1602 Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	16th century – 17th century – 18th century
Decades:	1570s 1580s 1590s – 1600s – 1610s 1620s 1630s
Years:	1599 1600 1601 – 1602 – 1603 1604 1605

The year 1602 was a time of many important events around the world. New companies were formed, famous plays were written, and explorers made new discoveries. Let's look at some of the key things that happened in this year.

Important Events of 1602
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Important Events of 1602

Battles and Discoveries

January 3: A big battle called the Battle of Kinsale happened in Ireland. It was fought between Irish and Spanish forces against the English. The date was a bit confusing because the Irish and Spanish used the Gregorian calendar, while the English still used the older Julian calendar.
May 15: An explorer named Bartholomew Gosnold from Europe became the first European to find a place called Cape Cod in what is now the United States.

New Companies and Trade

March 20: The Dutch East India Company was created in the Netherlands. This company was very powerful and helped the Dutch trade with countries in Asia, especially for spices and other goods.
June: A fleet of ships from the East India Company (a British trading company) led by James Lancaster arrived in Aceh, Sumatra (which is now part of Indonesia). They wanted to trade with the local ruler. Lancaster also captured a large Portuguese ship full of valuable goods.
A private trading company was started in Copenhagen, Denmark. This company had a special right called a monopoly to be the only one allowed to trade with Iceland.

Culture and Learning

February 14: The famous play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare was performed for the very first time.
November 8: The Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford in England was opened to the public. This is one of the oldest and most important libraries in the world.
The playwright Ben Jonson wrote his play Poetaster.
William Shakespeare also wrote another play called The Merry Wives of Windsor.

World Affairs and Science

December 11: The people of Geneva (a city in Switzerland) successfully defended their city from a surprise attack by forces led by the Duke of Savoy and Philip III of Spain. This event is still celebrated today.
Persia and Spain decided to become allies and declared war on the Ottoman Empire.
In Prague, a doctor named Florian Mathias performed a very difficult and successful surgery. He removed a dagger from a patient's stomach. This was a big step forward in medicine for that time.
A Jesuit missionary named Jeronimo de Angeluin arrived in Japan. Missionaries are people who travel to spread their religious beliefs.