Historical eventApril 251643

First English Civil War

First English Civil War: Despite being vastly outnumbered, a Parliamentarian force under James Chudleigh defeated a Royalist army near Okehampton, Devon, at the Battle of Sourton Down.

Everything on April 25Original source

In context

When
Saturday, April 25 1643383 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
17th century · 1640s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

The Gregorian calendar was in use in Catholic Europe from 1582, but Britain and its colonies kept the Julian calendar until 14 September 1752 — sources from those places may date this event 10–11 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1643.

What happened

The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point between 1639 and 1653, while around 4% of the total population died from war-related causes. These figures illustrate the widespread impact of the conflict on society, and the bitterness it engendered as a result.

April 25 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1643First English Civil War
  2. 2004March for Women's Lives (2004)
  3. 2005Amagasaki derailment
  4. 2005Obelisk of Axum
  5. 2005Bulgaria
  6. 2007Death and state funeral of Boris Yeltsin
  7. 2012San Diego
  8. 2014Flint water crisis
  9. 2015April 2015 Nepal earthquake
  10. 2026Sadio Camara
  11. 20262026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

Also in 1643

  • July 13English Civil WarEnglish Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Roundway Down near Devizes, Wiltshire.
  • May 8First English Civil WarFirst English Civil War: The first siege of Wardour Castle ended after six days with the surrender of the Royalist garrison under Lady Bl…
  • July 4First English Civil WarFirst English Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Burton Bridge, securing a crossing of the River T…
  • August 24Dutch expedition to ValdiviaA Dutch expedition (depicted) arrived at the mouth of the Valdivia River, in present-day Chile, to establish a new colony in the ruins of…
  • November 24Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War: Holy Roman Empire, Bavarian and Spanish forces led by Franz von Mercy defeated the French army in Germany led by Marsh…
  • September 20First English Civil WarFirst English Civil War: The First Battle of Newbury was fought in Berkshire; Parliamentarian forces were allowed to pass Royalist troops…
  • December 13First English Civil WarFirst English Civil War: Roundhead forces under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack in Hampshire on a winter garrison of…

Everything we record for 1643 →

Sources

Cite this page

“First English Civil War”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/first-english-civil-war-1643-april-25, accessed October 26, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did First English Civil War happen?

April 25 1643 — 383 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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