Sixteen hundred — White House and telescope

The address of the US President's residence is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. The White House was built from 1792 to 1800. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world and a symbol of American power.

In 1608, Dutch optician Hans Lippershey filed a patent for the telescope. In 1609, Galileo improved the device and turned it skyward, discovering Jupiter's moons. This changed humanity's understanding of the Universe.

On December 31, 1600, Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the English East India Company. This corporation became the first public joint-stock company and laid the foundations of the British colonial empire.