Events
- 28 February – 2 March: First Anglo–Dutch War: Battle of Portland.
- 14 March – First Anglo–Dutch War: Battle of Leghorn: A Dutch fleet defeats the English; the Dutch commander, Johan van Galen, later dies of his wounds.
- 20 April – Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament.
- 2–3 June (12–13 June New Style) – First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard off the coast of Suffolk: The English navy defeats the Dutch fleet, which loses 17 ships.[1]
- 4 July – 12 December: the Barebones Parliament meets in London.
- 8 July – John Thurloe becomes Cromwell's head of intelligence.[2]
- 8–10 August – Battle of Scheveningen: the final naval battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War is fought, between the fleets of the Commonwealth and the United Provinces off the Texel; the English navy gains a tactical victory over the Dutch fleet.
- 16 December – Instrument of Government: Britain's first written constitution, under which Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland,[3][4] being advised by a remodelled Council of State. This is the start of The First Protectorate, bringing an end to the first period of republican government in the country, the Commonwealth of England.
Births
- 2 April – Prince George of Denmark, consort of Anne, Queen of Great Britain (died 1708)
- 5 July – Thomas Pitt, Governor of Madras (died 1726)
- 9 August – John Oldham, poet (died 1683)
- 14 August – Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, statesman (died 1688)
- 3 September – Roger North, lawyer and biographer (died 1734)
- 10 March - Admiral John Benbow (Royal Navy), (died November 4, 1702, Port Royal, Jamaica)