Year 1608 Overview
1608 (MDCVIII) was a leap year commencing on Tuesday in the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Friday in the Julian calendar. It marked the 1608th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD), the 608th year of the 2nd millennium, the 8th year of the 17th century, and the 9th year of the 1600s decade. As of the beginning of 1608, the Gregorian calendar was 10 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which continued to be used locally until 1923.
Significant Events
January–March
January 2 – The first Jamestown supply mission returns to the Colony of Virginia led by Christopher Newport, bringing about 100 new settlers to supplement the 38 survivors found at Jamestown.
January 7 – A fire destroys “all the houses in the fort” at Jamestown; the fort is repaired in March.
January 11 – John Smith is released by Powhatan after 15 days of captivity and arrives back at Jamestown. Instead of being welcomed, he is initially charged with negligence for the deaths of two companions but is later exonerated.
January 17 – Emperor Susenyos I of Ethiopia defeats an Oromo army at Ebenat, with 12,000 Oromo casualties at a cost of 400 Amhara.
February 6 – Gabriel Báthory makes an agreement with Hungarian mercenaries, the Hajduk, to overthrow the Transylvanian government.
February 14 – The harsh winter of 1607-1608 in England ends after 10 weeks of sub-freezing temperatures.
February 18 – Don Julius Caesar d’Austria brutally murders his girlfriend and is imprisoned for life by Emperor Rudolf II.
March 5 – Sigismund Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania, abdicates to avoid civil war.
March 16 – Gwanghaegun ascends as the new King of Korea following the death of his father, King Seonjo.
April–June
April 10 – Another supply mission to Jamestown departs for England with Powhatan’s tribesman, Namontack, visiting London.
April 19 – The Burning of Derry initiates O’Doherty’s Rebellion in Ireland.
April 20 – The Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, Ireland is licensed by King James I to distil whiskey.
June 15 – Explorer Henry Hudson claims to have sighted a mermaid in the Arctic Ocean.
July–September
July 3 – Quebec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.
August 24 – Captain William Hawkins becomes the first official English representative to India, landing at Surat.
September 10 – John Smith is elected council president of Jamestown and begins fort expansion.
October–December
October 1 – The second supply mission arrives at Jamestown, with Christopher Newport bringing 70 settlers, raising the population to 120.
November 19 – Matthias is crowned as King Mátyás II of Hungary in Budapest.
December 20 – Karl of the House of Liechtenstein establishes the Principality of Liechtenstein within the Holy Roman Empire.
Notable Births
January–March
- January 10 – Henry Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company (d. 1630)
- February 6 – António Vieira, Portuguese writer (d. 1697)
- March 18 – Paul Ragueneau, French Jesuit missionary (d. 1680)
April–June
- April 15 – Honoré Fabri, French mathematician (d. 1688)
- June 19 (bapt.) – Thomas Fuller, English churchman and historian (d. 1661)
July–September
- July 13 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1657)
- August 4 – John Tradescant the Younger, British botanist (d. 1662)
October–December
- October 15 – Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist and mathematician (d. 1647)
- December 9 – John Milton, English poet (d. 1674)
Notable Deaths
January–March
- January 4 – Peter Edgcumbe, English politician (b. 1536)
- March 16 – Seonjo of Joseon, King of Joseon (b. 1552)
April–June
- May 14 – Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1542)
- June 19 – Alberico Gentili, Italian jurist (b. 1551)
July–September
- July 3 – William Barclay, Scottish academic lawyer (b. 1546)
- September 28 – Henri, Duke of Joyeuse, French general (b. 1563)
October–December
- October 29 – John Smith, English politician (b. 1557)
- December 21 – William Davison, secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England (b. c. 1541)