Timeline - 1679 Print
Written by Claude Lanners   
Tuesday, 07 April 2009 20:12

What happened in 1679?

Luxembourg

  • Kleschen (Nicholas) Lannersch lives with his wife Catrein (Catherine) on the farm in Holzthum which belongs to the castle of Schuttbourg situated at 4 miles distance in the river Clerve valley. Their first son John James is baptized March 30th, 1679.
  • Beginning of the worshipping of Our Lady of Luxembourg. Distress from never ending wars and plundering by mercenaries made the population of the city of Luxembourg elect on the 20th February 1678 Mary the "Consoler of the Sad" patroness of the city. On July 2nd 1679 this election was solemnly confirmed in the Jesuit church, today the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg.
  • February 5th 1679, Peace Treaty of Nijmwegen in the Netherlands: The Lorraine area with parts of Luxembourg falls under French control and the troups of King Louis XIV occupy progressively places around Luxembourg and finally take the fortress itself in 1684. Fortress engineer Vauban starts in 1679 the construction around France of fortresses that could stand the improved artillery. Immediately after the capture, he starts reinforcing the fortress of Luxembourg where different works still bear his name: réduit Vauban, today Villa Vauban and art gallery of the city of Luxembourg, and the two square towers in the Pfaffenthal suburb defending the Northern entrance through the Alzette valley into the city.

The size of the Duchy of Luxembourg around 1650 is illustrated on the map below:

Map of the Duchy of Luxembourg, 1650
Credit: Mail Jacques Threinen 10.5.2010

Europe

  • Substantial progression of the glaciers into the alpine valleys.
  • Bubonic plague in Vienna and in Graz killing about one fourth of the population. Plague column on the "Graben" in Vienna 1693.

America

  • August 7th: The brigantine Le Griffon, commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. French explorer Cavelier de la Salle starts the exploration of the Great Lakes area and more particularly of the region of the present state of Minnesota where many Luxembourg emigrants settled and where numerous Lanners descendants still live today.
  • The city of Duluth, Minnesota is founded on Lake Superior.

Science and Technology

  • Denis Papin, a French mathematician, invents the steam pressure vessel and, after an explosion, the pressure valve. This invention enables the development of the steam engine which again opens the era of the industrial revolution.
© Claude Lanners 2008 - 2012
Last Updated on Monday, 12 July 2010 19:23