Title: 1661 Content: 1661 was a common year starting on a Saturday in the Gregorian calendar, and a common year starting on a Tuesday in the Julian calendar. == Events == *January 6 – The fifth monarchy men unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London. George Monck's regiment defeats them. * January 30 – The body of Oliver Cromwell is subjected to a posthumous execution. * February 5 – The Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty of China dies and is succeeded by his son the Kangxi Emperor. * February 14 – George Monck’s regiment becomes The Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards (which later becomes Coldstream Guards) *April 23 – King Charles II of England, Scotland, Ireland crowned in Westminster Abbey. This is his second crowning. *April 28 – The University of Santo Tomas in Manila opens. It is Asia's first University. * June 30 – The first Earl of Argyle is executed at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh for treason. * August 6 – Portugal and the Dutch Republic sign the treaty of The Hague, whereby New Holland in present-day Brazil is ceded to Portugal. * December 30 – Drottningholm Castle in Stockholm is destroyed by fire. * Dutch rule ends in Taiwan. * First modern bank notes issued in Stockholm, Sweden == Births == * January 30 – Charles Rollin, French historian (d. 1741) * March 25 – Paul de Rapin, French historian (d. 1725) * April 16 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and statesman (d. 1715) * May 25 – Claude de Buffier, French philosopher and historian (d. 1737) * June 6 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer (d. 1756) * June 9 – Tsar Feodor III of Russia (d. 1682) * July 20 – Pierre Le Moyne, French founder of the Louisiana colony (d. 1706) * September 2 – Georg Boehm, German organist (d. 1733) * October 11 – Melchior de Polignac, French diplomat (d. 1742) * November 1 – Florent Carton Dancourt, French dramatist and actor (d. 1725) * November 4 – Karl Philip, Elector Palatine (d. 1742) * November 6 – King Charles II of Spain (d. 1700) * November 15 – Christoph Graffenried, Swiss settler in America (d. 1743) * November 28 – Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, Governor of New York and New Jersey (d. 1723) * December 5 – Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, English statesman (d. 1724) * December 18 – Christopher Polhem, Swedish scientist and inventor (d. 1751) ==Deaths== * January 19 – Thomas Venner, Fifth Monarchist * February 2 – Lucas Holstenius, German humanist (b. 1596) * February 5 – Shunzhi Emperor of China (b. 1638) * March 1 – Richard Zouch, English jurist (b. 1590) * March 9 – Cardinal Mazarin, French cardinal and statesman (b. 1602) * April 4 – Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, Scottish soldier (b. 1580) * April 7 – William Brereton, English soldier and politician (b. 1604) * May 27 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, Scottish dissenter (b. 1607) * August 7 – Jin Shengtan, Chinese editor, writer and critic (b. 1608) * August 16 – Thomas Fuller, English churchman and historian (b. 1608) * August 29 – Louis Couperin, French composer and organist (b. 1626) * September 11 – Jan Fyt, Flemish painter (b. 1611) * October 4 – Jacqueline Pascal, French child prodigy and sister of Blaise Pascal (b. 1625) * October 28 – Agustin Moreto y Cavana, Spanish playwright (b. 1618) * November 19 – Brian Walton, English clergyman and scholar (b. 1600) * December 29 – Antoine Gerard de Saint-Amant, French poet (b. 1594)