St Paul's Cathedral was built to replace Old St Paul's, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren designed it and the foundation stone was laid in 1675; it was completed in 1710, remarkably quickly for such a building. Its great dome is one of the largest in the world and has dominated the London skyline for centuries. The cathedral survived the bombing of the Blitz, when photographs of its dome rising through smoke became a symbol of resistance. Funerals of Nelson, Wellington and Churchill have been held there, as was the wedding of Charles and Diana.
Before and after
- from 1674 to 1818Maratha Empire
- from July 1674 to April 1678Messina revolt
- 8 November 1674Death of John Milton
- from 1675 to 1679Scanian War
- 1675Construction of St Paul's Cathedral
- 1675Construction of Royal Observatory
- 31 March 1675Birth of Benedict XIV
- from 20 June 1675 to 12 April 1678King Philip's War
- 15 December 1675Death of Johannes Vermeer
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1602Publication of Hamlet
- 1652Origins of Quakers
- c. 1653The Taj Mahal is completed
- 1661Construction of Palace of Versailles
- from c. 1730s to 1780sRise of Rococo
- 1759Construction of British Museum
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.