1688

Years: 1685 1686 1687 - 1688 - 1689 1690 1691
Decades: 1650s 1660s 1670s - 1680s - 1690s 1700s 1710s
Centuries: 16th century - 17th century - 18th century 1688 in literature 1688 in science 1688 state leaders

Events

A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the "Immortal Seven", invite William and Mary to depose James II of England.
November 5 - Glorious Revolution begins: William of Orange lands at Brixham but James II of England was prevented from meeting him in battle because many of his officers and men were deserting to the other side.
November - Hearing that William has landed in England, Louis XIV declares war on Holland. Perhaps revealingly, he does not attack Holland but instead strikes at the heart of the Holy Roman Empire with about 100,000 soldiers.
December 11 - After a series of defeats King James II of England flees England for Ireland.
Austria occupies Belgrade.
Friedrich I of Prussia becomes Kurfürst (Elector) of Brandenburg.
Francesco Morosini becomes Doge of Venice.
James, Callinicus II, and Neophytus IV are Patriarchs of Constantinople.
Gerasimus I succeeds Parthenius I as Patriarch of Alexandria.
Jan Stanislaw Zbaski succeeds Mikolaj Stefan Radziejowski as bishop of Warmia.
Peter Delanoy succeeds Stephanus Van Cortlandt as mayor of New York City.
Asmus Bremer becomes mayor of Kiel.
Toleration Act is passed in England.
Bungay in England is nearly destroyed by fire.
Neuruppin becomes a Prussian garrison town.
Etienne Baluze publishes Marca hispanica.
David Abercromby publishes Ars explorandi medicas facultates plantarum ex solo sapore.
Antonio Verrio begins work on the Heaven Room at Burghley House.
William Dampier makes first recorded visit to Christmas Island.
Janez Vajkard Valvasor becomes a member of the Royal Society.

Births

January 18 - Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (+ 1765)
January 29 - Emanuel Swedenborg Swedish scientist, philosopher and theologian.
February 2 - Queen Ulrike Eleonora of Sweden
February 4 - Pierre de Marivaux, playwright (+ 1763)
April 4 - Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, astronomer (died 1768)
April 15 - Johann Friedrich Fasch, composer (+ 1758)
May 21 - Alexander Pope, poet (+ 1744)
June 10 - Prince James Francis Edward Stuart, later claimant to the thrones of Scotland and England, and figurehead for Jacobitism
August 15 - King Frederick William I of Prussia
William Burnet, British colonial administrator (+ 1728)
Charles Rivington, English publisher (+ 1742)
Nadir Shah (+ 1747)

Deaths

April 29 - Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg
June 26 - Ralph Cudworth, English philosopher
July 21 - James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, Irish statesman, soldier
August 31 - John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress
November 26 - Philippe Quinault, French dramatist
Henry Morgan, privateer and governor
Narai of Thailand