Historical eventJanuary 301661

Oliver Cromwell

Two years after his death, Oliver Cromwell's remains were exhumed for a posthumous execution and his head was placed on a spike above Westminster Hall in London, where it remained until 1685.

Everything on January 30Original source

In context

When
Sunday, January 30 1661365 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
17th century · 1660s
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 1661.

What happened

Oliver Cromwell was an English statesman and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially as a senior commander in the Parliamentarian army and later as a politician. A leading advocate of the execution of Charles I in January 1649, which led to the establishment of the Commonwealth of England, Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector from December 1653 until his death in September 1658.

January 30 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1661Oliver Cromwell
  2. 1982Rich Skrenta
  3. 1989Embassy of the United States, Kabul
  4. 1995Hydroxycarbamide
  5. 2000Kenya Airways Flight 431
  6. 2005MS Hans Hedtoft
  7. 20062006 Goleta postal facility shooting
  8. 2007Microsoft
  9. 2013Naro-1
  10. 2013Korea Aerospace Research Institute
  11. 2020World Health Organization

Also in 1661

  • April 23Charles II of EnglandCharles II was crowned King of England, Scotland and Ireland at Westminster Abbey.

Everything we record for 1661 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Oliver Cromwell”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/oliver-cromwell-1661-january-30, accessed October 29, 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 Oliver Cromwell happen?

January 30 1661 — 365 years ago, on a Sunday.

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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