What Happened in 1636

Pequots Attack Fort Saybrook

Through the fall and winter, Fort Saybrook was effectively besieged. Any who ventured outside were killed. As spring arrived in 1637, the Pequot... Read more

Rembrandt Paints Danaë

Danaë is Rembrandt's painting from the collection of Pierre Crozat which from the 18th century resides in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. It... Read more

Rembrandt Paints Belshazzar's Feast

Rembrandt shows the moment when a divine hand appeared and wrote on the wall a phrase only Daniel could decipher. When transliterated the... Read more

John Oldham and Several of His Crew are Killed by Narragansett-Allied Indians

On July 20, 1636, a respected trader named John Oldham was attacked on a trading voyage to Block Island. He and several of his crew were killed and... Read more

Captain John Endecott Leads Party to Block Island to Exact Revenge for John Oldham's Killing

News of Oldham's death became the subject of sermons in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In August, Governor Vane sent John Endecott to exact revenge... Read more

The General Court Of The Plymouth Colony Instituted A Legal Code

The General Court of the Plymouth Colony instituted a legal code, the first composed in North America, on October 4, 1636. It guaranteed citizens a... Read more

Battle of Wittstock

The Battle of Wittstock was fought on 24 September (Julian calendar) or 4 October (Gregorian calendar) 1636, between a Protestant Swedish army and... Read more

Harvard University Founded

The Early History of Harvard University Harvard University, which celebrated its 350th anniversary in 1986, is the oldest institution of higher... Read more