| Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
| Centuries: | 16th century – 17th century – 18th century |
| Decades: | 1620s 1630s 1640s – 1650s – 1660s 1670s 1680s |
| Years: | 1650 1651 1652 1653 1654 1655 1656 1657 1658 1659 |
| Categories: | Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments |
The 1650s decade ran from January 1, 1650, to December 31, 1659.
Significant events and trends
- Cape Town was founded by the Dutch East India Company in South Africa.
- The Anglo-Dutch Wars began.
- Oliver Cromwell took over England during an interregnum.
- 1655: Troops of Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy massacred the Waldensians, prompting John Milton to compose the sonnet "On the Late Massacre in Piedmont".
- 1658: After his father Shah Jahan completed the Taj Mahal, his son Aurangzeb deposed him as ruler of the Mughal Empire and began a rule marked by strict reliance on Islam.
- The Quakers originated.
- The Northern Wars cemented Sweden's rise as a Great Power.
World leaders
- King Louis XIV of France (1643–1715).
- King Frederick III of Denmark (1648–1670).
- Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland (1653–1658).
- Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland (1658–1659).
- Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1637–1657).
- Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1658–1705).
- King John II of Poland (1649–1668).
- King John IV of Portugal (1640–1656).
- King Afonso VI of Portugal (1656–1667).
- Tsar Aleksey I of Russia (1645–1676).
- King Philip IV of Spain (1621–1665).
- Queen Christina of Sweden (1632–1654).
- King Charles X of Sweden (1654–1660).
- Mughal Empire
- Padshah Shah Jahan(1628–1658)
- Murad Baksh(1658)
- Padshah Aurangazeb(1659–1707)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
