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1600 A.D.We begin in the 17th century because it marks the first ancestor I have been able to find. Pajamas are introduced to the West as lounging attire. They are not adopted as sleepwear (for men) until the 1870s. The Virginia Company of London founded the first permanent English settlement in America at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. King James I of England introduces the game of golf to London from Scotland. Johann Carolus of Strausbourg issues the Relation, considered to be the first modern newspaper. A German paper is also issued. Founding of the East India Company, the first of several European companies that compete for the rich Indian Ocean trade in spices and luxury goods. 1608:The invention of the telescope provides a powerful new tool for astronomy and exploration. 1609:Henry Hudson ascends the Hudson River in search of a northwest passage to China after pack ice frustrates earlier efforts to find a northeast passage. 1610:Eight-year-old Prince Louis becomes king of France after the assassination of his father, Henry IV. He is married at 14, to a daughter of Philip III of Spain. In 1624 the King of England dissolved the Virginia Company and established Virginia as a crown colony with an elected General Assembly. The mass production of glass bottles and the development of cork stoppers begins to make possible the controlled aging of wine. In France, during the reign of King Louis XIV, the fork begins to achieve popularity as an eating implement. Formerly, only knives and spoons had been used. The hospice of St. Bernard of Montjoux begins using large dogs, later called St. Bernards, to search for and rescue lost Alpine travelers. The dogs save some 2,500 lives over the next 300 years. Fire insurance is developed in London in the wake of the great fire of 1666. Life insurance policies begin to come into use in Europe. 1634:French North American explorer Jean Nicolet seeks the Northwest Passage by crossing Lake Huron and passing through the Straits of Mackinac. He discovers Lake Michigan and sails to Green Bay. 1670:Founding of the Hudson's Bay Company, whose trappers and fur traders collect information about the people, geography, and flora and fauna of North America. 1689:Our earliest known ancestor is William Wood [WFT Est. 1689-1718-1706]. Very little is known about William. He was reportedly born sometime between 1689 and 1718 in either Stafford or Orange County, Virginia. His parents' identity is unknown. The name of his wife, if he ever married, is not known. It appears he had four children. They were:
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This page last modified on Tuesday October 15, 2002 |
