History
1609
General
Population: 541 Million*
- Entertainment: Writers include Beaumont and Fletcher The Knight of the Burning Pestle, Thomas Decker (satire of London life), Ben Johnson (comedy),
Shakespeare Cymbeline and sonnets, Bacon, Gercilaso de la Vega (history of Peru), Hugo Grotius (freedom of the sea),
Art includes El Greco "Brother Paravicino", Reubens (self portrait),
Music includes Orlando Gibbons - first engraved music in England, Thomas Ravenscroft creates collection of rounds and catches
- Religion: Congregation of female Jesuits founded – dissolved by Pope Urban VIII
- Science: Galileo Galilei confirms heliocentric model
Charles Butler writes bee treatise
Kepler publishes two laws of motion - ellipse
Newton's laws of Motion
Kepler writes "De motibus stellae Martis"
Invention of the telescope
- Technology: Cornelius Drebbel invents thermostat
- Deaths: Painter Annivale Carracci, Last duke of Julich-Cleves John William, Ferdinando I de Medici
Africa
Americas
- Canada: Champlain begins giving aid to the Algonquin Indians
- Nicaragua: Earthquake
Asia
- Japan: Dutch trading base established on Hirado Island
Europe
- General: The Twelve-Years' Truce between Spain and Holland (Netherlands)
Catholic League of German princes formed at Munich against Protestant Union of May 1608 - Maximilian of Bavaria and Spain lead
- Czechoslovakia: Emperor Rudolf II permits freedom of religion in Bohemia
- England: Founding of Charterhouse public school
- France: Duke of Sully decreases French debt and increases revenues - Debt reduced 85 percent
- German States: Death of John William the last Duke of Julich-Cleves – quarrer between Brandenberg and Neuburg
Regular newspapers at Strasbourg and Wolfenbuttel - First weekly newspaper published
- Holland: Founding of Bank of Amsterdam
Dutch East India Company imports tea
Tin-enamled ware made at Delft
- Italian States: Death of Ferdinando I de Medici and Cosimo II named Grand Duke of Tuscany
- Poland: Poland intervenes in Russia to 1618
Middle East
- Ottoman Empire: Blue Mosque in Constantinople built
General
- "Starving time" winter almost destroys colonists
East
- Henry Hudson explores Delaware Bay and Hudson River - determines Hudson does not lead to Orient
West and Pacific
- New Mexico: Santa Fe founded