Other Considerations

1605
Advancement of learning by Francis Bacon (b London, England, Jan 22, 1561) argues against magic and encourages the development of scientific methods

1607
Jamestown (Virginia) established

1609
Galileo builds his first telescope and, with modifications and improvements, eventually obtains a magnification of about 30

1616
Galileo receives a warning from Cardinal Robert Bellarmine that he should not hold or defend the Copernican doctrine that Earth revolves about the sun; Copernicus's 'de revolutionibus' is placed on the 'Index Librorum Prohibitorum' of the church, from which it will not be removed until 1835

1621
About this time William Oughtred (b Eton, England, Mar 5, 1574) invents the slide rule (according to Oughtred's statement in 1632)

The church and science: Galileo
Galileo's first clash with members of the Catholic church was caused by a question of priority. Sunspots were observed by the Jesuit priest Christoph Scheiner, but in 1613 Galileo claimed to have discovered sunspots before Scheiner. His conflict with Scheiner had no immediate consequences, but caused problems later.

In letters Galileo argued that not everything in the Bible should be taken literally. Galileo further argued that the church had the burden of proving that the Copernican system is wrong. The Dominicans obtained copies of the letters and forwarded them to the Holy Office in Rome along with Galileo's book "Letters on solar spots", in which he showed his support of Copernican views.

In December, 1615, Galileo traveled to Rome to defend his opinions. In February, 1616, the Inquisition declared that the opinion that the sun is the center of the world is heretical and decreed that the works of Copernicus be withdrawn until corrected. Galileo was admonished to cease defending the Copernican system.

Galileo lived in relative peace with the church until the publication in 1632 of this "Dialogue on the two chief world-systems, the Ptolemaic and the Copernican." The book consists of a dialogue among a convinced Copernican, a stupid anti-Copernican, and a commentator. Scheiner, Galileo's enemy since the dispute over sunspots, convinced Pope Urban VIII that Galileo had intended to portray the pope as the stupid anti-Copernican. The pope summoned Galileo to appear before the Inquisition in 1633. Galileo was sentenced to abjure the Copernican doctrine, which he did, and was put under house arrest.

The church continued officially to deny the Copernican theory until 1922.

1632
Galileo's "Dialogo sopra I due massimi sistemi del mundo, Tolemaico e Copernico" (Dialogue concerning the two chief world systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican) puts him is disfavor with the pope and the book is banned; the "impartial" character Salviati in the dialog clearly represents Galileo's own, pro-Copernican position

1633
The Roman Catholic Inquisition forced Galileo to recant his Copernican view that Earth moves about the sun; tradition has it that at the end of his recantation, he was heard to mutter "E pur se muove" (Nevertheless, it moves)

1636
Harvard College (Massachusetts) is founded

1650
Irish Bishop James Ussher sets the date of Creation at 4004 BC and the date of Noah's flood as 2349 BC based on accounts in the Bible

1661
Louis XIV of France starts building Versailles

1663
Rene Descartes' works are placed on the Roman Catholic Church's "Index of Prohibited Books", despite his efforts to avoid this fate

1688
The Glorious Revolution takes place in England; King James II is deposed and William and Mary of Holland are invited to become king and queen

1689
Isaac Newton becomes a member of the House of Commons for Cambridge

Peter the Great becomes czar of Russia

1690
"Essay concerning human understanding" by John Locke (b Somerset, England, Aug 29, 1632) argues that all knowledge of man comes from experience and sensations only

William III of England defeats former James II on Jul 2 at the battle of Boyne in Ireland, ensuring that England will stay Protestant