1700 Facts for Kids

The year 1700 was a special time in history. It was the very last year of the 17th century. This year was also interesting because different parts of the world used different calendars!

Most of Europe used the Gregorian calendar, which is like the one we use today. In this calendar, 1700 was a regular year that started on a Friday. However, some places, like Russia, still used the Julian calendar. In the Julian calendar, 1700 was a leap year and started on a Monday.

Because of these different calendars, the dates didn't always match up. At the start of 1700, the Julian calendar was 10 days behind the Gregorian calendar. This means if it was January 1st in a Gregorian country, it would be December 22nd of the previous year in a Julian country!

Things got even more confusing in Sweden. They tried to create their own calendar by skipping the leap day in 1700. This made their calendar 10 days behind the Gregorian calendar but one day ahead of the Julian calendar. This special Swedish calendar was used until 1712.

Key Events of 1700
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Key Events of 1700

Many important things happened around the world in 1700. These events helped shape the future.

Changes in Russia

January 1 – Russia started using Western numbers for its calendar. Before this, Russia used a different system for counting years. This change helped Russia connect more with other European countries.

New King in Spain

November 16 – A big change happened in Spain. Philip, Duke of Anjou, who was the grandson of Louis XIV of France, was declared the new King of Spain. He became Philip V of Spain. This event was very important for European politics and led to a major war called the War of the Spanish Succession.

The Great Northern War

November 30 – A big battle took place in Narva, which is now in Estonia. This was the Battle of Narva, part of the Great Northern War. In this battle, the Swedish army, led by Charles XII of Sweden, defeated the Russian army. This war was a long conflict between Sweden and several other countries, including Russia, about who would control parts of Northern Europe.