May 31

In 1610, the River Thames hosted an elaborate pageant called London's Love to Prince Henry in honor of the prince's appointment as Prince of Wales. Flamboyant barges, theatrical performances, and music transformed the river into a stage of royal celebration. The event showcased London's civic pride and the city's ability to produce grand spectacles for the monarchy. Festivities highlighted themes of chivalry, maritime power, and the unity between the crown and the capital. Designed to impress both the prince and onlookers, it reinforced the importance of pageantry in Stuart court culture. This tradition of barge pageants continued until the untimely death of Prince Henry two years later.

Samuel Pepys made his final diary entry on May 31, 1669, citing failing eyesight as his reason to stop writing. Over nearly a decade, Pepys had chronicled daily life in Restoration London with remarkable detail. His diary entries recorded everything from naval battles and fires to social gatherings and personal musings. Opting to preserve his legacy, he ordered the destruction of earlier volumes but ultimately saved the complete set. The diary would later become a crucial primary source for historians studying 17th-century England. Pepys's meticulous observations provide an unparalleled window into the era's politics, culture, and science.