Events

• January 27 - Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Ahmed II to Mustafa II (1695-1703)
• July 17 - The Bank of Scotland is founded by an Act of Parliament of the old Scottish Parliament.
• December 31 - A window tax is imposed in England causing many shopkeepers to brick up their windows to avoid the tax.
• Russia declares war on Turkey
• Freezing winter in France - wine freezes in the glasses in Versailles
• £2 fine for swearing in England

Births

• April 8 - Johann Christian Gunther, German poet

Deaths

• February 6 - Ahmed II of Turkey
• April 13 - Jean de la Fontaine, French poet
• July 8 - Christiaan Huygens, Dutch mathematician and physicist
• November 20 - Zumbi, last leader of Quilombo dos Palmares.
• November 21 - Henry Purcell, British composer
• December 12 - Jacob Abendana, British rabbi