In the year 1639, the first printing press in British North America is started in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Stephen Daye (Jan), Harvard University is named for clergyman John Harvard (Mar 13), Swedish forces defeat the army of the Holy Roman Empire in Chemnitz, allowing them to advance into Bohemia (Apr 14), Jeremiah Horrocks makes the first successful prediction and observation of a transit of Venus (Dec 4), Sakoku, the isolationist foreign policy of Japan, comes fully into effect - and all these fine people were born:
1639-xxxx Daniel Greysolon* a.k.a. Sieur (Sir) du Lhut/ soldier/expored as the first known European what is now Duluth, Minnesota – Saint-Germain-Laval, France (1710/c.71)
1639-xxxx Kerstin Michelsdotter** mother of Karl Claesson Malmsten/married twice/emigrated to Finland - Swedish Empire (unknown) aby
1639-xxxx Samuel Petersson* (b Petterson) early settler of New Sweden/one of the founders of Wilmington, Delaware/to America at age 15 - Bogen, Värmland, Sweden (1689/c. 50)
1639-0101 Jacob Knijff* painter - Haarlem, Dutch Republic (1681/42)
1639-0105 Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck* Swedish military officer in both Swedish and French armies - Minden, Westfalen (1688/49)
1639-0204 Alessandro Melani* Italian composer - Pistoia, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1703/64)
1639-0206 Daniel Georg Morhof* German writer/scholar - Wismar, Holy Roman Empire (1691/52)
1639-0212 Juan García de Salazar (B) composer - Álava, Basque country, Spanish Empire (1710/71)
1639-0217 Claude Estiennot de la Serre* Benedictine scholar - Toutry, Kingdom of France (1699/60)
1639-0227 Adriaen van Bloemen (B) Flemish painter/print designer/engraver - Antwerp (1697/c.58)
1639-0330 Elanor Allerton* notable colonist in Virginia who became a victim of the Indian attacks around the original Jamestown settlement in the time leading up to Bacon’s Rebellion - Whitby, England (1674/35)
1639-0412 Martin Lister* naturalist/physician/physician to Queen Anne - Radcliffe, Buckinghamshire, England (1712/72)
1639-0413 Joan Blasius* Dutch poet/playwright/lawyer - near Cadzand in Oostvliet (1672/33)
1639-0416 Alessandro Baratta* Italian painter/engraver - Parma (1714/75)
1639-0510 Peleg Sanford* major/Rhode Island colonial governor – Newport, Rhode Island (1701/c.62)
1639-05
1639-0701 Increase Mather* Puritan clergyman/president of Harvard College/involved in the Salem witch trials - Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British America (1723/84)
1639-0708 John Vaughan (B) Welsh nobleman/colonial administrator/ governor of Jamaica - Wales (1713/73)
1639-0715 Richard Butler* nobleman/Lord Deputy of Ireland - Kilkenny Castle, Ireland (1686/46)
1639-0830 Cornelia van der Veer* poet – Amsterdam, Dutch Republic (1704/65)
1639-0917 Hans Herr* the first Mennonite bishop to emigrate to America - Zürich, Switzerland (1725/86)
1639-0921 Robbert Duval* painter/known for painting portrait and historical allegories, of which none survive today - Den Haag, Dutch Republic (1732/92)
1639-1014 Simon van der Stel* commander and Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony - at sea, Indian Ocean (1712/72)
1639-1017 Charles-Claude Genest* clergyman/ poet/playwright - Paris, Kingdom of France (1719/80)
1639-1117 Eleazer Kimberly* schoolmaster/Secretary of the State of Connecticut (before statehood) - New Haven, Connecticut, British America (1709/69)
1639-1121 Fortunatus Hueber* Franciscan historian/theologian - Neustadt an der Donau, Holy Roman Empire (1706/66)
1639-1218 Gottfried Kirch* astronomer – Guben, Germany (1710/70)
1639-1222 Jean Racine* playwright – La Ferté-Milon, Kingdom of France (1699/59)
1639-1228 Dirk van Bleiswijk* Dutch politician/writer - Delft (1681/41)
1639-1230 Muhammad Sultan* Mughal prince - Mathura, Mughal Empire (1676/36)
Updated 3.4.2023-2
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