The High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I begins its proceedings.

The trial of King Charles I by the High Court of Justice in January 1649 was a landmark event in English history, marking the first time a reigning monarch was put on trial by his own subjects. Convened during the English Civil War, the court was established by the Rump Parliament, dominated by radical Puritans and supporters of the New Model Army, following the defeat of royalist forces. Charles was charged with treason and “high crimes” against the people of England, accused of governing without Parliament, imposing taxes unlawfully, and instigating the civil war. Despite his insistence that no court had authority over a divinely anointed king, the trial proceeded. Charles refused to recognize the legitimacy of the court, remaining largely silent during the proceedings. On January 27, 1649, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. The execution of Charles I on January 30, 1649, symbolized a dramatic shift in the balance of power, challenging the divine right of kings and paving the way for the brief establishment of the English Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell.