On This Day

Year in History

Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 1608. This year saw 12 significant events.

17th Century1600s

1608 Timeline

  1. English traveller Robert Shirley marries Iranian noblewoman Teresa Sampsonia at the Safavid royal court

    Teresa Sampsonia was a Circassian-English noblewoman of Safavid Iran. She was the wife of the Elizabethan English adventurer Robert Shirley, whom she accompanied on his travels and embassies across...

  2. Reynier van Oldenbarnevelt marries Anna Weytzen in Delft

    Reynier van Oldenbarnevelt marries Anna Weytzen in Delft

  3. 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.

  4. Susenyos is formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia

    Susenyos I (Ge'ez: ሱስንዮስ Sūsinyōs; c. 1571–1575 – 17 September 1632), also known as Susenyos the Catholic, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1607 to 1632, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty.

  5. Dutch trading ship arrives at the kingdom of Loango (modern Congo) to acquire ivory, their king requests audience with V

    Dutch trading ship arrives at the kingdom of Loango (modern Congo) to acquire ivory, their king requests audience with VOC official Pieter van den Broecke [1]

  6. The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen

    The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen

  7. Matthias von Habsburg's army reaches Lieben, at Prague

    Matthias von Habsburg's army reaches Lieben, at Prague

  8. Claudio Monteverdi's now mostly lost opera "Arianna" premieres at a royal wedding in Mantua

    Claudio Monteverdi's now mostly lost opera "Arianna" premieres at a royal wedding in Mantua

  9. Valse Dimitri forms his 2nd Russian anti-government

    Valse Dimitri forms his 2nd Russian anti-government

  10. First English East India convoy to the Mughal court, headed by William Hawkins, lands in Surat, India

    First English East India convoy to the Mughal court, headed by William Hawkins, lands in Surat, India

  11. Captain Christopher Newport arrives in Virginia for the second time with supplies from England for colonists

    Christopher Newport (1561–1617) was an English seaman and privateer. During the war with Spain Newport was one of the most successful 'Elizabethan Sea Dogs' to venture to the Spanish Main, making...

  12. Hans Lippershey applies for patent for first known early telescope in the Netherlands

    The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an...

Events

English traveller Robert Shirley marries Iranian noblewoman Teresa Sampsonia at the Safavid royal court

Teresa Sampsonia was a Circassian-English noblewoman of Safavid Iran. She was the wife of the Elizabethan English adventurer Robert Shirley, whom she accompanied on his travels and embassies across...

Reynier van Oldenbarnevelt marries Anna Weytzen in Delft

Reynier van Oldenbarnevelt marries Anna Weytzen in Delft

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.

Susenyos is formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia

Susenyos I (Ge'ez: ሱስንዮስ Sūsinyōs; c. 1571–1575 – 17 September 1632), also known as Susenyos the Catholic, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1607 to 1632, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty.

Dutch trading ship arrives at the kingdom of Loango (modern Congo) to acquire ivory, their king requests audience with V

Dutch trading ship arrives at the kingdom of Loango (modern Congo) to acquire ivory, their king requests audience with VOC official Pieter van den Broecke [1]

The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen

The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen

Matthias von Habsburg's army reaches Lieben, at Prague

Matthias von Habsburg's army reaches Lieben, at Prague

Claudio Monteverdi's now mostly lost opera "Arianna" premieres at a royal wedding in Mantua

Claudio Monteverdi's now mostly lost opera "Arianna" premieres at a royal wedding in Mantua

Valse Dimitri forms his 2nd Russian anti-government

Valse Dimitri forms his 2nd Russian anti-government

First English East India convoy to the Mughal court, headed by William Hawkins, lands in Surat, India

First English East India convoy to the Mughal court, headed by William Hawkins, lands in Surat, India

Captain Christopher Newport arrives in Virginia for the second time with supplies from England for colonists

Christopher Newport (1561–1617) was an English seaman and privateer. During the war with Spain Newport was one of the most successful 'Elizabethan Sea Dogs' to venture to the Spanish Main, making...

Hans Lippershey applies for patent for first known early telescope in the Netherlands

The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an...

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in 1608?
In 1608, there were 12 significant historical events. Notable events include English traveller Robert Shirley marries Iranian noblewoman Teresa Sampsonia at the Safavid royal court, Reynier van Oldenbarnevelt marries Anna Weytzen in Delft, Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia.

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