Explore 160 historical events from 1740–1749.
Thomas Lowndes was the founder of the Lowndean professorship of astronomy at Cambridge University, England.
Thomas Lowndes, English astronomer and academic (born 1692)
Felice Torelli was an Italian Baroque painter active mainly in Bologna, Papal States.
Felice Torelli, Italian painter (born 1667)
James Thomson was a Scottish poet and playwright, known for his poems The Seasons and The Castle of Indolence, and for the lyrics of "Rule, Britannia!"
James Thomson, Scottish poet and playwright (born 1700)
John Paul Jones was a British-American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy…
John Paul Jones, Scottish-American captain, early leader in the Continental Navy (died 1792)
Field Marshal John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair, was a British army officer and diplomat who served as the British ambassador to France from 1714 to 1720. He served in the Nine Yea…
John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair, Scottish field marshal and diplomat, British Ambassador to France (born 1673)
The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740 to 1748, was a conflict between the European great powers, fought primarily in Europe, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related co…
War of the Austrian Succession: A British fleet under Admiral George Anson defeats the French at the First Battle of Cap
Leopold II was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 t…
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1792)
Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues was a French writer and moralist. He died at age 31, in broken health, having published the year prior—anonymously—a collection of essays a…
Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French author (born 1715)
Count Andrey Ivanovich Ostermann was a German-born Russian statesman who came to prominence under Tsar Peter I of Russia and served until the accession of the Tsesarevna Elizabeth …
Andrey Osterman, German-Russian politician, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1686)
Alessandro Ignazio Marcello was an Italian nobleman and composer.
Alessandro Marcello, Italian composer and educator (born 1669)
Nader Shah Afshar was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as the emperor of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, …
Nader Shah, Persian leader (born 1688)
Giovanni Bononcini was an Italian Baroque composer, cellist, singer and teacher, one of a family of string players and composers. He was a rival to George Frederic Handel.
Giovanni Bononcini, Italian cellist and composer (born 1670)
Giuseppe Maria Crespi, nicknamed Lo Spagnuolo, was an Italian late Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. His eclectic output includes religious paintings and portraits, but he i…
Giuseppe Crespi, Italian painter (born 1665)
Marie-Madeleine Jarret, known as Madeleine de Verchères was a woman of New France credited with repelling a raid on Fort Verchères when she was 14 years old.
Madeleine de Verchères, Canadian raid leader (born 1678)
The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British gove…
The Battle of Culloden is fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverian forces commanded by W
Gaspard Monge, Comte de Péluse was a French mathematician, commonly presented as the inventor of descriptive geometry, technical drawing, and the father of differential geometry.
Gaspard Monge, French mathematician and engineer (died 1818)
Joachim Heinrich Campe was a German writer, linguist, educator and publisher. He was a major representative of philanthropinism and the German Enlightenment.
Joachim Heinrich Campe, German linguist, author, and educator (died 1818)
The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740 to 1748, was a conflict between the European great powers, fought primarily in Europe, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related co…
War of the Austrian Succession: Austria and Sardinia defeat a Franco-Spanish army at the Battle of Piacenza
Thomas Heyward Jr. was an American Founding Father, lawyer, jurist, and politician. Heyward was active politically during the Revolutionary Era. As a member of the Continental Cong…
Thomas Heyward, Jr., American judge and politician (died 1809)
Thomas Heyward Jr. was an American Founding Father, lawyer, jurist, and politician. Heyward was active politically during the Revolutionary Era. As a member of the Continental Cong…
Thomas Heyward Jr., American judge and politician (died 1809)
Thomas Southerne was an Irish dramatist.
Thomas Southerne, Irish playwright (born 1660)
Colin Maclaurin was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. He is also known for being a child prodigy and holding the record for being t…
Colin Maclaurin, Scottish mathematician (born 1698)
Thomas Baker was an English antiquarian.
Thomas Baker, English antiquarian and author (born 1656)
Francis Hutcheson was an Irish philosopher widely regarded as one of the key figures of the early Scottish Enlightenment. He served as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the Universi…
Francis Hutcheson, Irish philosopher (born 1694)