Timeline March 1638

Events in March 1638 3

• 1638 Battle of Rheinfelden Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar defeats Imperial forces in the Thirty Years' War In a two-phase engagement near Rheinfelden, Protestant forces under Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar first suffered a setback before turning and routing the Imperial army. Several Imperial generals were captured in the reversal. The victory allowed Bernhard to advance on the fortress of Breisach later that year.
• 1638 Calabria earthquake A major earthquake devastates southern Italy A severe earthquake struck the Calabria region of the Kingdom of Naples, destroying numerous towns. Contemporary estimates placed the death toll above 10,000, with some accounts far higher. It remains one of the deadliest earthquakes in Italian history.
• 1638 Founding of New Sweden Swedish colonists establish Fort Christina on the Delaware River An expedition led by Peter Minuit landed on the Delaware River and built Fort Christina, founding the colony of New Sweden. The settlement, on the site of present-day Wilmington, Delaware, became Sweden's first overseas colony. It survived under Swedish and later Dutch rule before passing to England.