18th-century Mathematician From The Republic Of Geneva
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The 18th century lasted from January 1,
1701 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 12 – Parts of the Netherlands adopt the Gregorian cal ...
( MDCCI) to December 31,
1800 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 18), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 12 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 16), ...
( MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of
Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
thinking culminated in the American,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, and Haitian Revolutions. During the century, slave trading and
human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
expanded across the shores of the Atlantic, while declining in Russia,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, and Korea. Revolutions began to challenge the legitimacy of monarchical and aristocratic power structures, including the structures and beliefs that supported slavery. The Industrial Revolution began during mid-century, leading to radical changes in human society and the environment. Western historians have occasionally defined the 18th century otherwise for the purposes of their work. For example, the "short" 18th century may be defined as 1715–1789, denoting the period of time between the death of Louis XIV of France and the start of the French Revolution, with an emphasis on directly interconnected events. To historians who expand the century to include larger historical movements, the "long" 18th century may run from the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
of 1688 to the Battle of Waterloo in
1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...
or even later. The period is also known as the "century of lights" or the "century of reason". In continental Europe, philosophers dreamed of a brighter age. For some, this dream turned into a reality with the French Revolution of 1789, though this was later compromised by the excesses of the
Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
. At first, many monarchies of Europe embraced Enlightenment ideals, but in the wake of the French Revolution they feared loss of power and formed broad coalitions to oppose the
French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in the French Revolutionary Wars. The 18th century also marked the end of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as an independent state. Its semi-democratic government system was not robust enough to rival the neighboring states of the Prussia, Russia, and Austria, which partitioned the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between themselves, changing the landscape of Central Europe and politics for the next hundred years. The Ottoman Empire experienced an unprecedented period of peace and economic expansion, taking part in no European wars from 1740 to 1768. As a consequence, the empire was not exposed to Europe's military improvements of the Seven Years' War. The Ottoman Empire military may have fallen behind and suffered several defeats against Russia in the second half of the century. In Southwest and Central Asia,
Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...
led successful military campaigns and major invasions, which indirectly led to the founding of the
Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire ( ps, د درانيانو ټولواکمني; fa, امپراتوری درانیان) or the Afghan Empire ( ps, د افغانان ټولواکمني, label=none; fa, امپراتوری افغان, label=none), also know ...
. The European colonization of the Americas and other parts of the world intensified and associated mass migrations of people grew in size as part of the
Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid- 15th) to the mid- 19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the introduction of naval ...
. European colonization intensified in present-day Indonesia, where the Dutch East India Company established increasing levels of control over the
Mataram Sultanate The Sultanate of Mataram () was the last major independent Javanese kingdom on the island of Java before it was colonised by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force radiating from the interior of Central Java from the late 16th centu ...
. Mainland Southeast Asia would be embroiled in the Konbaung–Ayutthaya Wars and the Tây Sơn rebellion, while in East Asia, the century marked the
High Qing era The High Qing era () refers to the Golden ages of China, golden age between 1683 and 1799 during the Qing dynasty of China during which the empire's prosperity and power grew to new heights. Set after the rule of the Ming dynasty, the High Qing s ...
and the continual seclusion policies of the Tokugawa shogunate. Various conflicts throughout the century, including the War of the Spanish Succession and the French and Indian War saw Great Britain triumphing over its European rivals to become the preeminent colonial power in Europe. However, Britain lost its colonies in North America after the American Revolutionary War, which went on to form the United States, initiating the
decolonization of the Americas The decolonization of the Americas occurred over several centuries as most of the countries in the Americas gained their independence from European rule. The American Revolution was the first in the Americas, and the British defeat in the Ameri ...
. The European colonization of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand began during the late half of the century. In the Indian subcontinent, the death of Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
marked the end of medieval India and the beginning of an increasing level of European influence and control in the region, which coincided with a period of rapid Maratha expansion. By the middle of the century, the British East India Company began to conquer the eastern parts of India, a process which accelerated after their victory over the
Nawab of Bengal The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
and their French allies at the
Battle of Plassey The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, ...
. By the end of the century, Company rule in India had come to cover more regions within South Asia, the British would also expand to the south, participating in the Anglo-Mysore Wars against the
Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...
, governed by Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali.


Events


1701–1750

*
1700 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 19), where then Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 11 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 17 ...
1721 Events January–March * January 6 – The Committee of Inquiry on the collapse of the South Sea Company in Great Britain publishes its findings. * February 5 – James Stanhope, chief minister of Great Britain, dies a day after ...
: Great Northern War between the Russian and Swedish Empires. *
1701 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 12 – Parts of the Netherlands adopt the Gregorian cal ...
: Kingdom of Prussia declared under King Frederick I. *
1701 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 12 – Parts of the Netherlands adopt the Gregorian cal ...
1714 Events January–March * January 21 – After being tricked into deserting a battle against India's Mughal Empire by the rebel Sayyid brothers, Prince Azz-ud-din Mirza is blinded on orders of the Emperor Farrukhsiyar as punishment. * Feb ...
: The War of the Spanish Succession is fought, involving most of continental Europe. *
1702 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 2 – A total solar eclipse is visible from the southe ...
1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...
: Camisard rebellion in France. *
1703 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Thursday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 9 – The Jamaican town of Port Royal, a center of trade ...
: Saint Petersburg is founded by
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
; it is the Russian
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
until
1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...
. *
1703 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Thursday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 9 – The Jamaican town of Port Royal, a center of trade ...
1711: The Rákóczi uprising against the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
. *
1704 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 7 – Partial solar eclipse, Solar Saros 146, is visible in ...
: End of Japan's Genroku period. *
1704 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 7 – Partial solar eclipse, Solar Saros 146, is visible in ...
: First Javanese War of Succession.Ricklefs (1991), page 82 *
1706 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Monday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 26 – War of Spanish Succession: Bavarian uprising of 1705 ...
1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ref ...
: The War of the Spanish Succession: French troops defeated at the battles of Ramillies and Turin. *
1707 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – John V is crowned King of Portugal and the Algarv ...
: Death of Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
leads to the fragmentation of the Mughal Empire. *
1707 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – John V is crowned King of Portugal and the Algarv ...
: The Act of Union is passed, merging the Scottish and English Parliaments, thus establishing the Kingdom of Great Britain. *
1708 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia, by crossing th ...
: The Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies and English Company Trading to the East Indies merge to form the United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies. *
1708 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia, by crossing th ...
1709 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – Battle of St. John's: The French capture St. John' ...
: Famine kills one-third of
East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
's population. *
1709 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – Battle of St. John's: The French capture St. John' ...
: Foundation of the Hotak Afghan Empire. *
1709 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – Battle of St. John's: The French capture St. John' ...
: The Great Frost of 1709 marks the coldest winter in 500 years, contributing to the defeat of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
at
Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
. *
1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin b ...
: The world's first copyright legislation, Britain's
Statute of Anne The Statute of Anne, also known as the Copyright Act 1710 (cited either as 8 Ann. c. 21 or as 8 Ann. c. 19), was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1710, which was the first statute to provide for copyright regulated by the g ...
, takes effect. *
1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin b ...
1711: Ottoman Empire fights Russia in the Russo-Turkish War and regains Azov. * 1711:
Bukhara Khanate The Khanate of Bukhara (or Khanate of Bukhoro) ( fa, , Khānāt-e Bokhārā; ) was an Uzbek state in Central Asia from 1500 to 1785, founded by the Abu'l-Khayrid dynasty, a branch of the Shaybanids. From 1533 to 1540, Bukhara briefly became its ...
dissolves as local begs seize power. * 1711
1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...
: Tuscarora War between British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora people of North Carolina. *
1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ref ...
: The Kangxi Emperor acknowledges the full recovery of the Chinese economy since its apex during the Ming. *
1714 Events January–March * January 21 – After being tricked into deserting a battle against India's Mughal Empire by the rebel Sayyid brothers, Prince Azz-ud-din Mirza is blinded on orders of the Emperor Farrukhsiyar as punishment. * Feb ...
: In Amsterdam, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the mercury-in-glass thermometer, which remains the most reliable and accurate thermometer until the electronic era. *
1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...
: The
first Jacobite rising The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
breaks out; the British halt the Jacobite advance at the Battle of Sheriffmuir; Battle of Preston. *
1716 Events January–March * January 16 – The application of the Nueva Planta decrees to Catalonia make it subject to the laws of the Crown of Castile, and abolishes the Principality of Catalonia as a political entity, concluding ...
: Establishment of the Sikh Confederacy along the present-day India- Pakistan border. *
1716 Events January–March * January 16 – The application of the Nueva Planta decrees to Catalonia make it subject to the laws of the Crown of Castile, and abolishes the Principality of Catalonia as a political entity, concluding ...
1718 Events January – March * January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discus ...
: Austro-Venetian-Turkish War. *
1718 Events January – March * January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discus ...
: The city of New Orleans is founded by the French in North America. *
1718 Events January – March * January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discus ...
1720 Events January–March * February 10 – Edmond Halley is appointed as Astronomer Royal for England. * January 21 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War). * February 17 – The Treaty of ...
: War of the Quadruple Alliance between Spain, France, Britain, Austria, and the Netherlands. *
1718 Events January – March * January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discus ...
1730 Events January–March * January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage. * February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia (Ann ...
: Tulip period of the Ottoman Empire. * 1719: Second Javanese War of Succession.Ricklefs (1991), page 84 *
1720 Events January–March * February 10 – Edmond Halley is appointed as Astronomer Royal for England. * January 21 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War). * February 17 – The Treaty of ...
: The
South Sea Bubble South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
. *
1720 Events January–March * February 10 – Edmond Halley is appointed as Astronomer Royal for England. * January 21 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War). * February 17 – The Treaty of ...
1721 Events January–March * January 6 – The Committee of Inquiry on the collapse of the South Sea Company in Great Britain publishes its findings. * February 5 – James Stanhope, chief minister of Great Britain, dies a day after ...
: The
Great Plague of Marseille The Great Plague of Marseille was the last major outbreak of bubonic plague in Western Europe. Arriving in Marseille, France, in 1720, the disease killed a total of 100,000 people: 50,000 in the city during the next two years and another 50,000 t ...
. *
1720 Events January–March * February 10 – Edmond Halley is appointed as Astronomer Royal for England. * January 21 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War). * February 17 – The Treaty of ...
: Qing forces oust Dzungar invaders from Tibet. *
1721 Events January–March * January 6 – The Committee of Inquiry on the collapse of the South Sea Company in Great Britain publishes its findings. * February 5 – James Stanhope, chief minister of Great Britain, dies a day after ...
: The Treaty of Nystad is signed, ending the Great Northern War. *
1721 Events January–March * January 6 – The Committee of Inquiry on the collapse of the South Sea Company in Great Britain publishes its findings. * February 5 – James Stanhope, chief minister of Great Britain, dies a day after ...
: Sack of Shamakhi, massacre of its Shia population by
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
Lezgins. *
1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), as ...
: Siege of Isfahan results in the handover of Iran to the Hotaki Afghans. *
1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), as ...
1723 Events January–March * January 25 – British pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than s ...
:
Russo-Persian War The Russo-Persian Wars or Russo-Iranian Wars were a series of conflicts between 1651 and 1828, concerning Persia (Iran) and the Russian Empire. Russia and Persia fought these wars over disputed governance of territories and countries in the Cauc ...
. *
1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), as ...
1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Ge ...
: Controversy over William Wood's halfpence leads to the '' Drapier's Letters'' and begins the Irish economic independence from England movement. *
1723 Events January–March * January 25 – British pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than s ...
: Slavery is abolished in Russia;
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
converts household
slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
into house
serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
. *
1723 Events January–March * January 25 – British pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than s ...
1730 Events January–March * January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage. * February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia (Ann ...
: The "Great Disaster", an invasion of
Kazakh Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kazakhstan *Kazakhs, an ethnic group *Kazakh language *The Kazakh Khanate * Kazakh cuisine * Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan *Qazax, Azerbaijan *Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...
territories by the Dzungars. *
1723 Events January–March * January 25 – British pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than s ...
1732 Events January–March * January 21 – Russia and Persia sign the Treaty of Riascha at Resht. Based on the terms of the agreement, Russia will no longer establish claims over Persian territories. * February 9 – The Swedish ...
: The Qing and the Dzungars fight a series of wars across Qinghai, Dzungaria, and
Outer Mongolia Outer Mongolia was the name of a territory in the Manchu-led Qing dynasty of China from 1691 to 1911. It corresponds to the modern-day independent state of Mongolia and the Russian republic of Tuva. The historical region gained ''de facto' ...
, with inconclusive results. *
1724 Events January–March * January 15 – King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne in favour of his 16-year-old son Louis I. * January 18 – The Dutch East India Company cargo ship ''Fortuyn'', on its maiden voyage, dep ...
: Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit proposes the Fahrenheit temperature scale. *
1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Ge ...
: Austro-Spanish alliance revived. Russia joins in 1726. *
1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...
1729 Events January–March * January 8 – Frederick, the eldest son of King George II of Great Britain is made Prince of Wales at the age of 21, a few months after he comes to Britain for the first time after growing up in Hanover ...
: Anglo-Spanish War ends inconclusively. *
1730 Events January–March * January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage. * February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia (Ann ...
:
Mahmud I Mahmud I ( ota, محمود اول, tr, I. Mahmud, 2 August 1696 13 December 1754), known as Mahmud the Hunchback, was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1730 to 1754. He took over the throne after the Patrona Halil rebellion and he kept goo ...
takes over Ottoman Empire after the Patrona Halil revolt, ending the Tulip period. *
1730 Events January–March * January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage. * February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia (Ann ...
1760 Events January–March * January 9 – Battle of Barari Ghat: Afghan forces defeat the Marathas. * January 22 – Seven Years' War – Battle of Wandiwash, India: British general Sir Eyre Coote is victorious over the Fr ...
: The First Great Awakening takes place in Great Britain and North America. *
1732 Events January–March * January 21 – Russia and Persia sign the Treaty of Riascha at Resht. Based on the terms of the agreement, Russia will no longer establish claims over Persian territories. * February 9 – The Swedish ...
1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Province of Georgia, Georgia in North America ...
: Crimean Tatar raids into Russia. *
1733 Events January–March * January 13 – Borommarachathirat V becomes King of Siam (now Thailand) upon the death of King Sanphet IX. * January 27 – George Frideric Handel's classic opera, ''Orlando'' is performed for ...
1738 Events January–March * January 1 – At least 664 African slaves drown, when the Dutch West Indies Company slave ship ''Leusden'' capsizes and sinks in the Maroni River, during its arrival in Surinam. The Dutch crew escape ...
: War of the Polish Succession. *
1735 Events January–March * January 2 – Alexander Pope's poem ''Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot'' is published in London. * January 8 – George Frideric Handel's opera ''Ariodante'' is premièred at the Royal Opera House in Covent G ...
1739 Events January–March * January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean. * January 3: A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region ...
: Austro-Russo-Turkish War. *
1735 Events January–March * January 2 – Alexander Pope's poem ''Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot'' is published in London. * January 8 – George Frideric Handel's opera ''Ariodante'' is premièred at the Royal Opera House in Covent G ...
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: The
Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...
of China oversees a huge expansion in territory. *
1738 Events January–March * January 1 – At least 664 African slaves drown, when the Dutch West Indies Company slave ship ''Leusden'' capsizes and sinks in the Maroni River, during its arrival in Surinam. The Dutch crew escape ...
1756 Events January–March * January 16 – The Treaty of Westminster is signed between Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Kingdom of Hanover, controlled by King George II of Great Britain. *February 7 & ...
:
Famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...
across the
Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
; half the population of Timbuktu dies. *
1737 Events January–March * January 5 – Spain and the Holy Roman Empire sign instruments of cession at Pontremoli in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in Italy, with the Empire receiving control of Tuscany and the Grand Duchy of Parma an ...
1738 Events January–March * January 1 – At least 664 African slaves drown, when the Dutch West Indies Company slave ship ''Leusden'' capsizes and sinks in the Maroni River, during its arrival in Surinam. The Dutch crew escape ...
: Hotaki Afghan Empire ends after the Siege of Kandahar by
Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...
. *
1739 Events January–March * January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean. * January 3: A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region ...
: Great Britain and Spain fight the War of Jenkins' Ear in the Caribbean. *
1739 Events January–March * January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean. * January 3: A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region ...
: Nader Shah defeats a pan-Indian army of 300,000 at the Battle of Karnal. Taxation is stopped in Iran for three years. *
1739 Events January–March * January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean. * January 3: A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region ...
1740 Events January–March * January 8 – All 237 crewmen on the Dutch East India Company ship ''Rooswijk'' are drowned, when the vessel strikes the shoals of Goodwin Sands, off of the coast of England, as it is beginning its secon ...
:
Nader Shah's Sindh expedition The Sindh expedition was one of Nader Shah's last campaigns during his war in northern India. After his victory over Muhammad Shah, the Mughal emperor, Nader had compelled him to cede all the lands to the west of the Indus River. His return to th ...
. *
1740 Events January–March * January 8 – All 237 crewmen on the Dutch East India Company ship ''Rooswijk'' are drowned, when the vessel strikes the shoals of Goodwin Sands, off of the coast of England, as it is beginning its secon ...
:
Great Awakening Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late ...
,
George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
*
1740 Events January–March * January 8 – All 237 crewmen on the Dutch East India Company ship ''Rooswijk'' are drowned, when the vessel strikes the shoals of Goodwin Sands, off of the coast of England, as it is beginning its secon ...
1741 Events January–March * January 13 – Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. * February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, popularizes the term "the balance of power" in a spe ...
: Famine in Ireland kills 20 percent of the population. *
1741 Events January–March * January 13 – Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. * February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, popularizes the term "the balance of power" in a spe ...
1743 Events January–March * January 1 – The Verendrye brothers, probably Louis-Joseph and François de La Vérendrye, become the first white people to see the Rocky Mountains from the eastern side (the Spanish conquistadors ...
: Iran invades Uzbekistan, Khwarazm,
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
, and Oman. *
1741 Events January–March * January 13 – Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. * February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, popularizes the term "the balance of power" in a spe ...
1751 In Britain and its colonies (except Scotland), 1751 only had 282 days due to the British Calendar Act of 1751, which ended the year on 31 December (rather than nearly three months later according to its previous rule). Events January&nd ...
: Maratha invasions of Bengal. *
1740 Events January–March * January 8 – All 237 crewmen on the Dutch East India Company ship ''Rooswijk'' are drowned, when the vessel strikes the shoals of Goodwin Sands, off of the coast of England, as it is beginning its secon ...
1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...
: War of the Austrian Succession. *
1742 Events January–March * January 9 – Robert Walpole is made Earl of Orford, and resigns as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, effectively ending his period as Prime Minister of Great Britain. On his for ...
: ** Marvel's Mill, the first water-powered cotton mill, begins operation in England. ** Anders Celsius proposes an inverted form of the centigrade temperature, which is later renamed
Celsius The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale (originally known as the centigrade scale outside Sweden), one of two temperature scales used in the International System of Units (SI), the other being the Kelvin scale. The ...
in his honor. *
1742 Events January–March * January 9 – Robert Walpole is made Earl of Orford, and resigns as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, effectively ending his period as Prime Minister of Great Britain. On his for ...
: Premiere of
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
's ''Messiah'' *
1743 Events January–March * January 1 – The Verendrye brothers, probably Louis-Joseph and François de La Vérendrye, become the first white people to see the Rocky Mountains from the eastern side (the Spanish conquistadors ...
1746 Events January–March * January 8 – The Young Pretender Charles Edward Stuart occupies Stirling, Scotland. * January 17 – Battle of Falkirk Muir: British Government forces are defeated by Jacobite forces. * February 1 ...
: Another Ottoman-Persian War involves 375,000 men but ultimately ends in a stalemate. *
1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The Dag ...
: The First Saudi State is founded by
Mohammed Ibn Saud Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin ( ''Muḥammad bin Suʿūd Āl Muqrin''; 1687–1765), also known as Ibn Saud, was the emir of Diriyah and is considered the founder of the First Saudi State and the Saud dynasty, which are named for his father, Saud ...
. *
1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The Dag ...
: Battle of Toulon is fought off the coast of France. *
1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The Dag ...
1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...
: The First Carnatic War is fought between the British, the French, the Marathas, and Mysore in India. *
1745 Events January–March * January 7 – War of the Austrian Succession: The Austrian Army, under the command of Field Marshal Károly József Batthyány, makes a surprise attack at Amberg and the winter quarters of the Bavaria ...
:
Second Jacobite rising The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...
is begun by
Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
in Scotland. *
1747 Events January–March * January 31 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital. * February 11 – King George's War: A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Captain Nicolas Antoine II Coul ...
: The
Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire ( ps, د درانيانو ټولواکمني; fa, امپراتوری درانیان) or the Afghan Empire ( ps, د افغانان ټولواکمني, label=none; fa, امپراتوری افغان, label=none), also know ...
is founded by
Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...
. *
1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...
: The Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession and First Carnatic War. *
1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...
1754 Events January–March * January 28 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word ''serendipity''. * February 22 – Expecting an attack by Portuguese-speaking militias in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Pla ...
: The Second Carnatic War is fought between the British, the French, the Marathas, and Mysore in India. *
1750 Various sources, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, use the year 1750 as a baseline year for the end of the pre-industrial era. Events January–March * January 13 – The Treaty of Madrid between Spain ...
: Peak of the
Little Ice Age The Little Ice Age (LIA) was a period of regional cooling, particularly pronounced in the North Atlantic region. It was not a true ice age of global extent. The term was introduced into scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939. Ma ...
.


1751–1800

*
1754 Events January–March * January 28 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word ''serendipity''. * February 22 – Expecting an attack by Portuguese-speaking militias in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Pla ...
: The Treaty of Pondicherry ends the Second Carnatic War and recognizes Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah as Nawab of the Carnatic. *
1754 Events January–March * January 28 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word ''serendipity''. * February 22 – Expecting an attack by Portuguese-speaking militias in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Pla ...
:
King's College King's College or The King's College refers to two higher education institutions in the United Kingdom: *King's College, Cambridge, a constituent of the University of Cambridge *King's College London, a constituent of the University of London It ca ...
is founded by a royal charter of George II of Great Britain. *
1754 Events January–March * January 28 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word ''serendipity''. * February 22 – Expecting an attack by Portuguese-speaking militias in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Pla ...
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
: The French and Indian War, the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War, is fought in colonial North America, mostly by the French and their allies against the English and their allies. *
1755 Events January–March * January 23 (O. S. January 12, Tatiana Day, nowadays celebrated on January 25) – Moscow University is established. * February 13 – The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the ...
: The
great Lisbon earthquake The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In combination with ...
destroys most of Portugal's capital and kills up to 100,000. *
1755 Events January–March * January 23 (O. S. January 12, Tatiana Day, nowadays celebrated on January 25) – Moscow University is established. * February 13 – The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the ...
: The Dzungar genocide depopulates much of northern Xinjiang, allowing for Han, Uyghur, Khalkha Mongol, and Manchu colonization. *
1755 Events January–March * January 23 (O. S. January 12, Tatiana Day, nowadays celebrated on January 25) – Moscow University is established. * February 13 – The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the ...
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
: The Great Upheaval forces transfer of the French Acadian population from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. *
1756 Events January–March * January 16 – The Treaty of Westminster is signed between Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Kingdom of Hanover, controlled by King George II of Great Britain. *February 7 & ...
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
: The Seven Years' War is fought among European powers in various theaters around the world. *
1756 Events January–March * January 16 – The Treaty of Westminster is signed between Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Kingdom of Hanover, controlled by King George II of Great Britain. *February 7 & ...
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
: The Third Carnatic War is fought between the British, the French, and Mysore in India. *
1757 Events January–March * January 2 – Seven Years' War: The British Army, under the command of Robert Clive, captures Calcutta, India. * January 5 – Robert-François Damiens makes an unsuccessful assassination attempt ...
: British conquest of Bengal. *
1760 Events January–March * January 9 – Battle of Barari Ghat: Afghan forces defeat the Marathas. * January 22 – Seven Years' War – Battle of Wandiwash, India: British general Sir Eyre Coote is victorious over the Fr ...
: George III becomes King of Britain. *
1761 Events January–March * January 14 – Third Battle of Panipat: Ahmad Shah Durrani and his coalition decisively defeat the Maratha Confederacy, and restore the Mughal Empire to Shah Alam II. * January 16 – Siege of Pondi ...
: Maratha Empire defeated at Battle of Panipat. *
1762 Events January–March * January 4 – Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples. * January 5 – Empress Elisabeth of Russia dies, and is succeeded by her nephew Peter III. Peter, an admirer of Frederick t ...
–1796: Reign of Catherine II of Russia, Catherine the Great of Russia. *
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
: The Treaty of Paris (1763), Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years' War and Third Carnatic War. * 1764: The Mughals are defeated at the Battle of Buxar. * 1765: The Stamp Act 1765, Stamp Act is introduced into the Thirteen Colonies, American colonies by the British Parliament. * 1767, 1765–1767: The Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767), Burmese invade Thailand and utterly destroy Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Attuthaya. * 1765–1769: Konbaung dynasty, Burma under Hsinbyushin repels Sino-Burmese War, four invasions from Qing China, securing hegemony over the Shan States, Shan states. * 1766: Christian VII of Denmark, Christian VII becomes king of Denmark. He was Danish Realm, king of Denmark to 1808. * 1766–
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: Anglo-Mysore Wars. * 1767: Taksin expels Burmese invaders and reunites Thailand under an authoritarian regime. * 1768–1772: War of the Bar Confederation. * 1768–1774: Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), Russo-Turkish War. * 1769: Spanish missionary, missionaries establish the first of 21 Spanish Missions of California, missions in California. * 1769–1770: James Cook explores and maps New Zealand and Australia. * 1769–1773: The Bengal famine of 1770 kills one-third of the Bengal population. * 1769: The French East India Company dissolves, only to be revived in 1785. * 1769: French expeditions capture clove plants in Ambon Island, Ambon, ending the VOC monopoly of the plant.Ricklefs (1991), page 102 (to 1772) * 1770–1771: Famines in Czech lands, Famine in Czech lands kills hundreds of thousands. * 1771: The Plague Riot in Moscow. * 1771: The Kalmyk Khanate dissolves as the territory becomes colonized by Russians. More than a hundred thousand Kalmyks migrate back to Xinjiang under Qing rule, Qing Dzungaria. * 1772: Gustav III of Sweden stages a coup d'état, becoming almost an absolute monarch. * 1772–1779: Maratha Empire fights Britain and Raghunathrao's forces during the First Anglo-Maratha War. * 1772–1795: The Partitions of Poland end the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and erase Poland from the map for 123 years. * 1773–1775: Pugachev's Rebellion, the largest peasant revolt in Russian history. * 1773: East India Company starts operations in Bengal to smuggle First Opium War, opium into China. * 1775: Russia imposes a reduction in autonomy on the Zaporozhian Sich, Zaporizhian Cossacks of Ukraine. * 1775–1782: First Anglo-Maratha War. * 1775–1783: American Revolutionary War. * 1776: Several Kongsi republic, Kongsi Republics are founded by Chinese settlers in the island of Borneo. They are some of the first democracies in Asia. * 1776–1777: Spanish–Portuguese War (1776–1777), A Spanish-Portuguese War occurs over land in the South American frontiers. * 1776: Illuminati founded by Adam Weishaupt. * 1776: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. * 1776: Adam Smith publishes ''The Wealth of Nations''. * 1778: James Cook becomes the first European to land on the Hawaiian Islands. * 1778: Franco-American alliance signed. * 1778: Spain acquires its Spanish Guinea, first permanent holding in Africa from the Portuguese, which is administrated by the newly-established Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, La Plata Viceroyalty. * 1778: Đại Việt, Vietnam is reunified for the first time in 200 years by the Tây Sơn dynasty, Tay Son brothers. The Tây Sơn dynasty has been established, terminated the Lê dynasty * 1779–1879: Xhosa Wars between British and Boer settlers and the Xhosa people, Xhosas in the South African Republic. * 1779–1783: Spain and the American Revolutionary War, Britain loses several islands and colonial outposts all over the world to the combined Franco-Spanish navy. * 1779: Iran enters yet another period of conflict and civil war after the prosperous reign of Karim Khan Zand. * 1780: Outbreak of the Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II, indigenous rebellion against Spanish colonization led by Túpac Amaru II in Peru. * 1781: The city of Los Angeles is founded by Spaniards, Spanish settlers. * 1781–1785: Serfdom is abolished in the Habsburg monarchy, Austrian monarchy (first step; second step in 1848). * 1782: The Thonburi Kingdom of Thailand is dissolved after a palace coup. * 1783: The Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris formally ends the American Revolutionary War. * 1783: Russian annexation of Crimean Khanate, Crimea. * 1785–1791: Imam Sheikh Mansur, a Chechen people, Chechen warrior and Muslim mystic, leads a coalition of Muslim Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian tribes from throughout the Caucasus in a Jihad, holy war against Russian settlers and military bases in the Caucasus, as well as against local traditionalists, who followed the traditional customs and common law (Adat) rather than the theocratic Sharia. * 1785–1795: The Northwest Indian War is fought between the United States and Indigenous peoples in the United States, Native Americans. * 1785–1787: Maratha–Mysore Wars, The Maratha-Mysore War concludes with an exchange of territories in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan. * 1786–1787: Mozart premieres The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni * 1787: The Tuareg people, Tuareg occupies Timbuktu until the 19th century. * 1787–1792: Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792), Russo-Turkish War. * 1788: First Fleet arrives in Australia * 1788–1790: Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). * 1788–1789: A Qing attempt to reinstall an exiled Lê Chiêu Thống, Vietnamese king in northern Vietnam Battle of Ngọc Hồi-Đống Đa, ends in disaster. * 1789: George Washington is elected the first President of the United States; he serves until 1797. * 1789 : Quang Trung defeated the Qing dynasty, Qing army * 1789–
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: French Revolution. * 1789: The Liège Revolution. * 1789: The Brabant Revolution. * 1789: The Inconfidência Mineira, an unsuccessful separatist movement in central Brazil led by Tiradentes * 1791: Suppression of the Liège Revolution by Holy Roman Empire, Austrian forces and re-establishment of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. * 1791–1795: George Vancouver explores the world during the Vancouver Expedition. * 1791–1804: The Haitian Revolution. * 1791: Mozart premieres The Magic Flute * 1792–1802: The French Revolutionary Wars lead into the Napoleonic Wars, which last from 1803–
1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...
. * 1792: The New York Stock Exchange, New York Stock & Exchange Board is founded. * 1792: Polish–Russian War of 1792. * 1793: Upper Canada Act Against Slavery, bans slavery. * 1793: The largest 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic, yellow fever epidemic in American history kills as many as 5,000 people in Philadelphia, roughly 10% of the population. * 1793–1796: Revolt in the Vendée against the French Republic at the time of the French Revolution, Revolution. * 1794–1816: The Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars, which were a series of incidents between settlers and New South Wales Corps and the Aboriginal Australian clans of the Hawkesbury River, Hawkesbury river in Sydney, Australia. * 1795: The Marseillaise is officially adopted as the French national anthem. * 1795: The Battle of Nuʻuanu in the final days of Kamehameha I, King Kamehameha I's wars to Unification of Hawaii, unify the Hawaiian Islands. * 1795–1796: Battle of Krtsanisi, Iran invades and devastates Georgia, prompting Persian expedition of 1796, Russia to intervene and march on Tehran. * 1796: Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox vaccination; smallpox killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans each year during the 18th century, including five reigning monarchs. * 1796: War of the First Coalition: The Battle of Montenotte marks Napoleon Bonaparte's first victory as an army commander. * 1796: The British eject the Dutch from Ceylon and Dutch Cape Colony, South Africa. * 1796–1804: The White Lotus Rebellion against the Manchu dynasty in China. * 1798: The Irish Rebellion of 1798, Irish Rebellion fails to overthrow British rule in Ireland. * 1798–
1800 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 18), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 12 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 16), ...
: The Quasi-War is fought between the United States and France. *
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: Dutch East India Company is dissolved. *
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: Austro-Russian Alliance (1781), Austro-Russian forces under Alexander Suvorov Italian and Swiss expedition, liberates much of Italy and Switzerland from French occupation. *
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: Coup of 18 Brumaire - Napoleon's coup d'etat brings the end of the French Revolution. *
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: Death of the Qianlong Emperor after High Qing era, 60 years of rule over China. His favorite official, Heshen, is ordered to commit suicide. *
1800 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 18), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 12 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 16), ...
: On 1 January, the bankrupt Dutch East India Company (VOC) is formally dissolved and the nationalised Dutch East Indies are established.Ricklefs (1991), page 106


Inventions, discoveries, introductions

*
1709 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – Battle of St. John's: The French capture St. John' ...
: The first piano was built by Bartolomeo Cristofori * 1711: Tuning fork was invented by John Shore * 1712: Steam engine invented by Thomas Newcomen *
1714 Events January–March * January 21 – After being tricked into deserting a battle against India's Mughal Empire by the rebel Sayyid brothers, Prince Azz-ud-din Mirza is blinded on orders of the Emperor Farrukhsiyar as punishment. * Feb ...
: Mercury thermometer by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit * 1717: Diving bell was successfully tested by Edmond Halley, sustainable to a depth of 55 ft * c.
1730 Events January–March * January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage. * February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia (Ann ...
: Octant (instrument), Octant navigational tool was developed by John Hadley in England, and Thomas Godfrey (inventor), Thomas Godfrey in America *
1733 Events January–March * January 13 – Borommarachathirat V becomes King of Siam (now Thailand) upon the death of King Sanphet IX. * January 27 – George Frideric Handel's classic opera, ''Orlando'' is performed for ...
: Flying shuttle invented by John Kay (flying shuttle), John Kay * 1736: Europeans encountered rubber – the discovery was made by Charles Marie de La Condamine while on expedition in South America. It was named in 1770 by Joseph Priestley * c.
1740 Events January–March * January 8 – All 237 crewmen on the Dutch East India Company ship ''Rooswijk'' are drowned, when the vessel strikes the shoals of Goodwin Sands, off of the coast of England, as it is beginning its secon ...
: Modern steel was developed by Benjamin Huntsman *
1741 Events January–March * January 13 – Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. * February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, popularizes the term "the balance of power" in a spe ...
: Vitus Bering discovers Alaska *
1745 Events January–March * January 7 – War of the Austrian Succession: The Austrian Army, under the command of Field Marshal Károly József Batthyány, makes a surprise attack at Amberg and the winter quarters of the Bavaria ...
: Leyden jar invented by Ewald Georg von Kleist was the first electrical capacitor *
1751 In Britain and its colonies (except Scotland), 1751 only had 282 days due to the British Calendar Act of 1751, which ended the year on 31 December (rather than nearly three months later according to its previous rule). Events January&nd ...
: Jacques de Vaucanson perfects the first precision lathe * 1752: Lightning rod invented by Benjamin Franklin * 1753: The first clock to be built in the New World (North America) was invented by Benjamin Banneker. *
1755 Events January–March * January 23 (O. S. January 12, Tatiana Day, nowadays celebrated on January 25) – Moscow University is established. * February 13 – The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the ...
: The tallest ''wooden'' Bodhisattva statue in the world is erected at Puning Temple (Hebei), Puning Temple, Chengde, China. * 1764: Spinning jenny created by James Hargreaves brought on the Industrial Revolution * 1765: James Watt enhances Newcomen's steam engine, allowing new steel technologies *
1761 Events January–March * January 14 – Third Battle of Panipat: Ahmad Shah Durrani and his coalition decisively defeat the Maratha Confederacy, and restore the Mughal Empire to Shah Alam II. * January 16 – Siege of Pondi ...
: The problem of longitude was finally resolved by the fourth marine chronometer, chronometer of John Harrison *
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
: Thomas Bayes publishes first version of Bayes' theorem, paving the way for Bayesian probability * 1768–1779: James Cook mapped the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean and discovered many Pacific Islands * 1774: Joseph Priestley discovers "dephlogisticated air", oxygen * 1775: Joseph Priestley first synthesis of "phlogisticated nitrous air", nitrous oxide, "laughing gas" * 1776: First improved steam engines installed by James Watt * 1776: Steamboat invented by Claude de Jouffroy * 1777: Circular saw invented by Samuel Miller * 1779: Photosynthesis was first discovered by Jan Ingenhousz * 1781: William Herschel announces discovery of Uranus * 1784: Bifocals invented by Benjamin Franklin * 1784: Argand lamp invented by Aimé Argand * 1785: Power loom invented by Edmund Cartwright * 1785: Production line, Automatic flour mill invented by Oliver Evans * 1786: Threshing machine invented by Andrew Meikle * 1787: Jacques Charles discovers Charles's law * 1789: Antoine Lavoisier discovers the law of conservation of mass, the basis for chemistry, and begins modern chemistry * 1798: Edward Jenner publishes a treatise about smallpox vaccination * 1798: The Lithography, Lithographic printing process invented by Alois SenefelderMeggs, Philip B. A History of Graphic Design. (1998) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p 146 *
1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...
: Rosetta Stone discovered by Napoleon's troops


Literary and philosophical achievements

*
1703 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Thursday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 9 – The Jamaican town of Port Royal, a center of trade ...
: ''The Love Suicides at Sonezaki'' by Chikamatsu first performed *
1704 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 7 – Partial solar eclipse, Solar Saros 146, is visible in ...
–1717: ''One Thousand and One Nights'' translated into French by Antoine Galland. The work becomes immensely popular throughout Europe. *
1704 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 7 – Partial solar eclipse, Solar Saros 146, is visible in ...
: ''A Tale of a Tub'' by Jonathan Swift first published * 1712: ''The Rape of the Lock'' by Alexander Pope (publication of first version) * 1719: ''Robinson Crusoe'' by Daniel Defoe *
1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Ge ...
: ''The New Science'' by Giambattista Vico * 1726: ''Gulliver's Travels'' by Jonathan Swift * 1728: ''The Dunciad'' by Alexander Pope (publication of first version) *
1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The Dag ...
: ''A Little Pretty Pocket-Book'' becomes one of the first Children's literature#History, books marketed for children *
1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...
: ''Chushingura'' (''The Treasury of Loyal Retainers''), popular Japanese bunraku, puppet play, composed *
1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 prison ...
: ''Clarissa'' by Samuel Richardson * 1749: ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'' by Henry Fielding *
1751 In Britain and its colonies (except Scotland), 1751 only had 282 days due to the British Calendar Act of 1751, which ended the year on 31 December (rather than nearly three months later according to its previous rule). Events January&nd ...
: ''Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'' by Thomas Gray published *
1751 In Britain and its colonies (except Scotland), 1751 only had 282 days due to the British Calendar Act of 1751, which ended the year on 31 December (rather than nearly three months later according to its previous rule). Events January&nd ...
–1785: The French Encyclopédie *
1755 Events January–March * January 23 (O. S. January 12, Tatiana Day, nowadays celebrated on January 25) – Moscow University is established. * February 13 – The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the ...
: ''A Dictionary of the English Language'' by Samuel Johnson * 1759: ''Candide'' by Voltaire * 1759: ''The Theory of Moral Sentiments'' by Adam Smith * 1759–1767: ''Tristram Shandy'' by Laurence Sterne *
1762 Events January–March * January 4 – Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples. * January 5 – Empress Elisabeth of Russia dies, and is succeeded by her nephew Peter III. Peter, an admirer of Frederick t ...
: ''Emile: or, On Education'' by Jean-Jacques Rousseau *
1762 Events January–March * January 4 – Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples. * January 5 – Empress Elisabeth of Russia dies, and is succeeded by her nephew Peter III. Peter, an admirer of Frederick t ...
: ''Social Contract (Rousseau), The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right'' by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * 1774: ''The Sorrows of Young Werther'' by Goethe first published * 1776: ''Ugetsu Monogatari'' (''Tales of Moonlight and Rain'') by Ueda Akinari * 1776: ''The Wealth of Nations'', foundation of the modern theory of economy, was published by Adam Smith * 1776–1789: ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' was published by Edward Gibbon * 1779: ''Amazing Grace'' published by John Newton * 1779–1782: ''Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets'' by Samuel Johnson * 1781: ''Critique of Pure Reason'' by Immanuel Kant (publication of first edition) * 1781: ''The Robbers'' by Friedrich Schiller first published * 1782: ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos * 1786: ''Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'' by Robert Burns * 1787–1788: ''The Federalist Papers'' by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay * 1788: ''Critique of Practical Reason'' by Immanuel Kant * 1789: ''Songs of Innocence'' by William Blake * 1789: ''The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano'' by Olaudah Equiano * 1790: ''Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow'' by Alexander Radishchev * 1790: ''Reflections on the Revolution in France'' by Edmund Burke * 1791: ''Rights of Man'' by Thomas Paine * 1792: ''A Vindication of the Rights of Woman'' by Mary Wollstonecraft * 1794: ''Songs of Experience'' by William Blake * 1798: ''Lyrical Ballads'' by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge * 1798: ''An Essay on the Principle of Population'' published by Thomas Malthus * (mid-18th century): ''The Dream of the Red Chamber'' (authorship attributed to Cao Xueqin), one of the most famous Chinese novels


Musical works

* 1711: ''Rinaldo (opera), Rinaldo'',
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
's first opera for the London stage, premiered *
1721 Events January–March * January 6 – The Committee of Inquiry on the collapse of the South Sea Company in Great Britain publishes its findings. * February 5 – James Stanhope, chief minister of Great Britain, dies a day after ...
: ''Brandenburg Concertos'' by Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach *
1723 Events January–March * January 25 – British pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than s ...
: ''The Four Seasons (Vivaldi), The Four Seasons'', violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, composed *
1724 Events January–March * January 15 – King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne in favour of his 16-year-old son Louis I. * January 18 – The Dutch East India Company cargo ship ''Fortuyn'', on its maiden voyage, dep ...
: ''St John Passion'' by Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach *
1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...
: ''St Matthew Passion'' composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach *
1733 Events January–March * January 13 – Borommarachathirat V becomes King of Siam (now Thailand) upon the death of King Sanphet IX. * January 27 – George Frideric Handel's classic opera, ''Orlando'' is performed for ...
: ''Hippolyte et Aricie'', first opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau *
1741 Events January–March * January 13 – Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. * February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, popularizes the term "the balance of power" in a spe ...
: ''Goldberg Variations'' for harpsichord published by Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach *
1742 Events January–March * January 9 – Robert Walpole is made Earl of Orford, and resigns as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, effectively ending his period as Prime Minister of Great Britain. On his for ...
: ''Messiah (Handel), Messiah'', oratorio by
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
premiered in Dublin * 1749: ''Mass in B minor'' by Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach assembled in current form *
1751 In Britain and its colonies (except Scotland), 1751 only had 282 days due to the British Calendar Act of 1751, which ended the year on 31 December (rather than nearly three months later according to its previous rule). Events January&nd ...
: ''The Art of Fugue'' by Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach *
1762 Events January–March * January 4 – Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples. * January 5 – Empress Elisabeth of Russia dies, and is succeeded by her nephew Peter III. Peter, an admirer of Frederick t ...
: ''Orfeo ed Euridice'', first "reform opera" by Christoph Willibald von Gluck, Gluck, performed in Vienna * 1786: ''The Marriage of Figaro'', opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart * 1787: ''Don Giovanni'', opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart * 1788: ''Symphony No. 41 (Mozart), Jupiter Symphony (Symphony No.41)'' composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart * 1791: ''The Magic Flute'', opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart * 1791–1795: London symphonies by Joseph Haydn, Haydn * 1798: The Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven), Pathétique, piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven * 1798: ''The Creation (Haydn), The Creation'', oratorio by Joseph Haydn, Haydn first performed


References


Further reading

* Black, Jeremy and Roy Porter, eds. ''A Dictionary of Eighteenth-Century World History'' (1994) 890pp * Klekar, Cynthia. “Fictions of the Gift: Generosity and Obligation in Eighteenth-Century English Literature.” Innovative Course Design Winner. ''American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies'': Wake Forest University, 2004.
Home , American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS)
. Refereed. * Langer, William. ''An Encyclopedia of World History'' (5th ed. 1973); highly detailed outline of event
online free
* Morris, Richard B. and Graham W. Irwin, eds. ''Harper Encyclopedia of the Modern World: A Concise Reference History from 1760 to the Present'' (1970
online
* Milward, Alan S, and S. B. Saul, eds. ''The economic development of continental Europe: 1780–1870 '' (1973)
online
note there are two different books with identical authors and slightly different titles. Their coverfage does not overlap. ** Milward, Alan S, and S. B. Saul, eds. ''The development of the economies of continental Europe, 1850–1914'' (1977
online
* Wallace Collection, The Wallace Collection, London, houses one of the finest collections of 18th-century decorative arts from France, England and Italy, including paintings, furniture, porcelain and gold boxes.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:18th Century 18th century, 2nd millennium Centuries Early Modern period