History
1620
General
Population: 542 Million*
- Entertainment: Writers include Johann Heinrich Alsted (encyclopedia),
Art includes Giovanni Bernini "Neptune and Triton" and "Apollo and Daphne", Jacob Jordaens "Passage to Antwerp", Reubens "Chapeau de Paille", Van Duck "St. Sebastian", Velazques "The Water Seller of Seville"
Music includes Monteverdi (seventh book of madrigals), Michael Praetorius (musical encyclopedia)
- Culture: J.P. Bonet writes Spanish manual "The Art to Teach Dumb People to Speak"
- Mathematics: Edmund Gunter writes treatise on logarithms
- Religion: Gregory XV nade pope to 1623
- Science: Francis Bacon writes about new scientific orders, also proposes observation as superior to deduction and proclaims past thoughts as "idols"
Cornelius Drebbel discovers scarlet "Bow dye" and builds proto-submarines of leather and wood
- Deaths: Poet and musician Thomas Campion,
Africa
- Angola: Queen Nzinga of Ndongo fights Portuguese
Americas
- General: Spanish silver shipments from Americas decline sharply
Dutch West India Company founded
- Canada: English attempt to colonize Newfoundland and Nova Scotia fails
Asia
- China: End of reign of Wan Li
End of invasion of China by Tartars of Manchu
End of tribal organization of military groups
- Japan: Beginning of Japanese national policy of restriction of contact with the outside world
Europe
- General: War between Sweden and Poland – Gustavus Adolphus occupies Livonia
Spain conquers Lower Palatinate of Germany
Battle of White Mountain as Frederick V defeated by Maximilian of Bavaria
12-year truce between Netherlands and Spain ends and war is resumed
- Czechoslovakia: Battle of the White Mountain near Prague – Catholic league under Count Tilly defeats army of King Frederick of Bohemia – Bohemian revolt against Emperor Ferdinand suppressed with leading rebels executed – Protestant clergy expelled
- England: English volunteers leave for service with Elector Palatine's army in Bohemia
Oliver Cromwell denounced because of participation in "Disreputable game of cricket"
Dutch engineers assist in drainage of lowland areas of east England
- France: Revolt of French nobles against Louis XIII Richelieu makes peace and reconciliation of Queen Mother to her son
- German States: Agreement of Ulm between German Catholic League and Protestant Union
Uppsala U Library founded by Gustavus Adolphus
Currency inflation in Germany for three years
- Holy Roman Empire: HRE Frederick V defeated by Maximilian of Bavaria at Battle of White Mountain near Prague
Lower Austria submits to Emperor Ferdinand who is free to attack Bohemia
- Italian States: Massacre of Protestants in the Valtelline
- Scotland: George Setoncreates Winton House in Scotland
- Spain: Philip IV becomes king of Spain
Middle East
- Ottoman Empire: Turks defeat Polish army at Jassy
East
- Massachusetts: Mayflower sails – lands near Cape Cod
Mayflower Compact written
Experienced leaders include Miles Standish, William Bradford, and William Brewster
John Carver named first governor of Plymouth Colony
South