Born in 1709:
Died in 1709:
Events of 1709:
-
Bartolommeo Cristofori invents the "gravicembalo col piano
e forte".
-
Alexander Selkirk is rescued from Juan Fernandez Island.
-
The Great Northern War:
-
(January) Charles XII has his army lay siege to Veprik.
The city surrenders.
-
(April) The Swedish army, 29,000 men commanded by Charles XII,
low on rations, tries several times to besiege the town of Poltava,
(now in the Ukraine). Meanwhile a Russian army (led by Tsar Peter) of
45,000 surrounds them.
-
(June 27), Charles decides to break out of the encirclement. In the ensuing
battle, the Swedish army is crushed
-
(July 8) Most of the Swedish army surrenders. Enlisted men are sent
to mines in the Urals, Officers are sent to Siberia, few return.
Charles, wounded during the battle, escapes with 1,000 men into Bessarabia
(then in The Ottoman Empire, now Moldova), setting up shop in Bendery.
-
At any rate, Sweden's days as a world power are over.
-
The War of the Spanish Succession/Queen Anne's War:
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(September) Marlborough captures Tournai (now in Belgium).
-
(Septermber 11) Dutch, Austrian, and British forces under Duke of Marlborough
win the day against the French at Battle of Malplaquet, but casualties
are so heavy that they cannot advance on Paris. Not only that, popular
support for the war in Britain evaporates. This is really a strategic
victory for the French.
-
The Afghan Ghilzai tribe revolts against their Persian overlords. The
revolt, centered in Kandahar, will eventually destroy the Persian Safavid
dynasty.
1708 - 1709 - 1710
How they Were Made - 18th Century