1653

1653 (MDCLIII) was a common year beginning on a Wednesday, according to the Gregorian calendar.

Events

• February 2: New Amsterdam, later called New York, acquires the city category.
• 23 February: the Turkish city of Esmirna is shaken by an earthquake of 6.7.
• December 16: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.
• Baltasar Gracián publishes the second part of The Criticon (1651-1657).
• In Bogotá, Colombia, fray Cristóbal de Torres founded the Universidad del Rosario.

Births

• 17 February: Arcangelo Corelli, violinist and Italian composer of baroque music (f. 1713).
• May 8: Claude Louis Hector de Villars, General, Minister of Defence and French politician (f. 1734).
• 1 June: Georg Muffat, French composer (f. 1704).
• 1 September: Johann Pachelbel, German composer (f. 1706).
• François Pétis de la Croix, orientalist, antiquarian and French traveler (f. 1713).

Deaths

• Luigi Rossi, Italian composer.