1609
Kepler Publishes Astronomia Nova
After years wrestling with the observations of Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler published a book that broke the two-thousand-year tyranny of the circle.
Henry Hudson Enters New York Harbor
Sailing for the Dutch East India Company in the Half Moon, the Englishman Henry Hudson pushed his tiny ship up a broad, salt-tinged river as far…
Galileo Builds His Telescope
Hearing rumors of the Dutch invention, Galileo ground his own lenses and within months produced an instrument of twenty-power magnification, then thirty.
Twelve Years' Truce
Spain, exhausted and bankrupt, signed a truce with its rebellious Dutch provinces, effectively recognizing the independence of the northern Netherlands.
Expulsion of the Moriscos
Philip III of Spain ordered the deportation of some three hundred thousand Moriscos, descendants of Muslims forcibly converted a century earlier.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1609?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1609. The most significant is Kepler Publishes Astronomia Nova: After years wrestling with the observations of Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler published a book that broke the two-thousand-year tyranny of the circle.
What era was 1609 part of?
1609 falls within the Renaissance (1501-1650). Reformation, conquest, and the world drawn whole.
Which regions saw notable events in 1609?
The events from 1609 span Europe and North America.