1655
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Events
January–March
- January 5 – Emperor Go-Sai ascends to the throne of Japan.
- January 7 – Pope Innocent X, leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Papal States, dies after more than 10 years of rule.
- February 14 – The Mapuches launch coordinated attacks against the Spanish in Chile, beginning the Mapuche uprising of 1655.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- February 16 – Dutch Grand Pensionary advisor Johan de Witt marries Wendela Bicker.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- March 8 – John Casor becomes the first legally recognized slave in what will become the United States, as a court in Northampton County in the Colony of Virginia issues its decision in the Casor lawsuit, the first instance of a judicial determination in the Thirteen Colonies holding that a person who has committed no crime could be held in servitude for life.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- March 25 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
April–June
- April 4 – Battle of Porto Farina, Tunis: English admiral Robert Blake's fleet defeats the Barbary pirates.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 7 – Pope Alexander VII (born Fabio Chigi) succeeds Pope Innocent X, as the 237th pope.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- April 24 – The Piedmontese Easter Massacre of the Waldensians: Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy slaughters 1,500 men, women and children; this is memorialized in John Milton's sonnet "On the Late Massacre in Piedmont" and apologized for by Pope Francis in 2015.
- April 26 – The Dutch West India Company denies Peter Stuyvesant's request to exclude Jews from New Amsterdam (Manhattan).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 28 – Admiral Blake severely damages the arsenal of the Bey of Tunis.
- May 10–27 – Anglo-Spanish War: Invasion of Jamaica – Forces of the English Protectorate led by William Penn and Robert Venables capture the island of Jamaica from Spain.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- June 13 – Adriana Nooseman-van de Bergh becomes the first actress, in Amsterdam theater.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
July–September
- July 20 – The Amsterdam Town Hall (the modern-day Royal Palace) is inaugurated.
- July 27
- The Jews in New Amsterdam petition for a separate Jewish cemetery.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- The Netherlands and Brandenburg sign a military treaty.
- July 30 – Dutch troops capture Fort Assahudi Seram.
- July 31 – Russo-Polish War (1654–67): The Russian army enters the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius, which it holds for 6 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- August 9 – Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell divides England into 11 districts, under major-generals.
- August 28 – New Amsterdam and Peter Stuyvesant bar colonial Jews from military service.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- August – The governor of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant, attacks the New Sweden (Delaware) colony.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- September 8 – Swedish King Karl X Gustav occupies Warsaw (Poland).
- September 26 – Peter Stuyvesant recaptures the Dutch Fory Casimir, and defeats the New Sweden (Delaware) colony.
October –December
- October 15 – The Jews of Lublin are massacred.
- October 19 – Swedish King Karl X Gustav occupies Kraków (Poland).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 3 – England and France sign military and economic treaties.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- November 24 – English Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell announces measures against the Laudian party, which are enforced starting on January 1.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- December 4 – Middelburg, the Netherlands forbids the building of a synagogue.
- December 18 – The Whitehall Conference ends with the determination that there is no law preventing Jews from re-entering England after the Edict of Expulsion of 1290.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- December 27 – Second Northern War/the Deluge: Monks at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa are successful in fending off a month-long siege.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Date unknown
- Stephan Farffler, a 22-year-old paraplegic watchmaker, builds the world's first self-propelling chair on a three-wheel chassis using a system of cranks and cogwheels.<ref name="Bellis">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Koerth-Baker">Template:Cite web</ref> However, the device has the appearance of a hand bike more than a wheelchair since the design includes hand cranks mounted at the front wheel.<ref name="History of Wheelchairs">Template:Cite web</ref>
- The Bibliotheca Thysiana is erected,<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> the only surviving 17th century example in the Netherlands, of a building designed as a library.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>
- 1655 Malta plague outbreak kills 20 people.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Frederick III of Denmark-Norway gives control of the Faroe Islands to Christoffer Gabel and his son, which will last until 1709.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Births
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- January 1 – Christian Thomasius, German jurist (d. 1728)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- January 5 – John Coney (silversmith), early American silversmith/goldsmith (d. 1722)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 6
- Niccolò Comneno Papadopoli, Italian jurist of religious law and historian (d. 1740)
- Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1720)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 11
- Charles Sergison, English politician (d. 1732)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk, England (d. 1701)
- January 13 – Bernard de Montfaucon, French Benedictine monk (d. 1741)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- January 19 – Nalan Xingde, Chinese poet (d. 1685)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- January 21 – Antonio Molinari, Italian painter (d. 1704)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 25 – Cornelius Anckarstjerna, Dutch-born Swedish admiral (d. 1714)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- January 27 – Henri de Nesmond, French churchman (d. 1727)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- February 2 – William "Tangier" Smith, Moroccan mayor (d. 1705)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- February 7 – Jean-François Regnard, French comic poet (d. 1709)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- February 14 – Jacques-Nicolas Colbert, French churchman (d. 1707)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- February 15 – August, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig, German prince (d. 1715)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- February 16 – Charles, Electoral Prince of Brandenburg, German prince (d. 1674)
- February 25 – Carel de Moor, Dutch painter (d. 1738)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Efn
- February 28 – Johann Beer, Austrian composer (d. 1700)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- March 4 – Fra Galgario, Italian painter (d. 1743)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- March 6 – Frederik Krag, Danish nobleman and senior civil servant (d. 1728)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- March 23
- Richard Hill of Hawkstone, English statesman (d. 1727)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Sir Richard Myddelton, 3rd Baronet, English politician (d. 1716)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 8 – Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, Germany (d. 1707)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- April 19 – George St Lo, Royal Navy officer and administrator (d. 1718)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- April 25 – John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale, English politician (d. 1700)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 26
- Rinaldo d'Este (1655–1737), Duke of Modena (d. 1737)
- Ofspring Blackall, Bishop of Exeter (d. 1716)
- May 4 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian maker of musical instruments, invented the piano (d. 1731)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- May 13 – Pope Innocent XIII (d. 1724)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- May 31 – Jacques Eléonor Rouxel de Grancey, Marshal of France (d. 1725)
- June 4 – Thomas of Cori, Italian Friar Minor and preacher (d. 1729)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- June 11 – Antonio Cifrondi, Italian painter (d. 1730)
- June 12 – Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (d. 1715)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- July 7 – Christoph Dientzenhofer, German architect (d. 1722)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- July 20 – Ford Grey, 1st Earl of Tankerville, England (d. 1701)<ref>Template:Cite ODNB</ref>
- August 2 – Sir John Hotham, 3rd Baronet, English politician (d. 1691)
- August 13 – Johann Christoph Denner, German musical instrument maker, invented the clarinet (d. 1707)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- August 16 – Frederick Christian, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe (d. 1728)
- August 18 – James Collett, English-born merchant who settled in Norway (d. 1727)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- August 22 – Joseph Robineau de Villebon, governor of Acadia (d. 1700)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- September 2 – Andries Pels, Dutch banker (d. 1731)
- September 9 – James Johnston (Secretary of State), diplomat, Secretary of State for Scotland (d. 1737)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- September 12 – Sébastien de Brossard, French composer and music theorist (d. 1730)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- September 14 – Éléonor Marie du Maine du Bourg, French nobleman and general (d. 1739)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- September 21 – Roger Cave, English politician (d. 1703)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- September 29 – Johann Ferdinand of Auersperg, Duke of Münsterberg (d. 1705)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- September 30 – Charles III, Prince of Guéméné, French nobleman (d. 1727)
- October 4 – Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Archbishop of Mainz (d. 1729)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- October 12 – Richard Neville (the younger), English politician (d. 1717)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 25 – Fabio Brulart de Sillery, French churchman (d. 1714)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 1 – Ferdinand Kettler, Duke of Courland and Semigallia (d. 1737)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 6 – Daniel Lascelles (1655–1734), English Member of Parliament (d. 1734)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 12
- Eustache Restout, French painter (d. 1743)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Francis Nicholson, British Army general, colonial administrator (d. 1727)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 16 – Alessandro Gherardini, Italian painter (d. 1726)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- November 18 – Walter Norborne, English politician (d. 1684)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 19 – Sir William Robinson, 1st Baronet, British politician (d. 1736)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 20 – Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet, English politician (d. 1700)<ref>Template:Cite ODNB</ref>
- November 24 – King Charles XI of Sweden (d. 1697)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 9 – Isaac van Hoornbeek, Grand Pensionary of Holland (d. 1727)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 10 – Sir William Forester, British politician (d. 1718)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- December 13 – John Evelyn the Younger, English translator (d. 1699)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- December 14 – Philip, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal, son of William VI (d. 1721)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 27 – Abstrupus Danby, English politician (d. 1727)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 28 – Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis, First Lord of the British Admiralty (d. 1698)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- December 29 – Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham, English politician (d. 1724)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- date unknown – Zumbi, runaway slave in Brazil (d. 1695)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Deaths
- January 6 – Louis Philip, Count Palatine of Simmern-Kaiserslautern, Prince of Paltinate (b. 1602)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- January 7 – Pope Innocent X (b. 1574)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- February 15 – Pier Luigi Carafa, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1581)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- February 21 – John X of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, Prince-Bishop of Lübeck (1634–1655) (b. 1606)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- February 25 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish scholar (b. 1580)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- February 27 – Francesco Molin, Doge of Venice (b. 1575)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- March 28 – Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, German princess and queen consort of Sweden (b. 1599)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- March 30 – James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond (b. 1612)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 6 – David Blondel, French Protestant clergyman (b. 1591)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 14 – Johann Erasmus Kindermann, German composer and organist (b. 1616)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- April 29 – Cornelis Schut, Flemish painter, draughtsman and engraver (b. 1597)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- April 30 – Eustache Le Sueur, French painter (b. 1617)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- May 5 – Richard Harrison, English politician (b. 1583)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- May 8 – Edward Winslow, American Pilgrim leader (b. 1596)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- May 30 – Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (b. 1581)
- June 26 – Margaret of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal (b. 1589)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- June 27 – Eleonora Gonzaga, Holy Roman Empress, married to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1598)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- June 30 – Jacobus Boonen, Dutch Catholic archbishop (b. 1573)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- July 15 – Girolamo Rainaldi, Italian architect (b. 1570)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- July 28
- Cyrano de Bergerac, French soldier and writer (b. 1619)<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>
- Suzuki Shōsan, Japanese samurai (b. 1579)
- July 30 – Sigmund Theophil Staden, important early German composer (b. 1607)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- August 10 – Alfonso de la Cueva, 1st Marquis of Bedmar, Spanish cardinal and diplomat (b. 1572)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- September 7 – François Tristan l'Hermite, French dramatist (b. 1601)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- September 24 – Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse-Eschwege (b. 1617)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 13 – Tobie Matthew, English Member of Parliament (b. 1577)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- October 14 – Arnold Möller, German calligrapher (b. 1581)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 16 – Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Italian physician, mathematician and music theorist (b. 1591)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 18 – Joachim Lütkemann, German theologian (b. 1608)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- October 24 – Pierre Gassendi, French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist (b. 1592)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- November 3 – Paulus Aertsz van Ravesteyn, Dutch printer (born c. 1586)<ref>Genealogy</ref>
- November 6 – Maximilian, Prince of Dietrichstein, German prince (b. 1596)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- November 16 – Giuseppe Marcinò, Italian priest, member of the Order of Friars Minor (b. 1589)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 23 – Elizabeth Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton (b. 1572)
- November 28 – John Oglander, English politicians (b. 1585)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 17 – Ukita Hideie, Japanese daimyō (b. 1573)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 20 – Gregers Krabbe, Danish noble (b. 1594)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- December 22 – Tsugaru Nobuyoshi, Japanese daimyō (b. 1619)
- December 31 – Sir John Wray, 2nd Baronet, English politician (b. 1586)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- date unknown – Kocc Barma Fall, Senegambian philosopher (b. 1586)<ref>Diagne, Léon Sobel, « Le problème de la philosophie africaine » (2004), p. 10 (archived by French Wikipedia) [1]</ref><ref>Kocc Barma Fall disait... [in] Au Senegal (26 Sep 2013) [2]</ref>