1659
Treaty of the Pyrenees
After twenty-four years of war, France and Spain signed a peace along the mountain border that transferred Roussillon and Artois to France and betrothed…
Afzal Khan Slain by Shivaji
At the fortress of Pratapgad in the Western Ghats, the Maratha warrior Shivaji met the Bijapur general Afzal Khan in what was supposed to be a peace parley.
Jamaica Gains Synagogue
Jewish refugees from Dutch Brazil, via Amsterdam, established a synagogue in Port Royal, Jamaica.
Huygens Describes Saturn's Rings
In his treatise Systema Saturnium, Christiaan Huygens finally explained the strange arms that Galileo had puzzled over decades earlier…
Vermeer Paints Girl Reading a Letter
In a quiet room in Delft, Johannes Vermeer began painting the intimate domestic scenes that would make him the most private genius of the Dutch Golden Age.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1659?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1659. The most significant is Treaty of the Pyrenees.
What era was 1659 part of?
1659 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1659?
The events from 1659 span Europe, South Asia and North America.