February 2 M Rossi's opera "Erminia sul Giordano," premieres in Rome February 13 Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for trial before Inquisition for professing belief that earth revolves around the Sun March 7 Prince Frederik Henry appoints himself viceroy of Limburg April 23 Sweden and Protestant German monarchy form Union of Heilbronn June 2 Prince Frederik Henry conquerors fort Rhine at Cologne June 13 Charter for Maryland is given to Lord Cecil Baltimore June 21 Galileo Galilei is forced by Inquisition to "abjure, curse, and detest" his Copernican heliocentric views June 22 Galileo Galilei forced to recant Earth orbits Sun by Pope (but on Oct 31, 1992, Vatican admits it was wrong) October 8 Massachusetts Bay Colony forms its 1st government
