Events in year of 1654
- 01-07Fire after heavy storm destroys 2 / 3 of De Rijp Neth, 1 dies
- 01-26Portuguese troops conquer last Dutch base on Recife
- 04-12England, Ireland and Scotland united
- 04-15England and Netherlands signs peace treaty
- 04-21England and Sweden sign trade agreement
- 04-26Jews are expelled from Brazil
- 05-03Bridge at Rowley Mass begins charging tolls for animals
- 05-13Venetian fleet under Admiral Adeler beats Turkish
- 06-06Queen Christina of Sweden resigns and converts to Catholicism
- 06-07Louis XIV crowned King of France
- 07-081st Jewish colonist arrive in US (Jacob Barsimson in Manhattan)
- 07-20Anglo-Portuguese treaty, Portugal comes under English control
- 08-05French troops occupy Stenay
- 08-221st Jewish immigrant to US, Jacob Barsimson arrives in New Amsterdam
- 09-16Russian troops occupy Smolensk on Poland
- 09-25England and Denmark sign trade agreement
- 10-12Kruittoren van Delft, explodes, 50-100 killed
- 10-15Prince Willem III appointed Viceroy of Overijssel
- 11-21Richard Johnson, a free black, granted 550 acres in Virginia
People born in year of 1654
- 01-20Michiel de Swaen: Netherlands -- Physician / poet
- 03-11Heinrich Georg Neuss: Composer
- 05-11Cornelis van Alkemade: Dutch historian
- 07-05Antonio Maria Pacchioni: Composer
- 07-25Agostino Steffani: Composer
- 07-31Jacob Hop: Dutch politician / diplomat
- 08-10Bernard Nieuwentyt: Dutch Physician / theologist
- 09-29Vincenz Lubeck: Composer
- 10-23Johann Bernhard Staudt: Composer
- 11-05Christian Liebe: Composer
- 12-27Jean / Jacobus Bernouilli: Switzerland -- Mathematician
People died in year of 1654
- 01-17Paul Potter: Dutch painter, buried
- 02-17Michael Lohr: Composer, dies at 62
- 03-21Johann Neukrantz: Composer, dies at 51
- 03-24Samuel Scheidt: German Composer (Concertus sacri), dies at 66
- 05-03Francois van Kinschot: Treasurer-General / chancellor of Brabant, dies at 77
- 06-07Giambattista Andreini: Italian playwright / actor, dies at 76
- 06-10Alessandro Algardi: Italian Sculptor / architect, dies at 58
- 06-27Johann V Andreae: German vicar / writer (Christenburg), dies at 67
- 08-12Cornelis Haga: Ambassador to Constantinople (1611-39), dies at 76
- 08-19Yom Tov Lipmann Heller: Rabbi / Author (Tosefot Yom Tov)
- 08-28Axel Gustafson Oxenstierna: Swedish Earl / chancellor / regent, dies at 71
- 09-08Peter Claver: Spanish Saint (baptized 300, 000 slaves)
- 09-15Cornelis Bicker: Merchant / Mayor of Amsterdam, dies at 61
- 10-12Dirck Graswinckel: Dutch copurt clerk of States-General, dies at 66
- 10-12Rembrandt Carel Fabritius: Painter, dies in an accident
- 10-31Francisco Correa de Arauxo: Composer
Events in year of 1655
- 02-16Dutch Grand Pensionary advisor Johan de Witt marries Wendela Bicker
- 04-04Battle at Postage Farina, Tunis: English fleet beats Barbarian pirates
- 04-07Fabio Chigi replaces Pope Innocent X as Alexander VII
- 04-28English Admiral Blake beats Tunen pirate fleet
- 05-10Jamaica captured by English
- 06-13Adriana Nooseman-van de Bergh is 1st actress in Amsterdam theater
- 07-27Jews of New Amsterdam petition for a Jewish cemetery
- 07-27Netherlands and Brandenburg sign military treaty
- 07-29Biggest townhall in the world opens in Amsterdam
- 07-30Dutch troops occupy Fort Assahudi Seram
- 08-09Lord Protector Cromwell divides England into 11 districts
- 08-28New Amsterdam and Peter Stuyvesant bars Jews from military service
- 09-26Peter Stuyvesant recaptures Dutch Ft Casimir from Swedish in Delaware
- 10-15Jews of Lublin are massacred
- 11-03England and France sign miltary and economic treaties
- 11-24English Lord Protector Cromwell bans Anglicans
- 12-04Middelburg Neth forbids building of synagogue
People born in year of 1655
- 01-14Angelo Predieri: Composer
- 01-22Geleyn Evertsen: Lieutenant Admiral (Zealand)
- 02-03Francois Fagel: Dutch Field Marshal, baptized
- 02-07Jean-Francois Regnard: French comedy writer (Slave in Algeria)
- 04-08Louis Willem I: Margrave (Baden-Baden)
- 05-04Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori: Italy -- Piano builder
- 05-13Innocent XIII [Michelangiolo dei Conti]: Italy -- 244th Pope (1721-24)
- 06-26Jean Deutz: Merchant / Amsterdam regent
- 08-13Johann Christoph Denner: Inventor (clarinet)
- 09-12Sebastien de Brossard: Composer
- 09-19Jan Luyts: Netherlands -- Scholar / physicist / mathematician / astronomer
- 11-24Charles XI: King of Sweden (1660-97)
People died in year of 1655
- 01-07Innocentius X [Giambattista Pamfili]: Pope (1644-55), dies at 80
- 03-29Valerius Andreas: Flemish historian, dies at 66
- 04-14Johann Erasmus Kindermann: Composer, dies at 39
- 06-30Jacob Boonen: South Netherlands clergyman / lawyer, dies at 81
- 07-28Cyrano de Bergerac: French dramatist / Novelist, dies at 36 in Paris, France
- 07-28Savinien Cyrano seigneur de Bergerac: French author, dies at 36
- 07-28Suzuki Shosan: Samurai / Monk / propagator of Zen Buddhism, dies at 76
- 07-30Sigmund Theophil Staden: Composer, dies at 47
- 08-02Alfonso de la Cueva: Spanish Marquis of Bedmar / diplomat, dies at 83
- 08-10Louis de Vadder: Flemish painter, dies at 50
- 09-03Jan W van Brederode: Dutch Governor / field marshal, dies at 56
- 10-24Pierre Gassendi: French philosopher, dies at 63
Events in year of 1656
- 01-08Oldest surviving commercial newspaper begins (Haarlem, Netherlands)
- 01-241st Jewish doctor in US, Jacob Lumbrozo, arrives in Maryland
- 02-22New Amsterdam granted a Jewish burial site
- 03-13Jews are denied the right to build a synagogue in New Amsterdam
- 04-10Dutch fleet occupiers Colombo Ceylon
- 06-20Polish King Jan II Casimir recaptures Warsaw
- 07-011st Quakers (Mary Fisher / Ann Austin) arrives in Boston (arrested)
- 07-26Rembrandt declares he is insolvent
- 09-15England and France sign peace treaty
- 09-19Treaty of Labiau: Sweden gives Prussia, Brandenburg
- 09-22All female jury hears case of woman who killed her child (acquit her)
- 10-02US colony Connecticut passes law against Quakers
- 10-24Treaty of Vilnius: Russia and Poland sign anti-Swedish covenant
- 12-01Germany promises Poland aid against Sweden
- 12-14Artificial pearls 1st manufactured by M Jacquin in Paris made of gypsum pellets covered with fish scales
People born in year of 1656
- 03-10Adolf H van Rechteren: Dutch diplomat / politician
- 05-31Marin Marias: Composer
- 11-03Georg Reuter: Composer
- 11-04Leonard Sailer: Composer
- 11-07Walraad the Younger: Earl of Nassau-Ottweiler / gov of Nimegen
- 11-09Paul Aler: French Jesuit / poet (Gradus ad Parnassum)
People died in year of 1656
- 02-20James Ussher: Irish bible Scholar / anglican Archbishop, dies at 76
- 02-27Johan van Heemskerk: Dutch lawyer / writer / interpreter
- 03-21Armagh James Ussher: Archbishop (said world began 4004 BC), dies at 76
- 04-27Gerard van Honthorst: Painter, dies at 65
- 04-27Jan J van Goyen: Dutch landscape painter, dies at 60
- 06-09Thomas Tomkins: Composer
- 07-07Michelangelo Rossi: Italian opera composer, buried at about 55
- 07-08Alexander van der Capellen: Mister of Aartsbergen, dies at about 64
- 10-02Stephan Otto: Composer, dies at 53
- 10-03Myles Standish: Plymouth Colony leader
- 10-08Johan Georg I: Ruler of Saxon (1611-56, Peace of Prague), dies at 71