January 30, 1649★★★★★
Execution of Charles I
Convicted of high treason, King Charles I is beheaded at Whitehall, London, and England becomes a republic.
PoliticsDeathRevolution· United Kingdom
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Events this year
Ongoing
1351 – 1767★★★★★
Founding of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
King Ramathibodi I founds the capital of Ayutthaya, beginning a Siamese kingdom that lasts over four centuries.
DynastyPolitics· Thailand
c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★
The transatlantic slave trade
From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.
Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
1501 – 1736★★★★★
Ismail I founds the Safavid dynasty
Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.
DynastyReligion· Iran, Azerbaijan
1627 – 1672★★★★★
Trịnh–Nguyễn War
A protracted war between the Trịnh lords in the north and the Nguyễn lords in the south ends with the country divided at the Gianh River.
War· Vietnam
1632 – c. 1653★★★★★
Construction of the Taj Mahal
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan builds the Taj Mahal at Agra in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal; it becomes the emblem of Mughal architecture.
ArtCulture· India
1639 – 1853★★★★★
Japan's sakoku isolation policy
The shogunate expels the Portuguese and severely restricts foreign contact, allowing only Dutch and Chinese trade at Nagasaki.
PoliticsEconomy· Japan
1642 – 1651★★★★★
English Civil War
A series of conflicts between the Royalists of Charles I and the Parliamentarians, ending in victory for Parliament under Oliver Cromwell.
WarRevolution· United Kingdom, Ireland