1660 in England
Events from the year 1660 which occurred in the Kingdom of England. This is the year of Restoration.
Incumbents
Events
- 1 January
- 3 February - George Monck and his regiment arrive in London.[3]
- February - John Rhodes reopens the old Cockpit Theatre in London, forms a company of young actors and begins to stage plays. His production of Pericles will be the first Shakespearean performance of the Restoration era; Thomas Betterton makes his stage debut in the title rôle.
- 27 February - John Thurloe reinstated as England's Secretary of State for a short time.
- 16 March - The Long Parliament disbands.
- 4 April - Declaration of Breda promises amnesty, freedom of conscience, and army back pay, in return for the Restoration of the Crown.[3]
- 25 April - Convention Parliament meets to discuss the Restoration.[3]
- 1 May - The Parliament of England declares Prince Charles Stuart as King Charles II of England.[3]
- 15 May - John Thurloe arrested for high treason.
- 25 May - Charles II lands at Dover.[4]
- 29 May - Charles II arrives in London and assumes the throne, marking the beginning of the English Restoration.[3] Oak Apple Day is set aside as a public holiday.
- 25 June - General Post Office established by Charles II.[5]
- 29 June - John Thurloe released.
- 2 August - Charles II issues a grant for two theatre companies: a King's Company under his own patronage, led by Thomas Killigrew, and a Duke's Company under the patronage of his brother, the Duke of York, led by Sir William Davenant.
- 27 August - The books of John Milton are burnt because of his attacks on King Charles II.[2]
- September - William Juxon appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury.[6]
- 25 September - One of the earliest references to tea in England appears in Samuel Pepys's diary.[2]
- 13 October - Ten regicides who signed the death warrant of Charles I are hanged, drawn and quartered.[3]
- 25 October - King Charles proposes that some Presbyterian ministers become bishops to heal rifts in the Church; the plan is later abandoned.[3]
- 11 November - Imprisonment of John Bunyan in Bedford Gaol for preaching without a licence.[2]
- 28 November - At Gresham College, twelve men, including Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, John Wilkins, and Robert Moray, meet after a lecture by Wren and decide to found "a College for the Promoting of Physico-Mathematicall Experimentall Learning" (later known as the Royal Society).[2]
- 8 December - First actress to appear on the professional stage, as Desdemona in Othello; variously considered to be Margaret Hughes, Anne Marshall or Katherine Corey.[7][8][9]
Publications
Births
Deaths
- 25 April - Henry Hammond, churchman (born 1605)
- 1 June - Mary Dyer, Quaker (hanged) (born c. 1611)
- 30 June - William Oughtred, mathematician (born 1575)
- 18 September - Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester (born 1639)
- 14 October - Thomas Harrison, soldier (born 1606)
- 17 October - Adrian Scrope, regicide (born 1601)
- 5 November - Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle, socialite (born 1599)
- 24 December - Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (born 1631)
- Philip Skippon, soldier (year of birth unknown)
References
See also