1656

Year 1656 () was a (link will display the full calendar) of the  (or a  of the 10-day slower ).

January - June

 * - King crowns  (the Black Madonna) as Queen and Protector of Poland in the cathedral of  after the miraculous saving of the monastery of  during, an event which actually changed the course of the war.
 * - The ship  is off  after it departed the :  rescue missions failed to find the survivors.

July - December

 * July - In an attempt to rescue survivors of the ', a search party was sent ashore, in ''Goede Hoops boat, which smashed against rocks and sank: 8 sailors drowned; 3 more disappeared ashore.
 * December - The is invented by.

Undated

 * becomes of the.
 * s are readmitted to by.
 * The, the first bank to issue , is founded.
 * The only is minted.
 * in, is founded by.
 * The Dutch capture city of in.

Births

 * -, French composer and viol player (died )
 * -, French botanist (died )
 * -, French naval commander (died )
 * -, French cardinal and statesman (died )
 * -, English antiquarian (died )
 * -, French painter (died )
 * -, English scientist (died )
 * date unknown
 * , Scottish physician and antiquarian (died c.)
 * , Italian (died )
 * , a Native American beatified in the Roman Catholic Church (died 1680)


 * See also .

Deaths

 * -, French statesman (born )
 * -, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland (born )
 * -, Danish mathematician and physicist (born )
 * -, Dutch painter (born )
 * -, Welsh composer (born )
 * -, Italian-born French commander (born )
 * -, Austrian field marshal (born )
 * -, English bishop and writer (born )
 * October -, English clergyman (born c.)
 * -, Mayflower colonist (born c.)
 * - (born )
 * - King (born )
 * -, Apostle of Maryland (born )


 * See also .