The 1740s

1749

King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River

George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 (O.S.) until his death in 1760…

King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River

1749

Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded

Halifax, officially the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), is the capital and most populous municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipali…

Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded

1749

Jean-Frédéric Edelmann, French pianist and composer (died 1794)

Jean-Frédéric Edelmann was a French classical composer. He was born in Strasbourg to a Protestant family of Alsatian descent. After studying law and music, he moved to Paris in 177…

Jean-Frédéric Edelmann, French pianist and composer (died 1794)

1749

Levi Lincoln Sr

Levi Lincoln Sr. was an American revolutionary, lawyer, and statesman from Massachusetts. A Democratic-Republican, he served as Thomas Jefferson's first attorney general, and playe…

Levi Lincoln Sr

1749

Edward Jenner, English physician and microbiologist (died 1823)

Edward Jenner was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms vaccine and vaccin…

Edward Jenner, English physician and microbiologist (died 1823)

1749

Georg Joseph Vogler, German organist, composer, and theorist (died 1814)

Georg Joseph Vogler, also known as Abbé Vogler, was a German composer, organist, teacher and theorist. In a long and colorful career extending over many more nations and decades th…

Georg Joseph Vogler, German organist, composer, and theorist (died 1814)

1749

Thomas Lynch Jr., American commander and politician (died 1779)

Thomas Lynch Jr. was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of South Carolina and a Founding Father of the United States. His father Thomas L…

Thomas Lynch Jr., American commander and politician (died 1779)

1749

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German novelist, poet, playwright, and diplomat (died 1832)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on literary…

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German novelist, poet, playwright, and diplomat (died 1832)

1749

Ambrose Philips, English poet and politician (born 1674)

Ambrose Philips was an English poet and politician. He feuded with other poets of his time, resulting in Henry Carey bestowing the nickname "Namby-Pamby" upon him, which came to m…

Ambrose Philips, English poet and politician (born 1674)

1749

William Jones, Welsh mathematician and academic (born 1675)

William Jones, FRS was a Welsh mathematician best known for his use of the symbol π to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. He was a close friend o…

William Jones, Welsh mathematician and academic (born 1675)

1749

Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois, French navy officer and politician, Governor General of New France…

Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois was a French Naval officer who served as Governor of New France from 1726 to 1746.

Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois, French navy officer and politician, Governor General of New France…

1749

Johann Elias Schlegel, German poet and critic (born 1719)

Johann Elias Schlegel was a German critic and dramatic poet.

Johann Elias Schlegel, German poet and critic (born 1719)

1749

Abraham ben Abraham, Polish martyr (born 1700)

Abraham ben Abraham, also known as Count Valentine Potocki, was a Polish nobleman (szlachta) of the Potocki family who converted to Judaism and was burned at the stake by the Roman…

Abraham ben Abraham, Polish martyr (born 1700)

1749

A plot by Muslim slaves in Malta to assassinate Manuel Pinto da Fonseca of the Knights Hospitaller was uncovered

The Conspiracy of the Slaves was a failed plot by Muslim slaves in Hospitaller Malta to rebel and assassinate Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca of the Order of St John, in an at…

A plot by Muslim slaves in Malta to assassinate Manuel Pinto da Fonseca of the Knights Hospitaller was uncovered

1748

Georg Michael Telemann, German composer and theologian (died 1831)

Georg Michael Telemann was a German composer and theologian.

Georg Michael Telemann, German composer and theologian (died 1831)

1748

Félix Vicq-d'Azyr, French physician and anatomist (died 1794)

Félix Vicq d'Azyr was a French physician and anatomist, the originator of comparative anatomy and discoverer of the theory of homology in biology.

Félix Vicq-d'Azyr, French physician and anatomist (died 1794)

1748

Denmark adopts the characteristic Nordic Cross flag later taken up by all other Scandinavian countries

Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unit…

Denmark adopts the characteristic Nordic Cross flag later taken up by all other Scandinavian countries

1748

The first Lutheran denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, is founded in Philadelphia.

Lutheranism or Evangelical Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that arose under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to re…

The first Lutheran denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, is founded in Philadelphia.

1748

Adamantios Korais, Greek-French philosopher and scholar (died 1833)

Adamantios Korais or Koraïs was a Greek scholar credited with laying the foundations of modern Greek literature and a major figure in the Greek Enlightenment. His activities paved …

Adamantios Korais, Greek-French philosopher and scholar (died 1833)

1748

Olympe de Gouges, French playwright and philosopher (died 1793)

Olympe de Gouges was a French playwright and political activist. She is best known for her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen and other writings on women'…

Olympe de Gouges, French playwright and philosopher (died 1793)

1748

Cyrus Griffin, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 16th President of the Continental Congress (died 1810)

Cyrus Griffin was an American lawyer and politician, who served as the final President of the Congress of the Confederation and first United States district judge of the United Sta…

Cyrus Griffin, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 16th President of the Continental Congress (died 1810)

1748

Bernhard Schott, German music publisher (died 1809)

Bernhard Peter Schott was a German clarinetist and music publisher. He founded the predecessor of Schott Music, a major German music publishing company which continues to this day.

Bernhard Schott, German music publisher (died 1809)

1748

Joseph Schuster, German composer (died 1812)

Joseph Schuster was a German composer.

Joseph Schuster, German composer (died 1812)

1748

Anton thor Helle, German-Estonian clergyman and translator (born 1683)

Anton Thor Helle was a Baltic German Lutheran clergyman, linguist and Bible translator in Estonia. He led the initiative and served as chief editor of the first complete translatio…

Anton thor Helle, German-Estonian clergyman and translator (born 1683)