13th February 1689: William and Mary become the new co-regents of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland after agreeing to the Declaration of Right

The couple were declared King and Queen after agreeing to the Declaration of Right. Their coronation took place on 11 April.

29th July 1588: Decisive Battle of Gravelines during the Spanish Armada

The Battle of Gravelines, the decisive battle of the Spanish Armada, took place off the coast of Flanders.

10th July 1553: Lady Jane Grey becomes queen of England

On the 10th July 1553, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen of England after her first cousin once removed, the 15-year-old King Edward VI, died of an unknown respiratory problem.

22nd March 1621: Hugo Grotius escapes prison by hiding in a book chest

On the 22nd March 1621, Dutch legal scholar Hugo Grotius – also known as Hugo de Groot – escaped imprisonment in Loevestein Castle concealed inside a book chest.

26th January 1564: Pope Pius IV confirms the decrees of the Council of Trent

Pope Pius IV issued a Papal bull confirming the decrees of the Council of Trent that defined Catholic doctrine in the face of the Protestant Reformation.

31st October 1517: Martin Luther reputedely posts his 95 Theses

On the 31st October 1517, the foundations of the Protestant Reformation were laid when Martin Luther reputedly nailed his ‘Ninety-five Theses’ to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg – a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.