- December 1
- First American school to offer manual training courses opens, Maryland. [1]
- Doppelmayr mathematician. [1]
1751
- February 16
- First publication of Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard". [1]
- February 25
- First performing monkey exhibited in America, New York City (admission 1 cent). [1]
- April 5
- Adolf Frederik of Holstein-Gottorp crowns himself king of Sweden. [1]
- May 11
- First US hospital founded (Pennsylvania Hospital). [1]
- July 29
- First international world title prize fight-Jack Stack of England. [1]
- December 23
- France sets plan to tax clergymen. [1]
- December 31
- End of year (March 25-December 31) in England, as first day of new year shifts to January 1. [983.25]
1752
- January 3
- East Indies invasion "Geldermalsen" leaves at Malakka; 92 killed. [1]
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- January 15
- Tobias Smollett publishes pamphlet accusing Fielding of plagiarism. [1]
- February 3
- Dutch States-General forbid export of windmills. [1]
- February 11
- Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the US, opened. [1]
- March 22
- Pope Stephen II elected to succeed Zacharias, died two days later. [1]
- May 10
- Benjamin Franklins first tests the lightning rod. [1]
- May 11
- First US fire insurance policy issued (Philadelphia). [1]
- June 10
- Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a Leyden jar when the kite is struck by lightning, enabling him to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. [1] [129] (June 16 [646.59])
- September 2
- (September 13 in New Style) Last day of Julian calendar in Britain, British colonies. [1] [66.54] [983.25]
- September 14
- England and colonies adopt Gregorian calendar, previous 11 calendar days disappear. People riot thinking the government stole 11 days of their lives. [1] [983.25]
1753
- January 11
- Ferdinand VI of Spain and Pope Benedictus XIV sign concord. [1]
- February 18
- Eleven days (February 18 to March 1) are removed from the Swedish calendar, to bring Sweden in line with the rest of Europe. The Julian lunar calendar is replaced with the Gregorian calendar based on the solar year. [7]
- March 17
- First official Saint Patrick's Day. [1]
- March 25
- Voltaire leaves the court of Frederik II of Prussia. [1]
- April 5
- British Museum forms (opens in 1759). [1]
- May 6
- French King Louis XV observes transit of Mercury at Mendon Castle. [1]
- May 9
- King Louis XV disbands French parliament. [1]
- May 29
- Joseph Haydns "Krumme Teufel" premieres. [1]
- June 7
- The British Museum is created by an act of Parliament. [434.46]
- July 18
- Lemuel Haynes, escapes from slaveholder in Framingham Massachusetts [1]
- August 4
- George Washington becomes a master mason. [1]
1754
- January 4
- Columbia University founded, as Kings College (New York City New York). [1]
- January 15
- Riot at burial of doelist Daniel Raap in Amsterdam. [1]
- March 8
- Marquis of Ensenada becomes premier of Spain. [1]
- March 18
- Duke of Newcastle becomes English premier. [1]
- May 9
- First newspaper cartoon in America-divided snake "Join or die". [1]
- May 28
- George Washington defeats French and Indians at Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh). [1]
- June 19
- Albany Congress held by 7 British colonies and Iroquois indians. [1]
- July 3
- George Washington surrenders to French, Fort Necessity (7 Years' War). [1]
- July 7
- Kings College in New York City opens (renamed Columbia College). [1]
1755
- January 12
- Tsarina Elisabeth establishes first Russian University. [1]
- February 13
- Rebel leader Mangkubuni signs Treaty of Gianti Java. [1]
- March 12
- First steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine. [1]
- March 17
- Transylvania Land Company buys Kentucky for $50,000 from a Cherokee chief. [1]
- April 3
- British Order-in-Council calls for raising 5000 Marines. [857.33]
- April 26
- First Russian university opens (Moscow). [1]
- June 16
- British capture Fort Beauséjour, expel the Acadians. [1]
- July 9
- British General E Braddock mortally wounded during French and Indian War. [1]
- British General E Braddock mortally wounded during French and Indian War. [1]
- September 18
- Fort Ticonderoga, New York opens. [1]
- September 30
- England and Russia sign Treaty of Petersburg, in which England will pay 500,000 pounds per year for service of 55,000 Russian troops "to attack whomsoever Britannic Majesty bids". [920.17]
- November 1
- In Lisbon, Portugal, a magnitude 8.7 earthquake occurs, claiming 70,000-100,000 deaths, one quarter of Lisbon's population. A large tsunami drowns many, and fire ravages the city. [1] [53] [1393.16]
- November 18
- In Cape Ann, Massachusetts, a large earthquake occurs, causing considerable damage in Boston. [1] [53]
1756
- January 16
- Neutrality Convention of Prussia with England signed at Westminster. [1] [920.20]
- March 17
- Saint Patrick's Day first celebrated in New York City at Crown and Thistle Tavern. [1]
- April 10
- La Gallisonnière weighs anchor from Toulon, France, with 12 sail of the line, 5 frigates, 100+ transport ships, with 16,000 troops, with Maréchal Duc de Richelieu commanding, steering for Minorca. [920.29]
- April 14
- Governor Glen of South Carolina protests against 900 Acadia Indians. [1]
- April 18
- Maréchal Duc de Richelieu and 16,000 French troops disembark at Port-Mahon and Fort Saint Philip, Minorca, and set siege to the English position. [920.30]
- May 1
- French-Austria Treaty signed, to stand by one another. [920.26]
- May 15
- 10,000 Hessians disembark at Southampton to serve as protection in event of French invasion. [920.28]
- Britain declares war on France (Seven Years' or French and Indian War). [1] [241.9]
- May 21
- 10,000 Hanoverians disembark at Chatham to serve as protection in event of French invasion. [920.28]
- June 20
- Between 64 and 146 British soldiers are confined in Calcutta, India in a prison known as the Black Hole. Only 23 survive the night. [1] [117.25]
- August 14
- French capture Fort Oswego, New York. [1]
- September 22
- Nassau Hall opens at Princeton University. [1]
- December 6
- British troops under Robert Clive occupy Fulta India. [1]
- December 31
- Russia joins the Alliance of Versailles. [1]
1757
- January 2
- British troops recapture Calcutta, India. [1] [117.23]
- January 5
- Failed assassination attempt on French king Louis XV by Damiens. [1]
- January 11
- Second treaty between England and Prussia, for one million thalers, a fleet, and other things. [920.342]
- January 17
- German Diet declares war on Prussia. [1]
- February 9
- British East Africa Company makes a treaty with Siraj-Ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal. [117.23]
- March 17
- Prince Mas Saïd of Mataram surrenders to Mangkubumi in Java. [1]
- April 6
- English king George II fires minister William Pitt Sr. [1]
- May 1
- Austria and France divide Prussia. [1]
- May 6
- Battle at Prague: Frederik II of Prussia beats emperor army. [1]
- June 23
- British East Africa Company defeats Siraj-Ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey through treachery. An estimated 5000 of the Indian and French forces are killed, with 22 English dead and 50 wounded. [117.24] [832.90]
- December 5
- Battle at Leuthen: Prussian army beats Austrians. [1]
1758
- January 11
- Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East-Prussia. [1]
- January 22
- Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East Prussia. [1]
- March 2
- Johann Baptist Zimmermann German stucco worker, buried at age 78. [1]
- March 27
- Battle at Emmerich: British army floats around France the Rhine. [1]
- April 17
- Francis Williams, first US black college graduate, publishes poems. [1]
- May 12
- King Friedrich sets siege to Olmütz. [920.354]
- June 2
- French troops under commander Comtede Lally attack and capture Fort Saint David on the Coromandel Coast. [117.24]
- July 1
- King Friedrich ends the siege of Olmütz, a failure. [920.366]
- July 24
- George Washington admitted to Virginia House of Burgess. [1]
- August 25
- (to August 27) Battle of Zorndorf, King Friedrich versus Russian army under general William Fermor. Russians lose 21529 killed, wounded, and missing (7970 killed). Prussians lose 11390 total (3680 killed). [920.395]
- August 29
- First indian reservation established. [1]
- September 12
- Charles Messier observes the Crab Nebula and begins catalog. [1]
- October 14
- Battle of Hochkirch. Austrian Leopold Joseph von Daun with 90,000 men, King Friedrich with 40,000. Daun surprised Friedrich, who retreats, loses 101 cannon, 5500 dead or captured. Austrians lose 5939 killed or wounded, plus 1000 taken prisoner, and 2000 deserters. [920.411]
- November 25
- Britain captures Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh). [1]
- December 7
- Fourth treaty between England and Prussia, for 670,000 pounds to Prussia. [920.342]
- December 25
- Halley's comet first sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch during return. [1]
- December 31
- British expeditionary army occupies Goree (Dakar) Senegal. [1]
1759
- January 6
- George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Curtis. [1]
- January 11
- First American life insurance company incorporated, Philadelphia. [1]
- January 15
- British Museum opens in Montague House, London. [1]
- January 16
- British Museum opens in London. [1]
- February 28
- Pope Clement XIII allows Bible to be translated into various languages. [1]
- March 13
- 27th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. [1]
- April 8
- British troops chase French out of Masulipatam India. [1]
- April 13
- French beat European Allies in Battle of Bergen. [1]
- April 20
- Georg Friedrich Händel buried in Westminster Abbey. [1]
- May 1
- France surrenders Guadeloupe to Great Britain. [1] [751.15]
- July 25
- British capture Fort Niagara from French (7 Years' War). [1]
- September 13
- Wolfe defeats Montcalm on Plains of Abraham; Canada becomes English. [1]
- September 18
- British troops capture Québec City during the French and Indian War. [1] [491.15]
- October 16
- New lighthouse on Eddystone Rock off Devon, England first shines light, powered by 24 candles, designed by John Smeaton. The lighthouse cost 40,000 pounds sterling to build, using 988 tons of granite. [272.623]
- October 31
- Earthquake in Safed Palestine kills hundred. [1]
- November 9
- Fifth treaty between England and Prussia, for another 670,000 pounds to Prussia. [920.342]
- November 24
- Destructive eruption of Vesuvius. [1]
- December 13
- First music store in America opens (Philadelphia). [1]
- December 31
- Arthur Guiness takes out lease on dormant brewery in Saint James' Gate, Dublin, Ireland. [1458.11]
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