Major Events
- Feb 6 Duke of York becomes King James II of England and VII of Scotland upon the death of his brother Charles II
- Feb 18 Fort St. Louis is established by a Frenchman at Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France's claim to Texas.
- Jun 11 Duke of Monmouth James Scott rebels against Catholic King James II
- Jul 6 Battle at Sedgemoor: King James II defeats the Duke of Monmouth
- Aug 6 King Louis XIV's Code Noir decree, policing slavery in French colonies is first adopted by the Sovereign Council of Martinique [1]
- Oct 18 French King Louis XIV revokes Edict of Nantes cancelling rights of French Protestants
- Dec 3 Charles II bars Jews from settling in Stockholm, Sweden
- Dec 30 Don Francisco de Agurto installed as land guardian of Southern Netherlands
George Frideric Handel
Johann Sebastian Bach
Charles VI
Charles II
James Scott
Fun Fact About 1685
Fort St. Louis is established by a Frenchman at Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France's claim to Texas.
Louis XIV
Peter the Great