Sound with 900 killed.source
  • September 18 – War of the Grand Alliance: English and Dutch forces are defeated by the French in the Battle of Leuze.source
  • December 6 – During the Morean War, Captain Luca Dalla Rocca of Naples betrays Venice by surrendering the fortress of Gramvousa, on the island of Crete to the Ottoman Turks, in return for a large amount of money and sanctuary in Istanbul.source
  • December 22 – Patrick Sarsfield and 19,000 troops of the Irish Army who had been supporters of the Jacobite Rebellion leave the country and relocate to France.source
  • The Khalkha submit to the Manchu invaders, bringing most of modern-day Mongolia under the rule of the Qing Dynasty.source

Religion & Belief

  • July 12 – Pope Innocent XII becomes the 242nd pope, succeeding Pope Alexander VIII.source
  • November 26 – In Limerick, "A Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the Preservation of Their Majesties, the Success of Their Forces in the reducing of Ireland, and for His Majesties Safe Return" is celebrated in all Anglican churches in Britain and Ireland by order of Archbishop Tillotson.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • HMNB Devonport, currently one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy and the largest naval base in Western Europe, opens.source
  • The textile factory Barnängens manufaktur is founded in Stockholm, Sweden.source

Science & Discovery

  • February 28 – An annular solar eclipse is visible across the Philippines, North Borneo and eastern Sumatra.source
  • August 23 – A total solar eclipse is visible across South America, Central America and Mexico.source
  • Michel Rolle invents Rolle's theorem, which states that any real-valued differentiable function that attains equal values at two distinct points must have at least one stationary point somewhere between them.source

Crime & Justice

  • January 15 – King Louis XIV of France issues an order specifically prohibiting play of games of chance, specifically naming basset and similar games, on penalty of 1,000 livres for the first offence.source
  • March 14 – The Public Security Police Force of Macau is founded.source
  • May 6 – The Spanish Inquisition condemns and forcibly baptizes 219 Xuetas in Palma, Majorca. When 37 try to escape the island, they are burned alive at the stake.source
  • May 16 – Jacob Leisler is hanged for treason.source

Disasters & Accidents

  • April 9 – A fire at the Palace of Whitehall in London destroys its Stone Gallery.source

Culture & Society

  • March 17 – The Athenian Mercury begins twice-weekly publication by The Athenian Society in London.source
  • June – The first performance takes place of the semi-opera King Arthur with a libretto by John Dryden and music by Henry Purcell.source
  • August 27 – In Scotland, King William offers the Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite rising of 1689 if they agree to pledge allegiance to him before New Year's Day.source
  • Nimavar school in Isfahan, Iran is built and opens in this era of Suleiman I.source
  • The Society for the Reformation of Manners is founded in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the aim of suppressing profanity, immorality, and other lewd activities in general, and of brothels and prostitution in particular.source

Births

  • January 16 – Peter Scheemakers, Flemish sculptor (d. 1781)source
  • February 8 – John Adams Sr., British colonial farmer, minister, father of the U.S. president, John Adams (d. 1761)source
  • March 12 – Dionisia de Santa María Mitas Talangpaz, Filipino saint (d. 1732)source
  • March 30 – Charles Hamilton, Count of Arran, English collector of manuscripts (d. 1754)source
  • April 9 – Johann Matthias Gesner, German classical scholar and schoolmaster (d. 1761)source
  • May 27 – James Alexander, American lawyer in colonial New York (d. 1756)source
  • June 17 – Giovanni Paolo Panini, Italian painter and architect (d. 1765)source
  • July 24 – Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton, British politician (d. 1759)source
  • August 25 – Alessandro Galilei, Italian architect, mathematician (d. 1737)source
  • August 28 – Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress consort (d. 1750)source
  • August 29 – Richard Challoner, English Catholic prelate (d. 1781)source
  • September 3 – Antoine-Alexis Perier de Salvert, French naval officer (d. 1757)source
  • October 1 – Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the British House of Commons (d. 1768)source
  • October 20 – Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia, Tsarevna of Russia (d. 1733)source

Deaths

  • January 13 – George Fox, English founder of the Society of Friends (b. 1624)source
  • February 27 – Luo Wenzao, First Chinese bishop (b. 1615)source
  • May 16 – Jacob Leisler, Leader of the Leisler Rebellion, de facto governor of New York (b. 1640)source
  • June 15 – Henry Pollexfen, English politician (b. 1632)source
  • June 22 – Suleiman II of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1687 to 1691 (b. 1642)source
  • July 12 – John Hamilton, Irish military officer of Scottish descent (b. 1650)source
  • July 12 – Marquis de St Ruth, French (killed at the Battle of Aughrim) (b. 1650)source
  • July 26 – Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle, English politician (b. 1630)source
  • August 14 – Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel, Irish rebel (b. 1630)source
  • October 8 – Thomas Barlow, English academic and clergyman, Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford and Bishop of Lincoln (b. 1607)source
  • October 10 – Nicholas Gassaway, Colonel, Maryland Provincial Forces (b. 1634)source
  • October 25 – George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth, English naval commander (b. 1647)source
  • December 8 – Richard Baxter, English Puritan church leader, poet, and hymn-writer (b. 1615)source
  • December 23 – Katherine Jones, Viscountess Ranelagh, Anglo-Irish scientist (b. 1615)source