1610

1610 was a year in the early 17th century marked by notable developments in science, politics, and global exploration. In science, Galileo Galilei published Sidereus Nuncius, detailing telescopic observations of the Moon’s irregular surface and four satellites orbiting Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto). The work contributed to the growth of observational astronomy and the broader shift toward Copernican ideas, even as it drew later scrutiny from the Church.

In European politics, Henry IV of France was assassinated on May 14, 1610. He was succeeded by his son, Louis XIII, with Queen Marie de’ Medici serving as regent until 1617, a transition shaping French policy during the early part of Louis XIII’s reign.

In the Atlantic world, the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, received relief in 1610 after the prior year’s Sea Venture shipwreck and the Starving Time. The arrival of supplies and new settlers helped stabilize the colony and sustained English colonization efforts in North America.

Across the wider world, European powers continued expanding trade networks and colonial interests in the early modern era, with ongoing contact and competition in the Indian Ocean and the Americas. The year thus sits within a broader pattern of scientific breakthroughs and shifting political landscapes that characterized the period.