1677
Spinoza Dies
The excommunicated Dutch Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza, who had ground lenses to support himself while writing his Ethics, died in his rented rooms in The Hague at forty-four, probably of silicosis from the glass dust. His Ethics, published posthumously, would quietly scandalize Europe with its rational pantheism and influence thinkers from Goethe to Einstein who found in his pages a god made of geometry.
Kara Mustafa Appointed Grand Vizier
Sultan Mehmed IV elevated his ambitious brother-in-law Kara Mustafa Pasha to the office of Grand Vizier. Kara Mustafa dreamed of sacking Vienna and marching to the Rhine. Within six years he would lead the largest Ottoman army ever assembled to the gates of the Habsburg capital - and lose everything, including his head.
Marriage of William and Mary
William, Prince of Orange, married his fifteen-year-old cousin Mary, eldest daughter of the Catholic James, Duke of York. The match was arranged by Charles II to appease Protestant opinion at home. Eleven years later, it would provide England with a king and queen without firing a shot, and the Glorious Revolution would hinge on this carefully arranged dynastic alliance.
Racine Premieres Phedre
At the Hotel de Bourgogne in Paris, Jean Racine unveiled his devastating retelling of Euripides' Hippolytus. Phedre, consumed by illicit desire for her stepson, spoke twelve-syllable alexandrines so perfectly measured they sounded like heartbeats. It was Racine's last secular tragedy, and French classical drama had reached its absolute summit, a peak of formal perfection that no subsequent playwright has quite matched.
Want 1677 in context? Print the whole 17th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1677?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1677. The most significant is Spinoza Dies: The excommunicated Dutch Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza, who had ground lenses to support himself while writing his Ethics, died in his rented rooms…
What era was 1677 part of?
1677 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1677?
The curated events from 1677 span Europe and Middle East.