Dashed left edge = started before this timeline ·
Dashed right edge = still ongoing
Events in 1655 2
1655 – 1659Huygens discovers Saturn's rings and TitanThe first moon of Saturn and its ring system explainedBetween 1655 and 1659, Christiaan Huygens discovered Titan (Saturn's largest moon) and correctly explained that Saturn was surrounded by a solid ring inclined to the ecliptic — resolving the confusing observations of Galileo. He also invented the pendulum clock in 1656, improving timekeeping accuracy by orders of magnitude.
1655 – 1697Charles XIThe Grey CoatAn absolute monarch who stabilized the economy through the Reduktion (seizing lands from nobles).