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Queen Elizabeth I dies, and James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England, uniting the crowns of England and Scotland.
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The Gunpowder Plot, a Roman Catholic conspiracy to blow up Parliament and the King, is foiled on November 5th.
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James I and his son, Charles II, uphold the divine right of kings, leading to conflicts with Parliament over constitutional limitations on royal power.
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The English Civil War erupts between Royalists (Cavaliers) and Parliamentarians (Roundheads). The conflict ends with the execution of King Charles I, and the establishment of the Commonwealth, a republic ruled by Oliver Cromwell.
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Cromwell dissolves Parliament, becoming Lord Protector and assuming almost dictatorial powers.
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The Monarchy is restored, and Charles II becomes king after years of exile in France.
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The Royal Society is founded to promote experimental science.
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Bubonic plague strikes England.
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The Great Fire of London devastates the city.
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The Glorious Revolution sees James II deposed in favor of his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William D'Orange. The Bill of Rights is signed, establishing a constitutional monarchy.
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The Act of Settlement is passed to ensure a Protestant succession to the English throne and exclude Roman Catholics.
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Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, dies without heirs, leading to the Hanoverian succession with the ascension of George I.