What happened in 1638?

Europe

• Thirty Years' War

  1618–1648Central Europe

  The Thirty Years' War was a devastating military conflict fought primarily in Central Europe from 1618 to 1648, pitting France, Sweden, the Dutch Republic, and the Protestant princes of the Holy Roman Empire against the Habsburg-ruled Holy Roman Empire and Spain. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died, with parts of Germany losing over half their population. Related conflicts included the Eighty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War. The war resulted in greater autonomy for the imperial princes, the rise of Sweden, and the emergence of France as the dominant European power.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Daniel Manasser / Public domain ↗

• Scientific Revolution

  1543–1687London (Royal Society), England

  In the 16th and 17th centuries, a Scientific Revolution took place in Europe, with breakthroughs in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry, altering the human understanding of nature. It marked the emergence of modern science, breaking with Greek traditions, embracing a mechanistic worldview, integrating mathematics, and emphasizing new evidence.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Giuseppe Bertini / Public domain ↗

• Outbreak of the Protestant Reformation

  1517–1648Wittenberg (Lutherstadt Wittenberg), Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

  In 1517, the Protestant Reformation broke out in Western Christianity. Initiated by theologians like Martin Luther, the movement posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and Catholic authority, seeking to return to the roots of Christianity. It marked the beginning of Protestantism, the end of the Middle Ages, and the start of the early modern period.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: 95Thesen.jpg : User:Shizhao derivative work: 6birc ( talk ) / Public domain ↗

• Outbreak of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

  1638–1651Winchester

  In 1639, a series of interlinked armed conflicts broke out in England, Scotland, and Ireland, collectively known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The conflicts began with the Bishops' Wars in Scotland against Charles I's religious policies and later expanded into civil wars and a war of conquest across the three kingdoms. The wars led to the execution of Charles I, the abolition of the monarchy, and the creation of the Commonwealth of England.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599 - 1641) Details on Google Art Project / Public domain ↗

• Outbreak of the Franco-Spanish War

  1635–1659Flanders

  In May 1635, the Franco-Spanish War broke out, pitting the Kingdom of France against the Spanish Empire in a large-scale European conflict. Triggered by French intervention in the Thirty Years' War, major battlefields included the Low Countries, northern Italy, and the Rhineland. The first phase lasted until October 1648 and is considered a related conflict of the Thirty Years' War; the second phase continued until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: François Joseph Heim / Public domain ↗

• Construction of Schönbrunn Palace begins

  1638World Heritage

  Construction of Schönbrunn Palace began in the first half of the 17th century, later becoming the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. Located in Hietzing, Vienna's 13th district, its name derives from an artesian well. A Baroque royal edifice, it served as the imperial palace of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire, and Austro-Hungarian Empire, and is now one of Vienna's most visited tourist sites.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Thomas Wolf , www.foto-tw.de / CC BY-SA 3.0 de ↗

• Founding of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

  1638

  In 1638, architect Borromini began building San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane on Rome's Quirinal Hill for the Spanish Trinitarians. His first independent commission, the church is a Baroque masterpiece, situated on a constrained site with an undulating façade and intricate geometric ornament.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Architas / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

South Asia

• Founding of Wangdue Phodrang

  1638

  Wangdue Phodrang was founded in central Bhutan, becoming the capital of Wangdue Phodrang District. It is located in Thedtsho Gewog, near Khothang Rinchenling. The town currently has a population of nearly 9,000.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: The original uploader was Technopilgrim at English Wikipedia . / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

East Asia

• Outbreak of the Ming–Qing War

  1616–1683China

  In 1618, the Later Jin leader Nurhaci openly rebelled against the Ming by publishing the 'Seven Grievances', marking the outbreak of the Ming–Qing War.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Public domain ↗

Central & South America

• Consecration of St. Peter's Basilica in Lima

  1638World Heritage

  St. Peter's Basilica is located in the historic centre of Lima, Peru, on the site of the Jesuit College of St. Paul. It was the third church built by the Jesuits of the Peru Mission and was consecrated in 1638. It later became the National Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with pastoral services still provided by Jesuit fathers.

  SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: No machine-readable author provided. Manuel González Olaechea assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

Around 1638

These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.

• Russian conquest of Siberia

  c. 1580–1700Siberia

• Beginning of the Columbian Exchange

  c. 1492–1700Santo Domingo, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic)

• Beginning of the Renaissance

  c. 1301–1700Florence, Italy

• Construction of the Palace of Versailles begins

  c. 1601–1700

• Emergence of the Enlightenment

  c. 1601–1900Western Europe

• Construction of the Canal du Midi begins

  c. 1601–1700

• Founding of the Royal Palaces of Abomey

  c. 1601–1700

• Establishment of the Fort on James Island

  c. 1601–1700