1661 Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	16th century – 17th century – 18th century
Decades:	1630s 1640s 1650s – 1660s – 1670s 1680s 1690s
Years:	1658 1659 1660 – 1661 – 1662 1663 1664

1661 was a year that started on a Saturday in the Gregorian calendar. It was also a year that began on a Tuesday in the Julian calendar.

Manhattan Island looked like this in 1661.

Important Events of 1661

January 6 – A group called the Fifth Monarchists tried to take control of London. George Monck's soldiers, the Coldstream Guards, stopped them.
January 30 – The body of Oliver Cromwell was dug up and put on display. This was a symbolic punishment after his death.
February 5 – The Shunzhi Emperor of China's Qing dynasty died. His son, the Kangxi Emperor, became the new ruler.
February 14 – George Monck's army regiment was renamed. It became "The Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards." This group later became the famous Coldstream Guards.
April 23 – King Charles II of England was crowned in Westminster Abbey. This was his second crowning ceremony.
April 28 – The University of Santo Tomas opened in Manila. It was the first university in Asia.
June 30 – The first Earl of Argyle was executed in Edinburgh. He was found guilty of treason (betraying his country).
August 6 – Portugal and the Dutch Republic signed a peace treaty in The Hague. This treaty gave New Holland, which is now part of Brazil, to Portugal.
December 30 – Drottningholm Castle in Stockholm, Sweden, was badly damaged by a fire.

January 30 – Charles Rollin, a French historian.
March 25 – Paul de Rapin, another French historian.
April 16 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, an English poet and statesman.
May 25 – Claude de Buffier, a French philosopher and historian.
June 6 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, an Italian composer.
June 9 – Tsar Feodor III of Russia, who ruled Russia.
July 20 – Pierre Le Moyne, a French explorer. He helped start the Louisiana colony.
September 2 – Georg Boehm, a German organ player.
October 11 – Melchior de Polignac, a French diplomat.
November 1 – Florent Carton Dancourt, a French writer and actor.
November 4 – Karl Philip, Elector Palatine, a German prince.
November 6 – King Charles II of Spain, who ruled Spain.
November 15 – Christoph Graffenried, a Swiss person who settled in America.
November 28 – Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, who was a governor in New York and New Jersey.
December 5 – Robert Harley, an important English statesman.
December 18 – Christopher Polhem, a Swedish scientist and inventor.

The Shunzhi Emperor died in 1661.

January 19 – Thomas Venner, a leader of the Fifth Monarchists.
February 2 – Lucas Holstenius, a German scholar.
February 5 – Shunzhi Emperor of China.
March 1 – Richard Zouch, an English law expert.
March 9 – Cardinal Mazarin, a powerful French cardinal and statesman.
April 4 – Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, a Scottish soldier.
April 7 – William Brereton, an English soldier and politician.
May 27 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, a Scottish leader.
August 7 – Jin Shengtan, a Chinese writer and critic.
August 16 – Thomas Fuller, an English churchman and historian.
August 29 – Louis Couperin, a French composer and organ player.
September 11 – Jan Fyt, a Flemish painter.
October 4 – Jacqueline Pascal, a French child genius and sister of Blaise Pascal.
October 28 – Agustin Moreto y Cavana, a Spanish playwright.
November 19 – Brian Walton, an English clergyman and scholar.
December 29 – Antoine Gerard de Saint-Amant, a French poet.