On This Day

Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia

This is a timeline of events related to the establishment of Jamestown, which today is located the U.S. state of Virginia.

This is a timeline of events related to the establishment of Jamestown, which today is located the U.S. state of Virginia. Dates below use the Old Style calendar (e.g., the settlement naming occurred 4 May 1607 [O.S. 14 May 1607]).

Historical Significance

This is a timeline of events related to the establishment of Jamestown, which today is located the U.

Events Before

  1. Claudio Monteverdi's opera "L'Orfeo" premieres in Mantua, the oldest opera still regularly performed

    The Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) wrote several works for the stage between 1604 and 1643, including ten in the then-emerging opera genre.

  2. The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain

    The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain

  3. San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; the oldest church in the Philippines

    The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture, also known as the Church of Saint Augustine and Immaculate Conception Parish, is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of the...

  4. Massive flooding in England destroys around 200 square miles of coastline and results in approximately 2,000 casualties

    Massive flooding in England destroys around 200 square miles of coastline and results in approximately 2,000 casualties

  5. The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland

    The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland

Events After

  1. William Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by publisher Thomas Thorpe

    William Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by publisher Thomas Thorpe

  2. Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs at Ticonderoga, New York, setting the stage for French-Iroquois

    Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs at Ticonderoga, New York, setting the stage for French-Iroquois conflicts for the next 150 years

  3. Galileo Galilei presents his telescope to the Venetian Senate in Venice

    Galileo Galilei presents his telescope to the Venetian Senate in Venice

  4. Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, including the Doge (ruler) of Venice, Leonardo D

    Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, including the Doge (ruler) of Venice, Leonardo Donato

  5. English explorer Henry Hudson is the first European to sail into Delaware Bay, naming it South Bay

    Henry Hudson (1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the...

More from the 1600s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 7, 1608?
This is a timeline of events related to the establishment of Jamestown, which today is located the U.S. state of Virginia. Dates below use the Old Style calendar (e.g., the settlement naming occurred 4 May 1607 [O.S.
Why is Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia significant?
This is a timeline of events related to the establishment of Jamestown, which today is located the U.

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