Count backwards from the present year

1704--February 28 Elias Neau, a Frenchman, opens a school for blacks in New York City
February 28 Indians attack Deerfield, Massachusetts, kill 40, kidnap 100
February 29 French and Indians attack Deerfield, Massachusetts, kill 50, abduct 100
April 17 1st successful U.S. newspaper; published in Boston by John Campbell
April 24 "Boston News-Letter," 1st successful newspaper in U.S., forms
May 1 Boston Newsletter publishes 1st newspaper ad
May 20 Elias Neau forms school for slaves in New York
July 12 Stanislaw Leszcynski becomes king of part of Poland

1703

February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai (47 Ronin) commit seppuku.

May 27 - Founding of St Petersburg in Russia.

July 29-31 - Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory then imprisoned 4 months for the crime of seditious libel, after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet (his release is granted mid-November).

November 24 to December 2 - the Great Storm of 1703, an Atlantic hurricane, ravaged southern England and the English Channel, killing nearly 8000, mostly at sea. It reached 120-mph (193-km/h) winds, while barometric readings as low as 973 millibars were recorded and is the most severe storm ever recorded in the British Isles.

1702:

The first English-language begins publication.

William III of Orange alias William III of England alias William II of Scotland alias King Billy bites the dust.

1701

May 23 - After being convicted of murdering William Moore and for piracy, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.

July 24 - Detroit, Michigan is founded.

1700

Woo! New century!

Russia, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden all adopt new calendars (Julian, Georgian, Georgian, Georgain and Swedish, respectively). The first pianoforte is documented in a Medici family inventory. Pope Innocent XII dies.

1699- January 14 - Massachusetts holds a day of fasting for having wrongly persecuted witches.

1698

Peter the Great becomes Czar of Russia. Dutch undertakers revolt after funeral reforms in Amsterdam (I swear I am not making this historical event up). William III leaves Holland.

A revolt of undertakers? Do they throw soil and vandalize epitaphs?

1697
The Royal African Company loses its monopoly on the slave trade.The Manchu Empire conquers western Mongolia.

1696

A pioneer English statistician calculates that England's population will reach a high of 22 million in 3500 A.D. "in case the world should last so long."

A famine wipes out almost a third of the population of Finland.

Seeds from the Polynesian pomelo tree (Citrus grandis) introduced into Barbados by an English sea captain named Shaddock. A sweeter and thinner mutation of the fruit, or a botanist's development of the "shaddock," will later be called grapefruit.

Sir Isaac Newton appointed to the post of warden of the Royal Mint:

December 24 - The Inquisition burns a number of Marrano Jews in Evora, Portugal.

1695
The Bank of Scotland is founded
A window tax is imposed in England causing many shopkeepers to brick up their windows to avoid the tax.
Russia declares war on Turkey.
£2 fine for swearing in England.
Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Ahmed II to Mustafa II

1694

November 21 - Birth of François-Marie Arouet, better known by the pen name Voltaire.

1693

Mt. Etna goes kablooie. The Amish christian sect is formed.

1692 - February 29
English poet John Byrom is born

1691
French poet Isaac de Benserade died October 10,1691

1690

The first paper money is issued in America. Puritans attack Quebec city. Uranus is discovered by John Flamsteed, who mislabels it a star. Charles le Brun, a French artist whose name translates as 'Charlie Brown', dies.