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The first permanent English settlement is founded in Jamestown, Virginia
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. William Kelso writes that Jamestown "is where the British Empire began ... this was the first colony in the British Empire." Jamestown was established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 4, 1607. -
Shakespeare dies
William Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, his 52nd birthday. In truth, the exact date of Shakespeare's death is not known, but assumed from a record of his burial two days later, 25 April 1616, at Holy Trinity Church. Stratford Upon Avon, where his grave remains. -
John Smith publishes "The General History of Virginia"
Published in 1624, many critics have doubted the validity of Smith’s narrative, and many have called him an embellisher. The narrative describes important moments for the settlers, such as Smith’s encounters with the Native Americans, including Pocahontas. -
"Bay Psalm Book" is the first book to be printed in America
The First Book Printed in America. Named for its origin in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the so-called Bay Psalm Book is the first book printed in what is now the United States -
Dutch found Cape Town on the southern tip of South Africa
The area now known as Cape Town has no written history before it was first mentioned by Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias in 1488. All knowledge of the previous inhabitants of the region was derived from fossil evidence and from rock art in the area. -
William Penn founds colony of Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Colony was founded in English North America by William Penn on March 4, 1681, as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II. -
Cotton Mather publishes "The Wonders of the Invisible World" in defense of the Salem witch trials
Wonders of the Invisible World was a book published in 1693 by Cotton Mather, defending Mather's role in the witchhunt conducted in Salem, Massachusetts, and espousing the belief that witchcraft was an evil magical power. -
The "Boston Newsletter" the first American newspaper, is established
First published on April 24, 1704, The Boston News-Letter is regarded as the first continuously published newspaper in British North America. It was heavily subsidized by the British government, with a limited circulation. All copies were approved by the governor. -
The colonial population reaches about a half million; Boston's population is about 12,000
The total population of American colonists reaches 475,000. Boston (pop. 12,000) is the largest city, followed by Philadelphia (pop. 10,000) and New York (pop. 7,000). -
Calcutta's population reaches 120,000
In 1706 the population of Calcutta was roughly between 10,000 and 12,000. It increased to nearly 120,000 by 1752 and to 180,000 by 1821. The White (British) Town was built on ground that had been raised and drained. There were so many palaces in the British sector of the city that it was named the “city of palaces.” -
U.S. Constitution is approved
It took 10 months for the first nine states to approve the Constitution. The first state to ratify was Delaware, on December 7, 1787, by a unanimous vote, 30 - 0. -
The classic Chinese novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" is published
"Dream of the Red Chamber", also called "The Story of the Stone", composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was written sometime in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. Long considered a masterpiece of Chinese literature, the novel is generally acknowledged to be the pinnacle of Chinese fiction.
