18th-century Dutch Physicians
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The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the
Roman numerals Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to challenge the legitimacy of monarchical and aristocratic power structures. The Industrial Revolution began mid-century, leading to radical changes in human society and the environment. 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. During the century, slave trading expanded across the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, while declining in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. 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 of 1688 to the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...
in 1815 or even later. France was the sole world superpower from 1659, after it defeated
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, until 1815, when it was defeated by Britain and its coalitions following the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
. In
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, philosophers ushered in the Age of Enlightenment. This period coincided with the French Revolution of 1789, and was later compromised by the excesses of the Reign of Terror. 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 in the French Revolutionary Wars. Various conflicts throughout the century, including the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
and the Seven Years' War, saw Great Britain triumph over its rivals to become the preeminent power in Europe. However, Britain's attempts to exert its authority over the Thirteen Colonies became a catalyst for the American Revolution. 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 prevent partition by the neighboring states of
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, Prussia, and Russia. In West Asia, Nader Shah led Persia in successful military campaigns. The
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
experienced a period of peace, taking no part in European wars from 1740 to 1768. As a result, the empire was not exposed to Europe's military improvements during the Seven Years' War. The Ottoman military consequently lagged behind and suffered several defeats against Russia in the second half of the century. In South Asia, the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was followed by the expansion of the Maratha Confederacy and an increasing level of European influence and control in the region. In 1739, Persian emperor Nader Shah invaded and plundered Delhi, the capital of the Mughal Empire. Later, his general Ahmad Shah Durrani scored another victory against the Marathas, the then dominant power in India, in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. By the middle of the century, the British East India Company began to conquer eastern India, and by the end of the century, the Anglo-Mysore Wars against Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali, led to Company rule over the south. In East Asia, the century was marked by the  High Qing era, a period characterized by significant cultural and territorial expansion. This period also experienced relative peace and prosperity, allowing for societal growth, increasing literacy rates, flourishing trade, and consolidating imperial power across the vast Qing dynasty's territories. Conversely, the continual seclusion policy of the Tokugawa shogunate also brought a peaceful era called Pax Tokugawa and experienced a flourishment of the arts as well as scientific knowledge and advancements, which were introduced to Japan through the Dutch port of Nagasaki. In
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, the Konbaung–Ayutthaya Wars and the Tây Sơn Wars broke out while the Dutch East India Company established increasing levels of control over the Mataram Sultanate. In Africa, the Ethiopian Empire underwent the Zemene Mesafint, a period when the country was ruled by a class of regional noblemen and the emperor was merely a figurehead. The Atlantic slave trade also saw the continued involvement of states such as the Oyo Empire. In Oceania, the European colonization of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
began during the late half of the century. In the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
, the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
declared its independence from Great Britain. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. In 1789,
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
was inaugurated as the first president. Benjamin Franklin traveled to Europe where he was hailed as an inventor. Examples of his inventions include the lightning rod and bifocal glasses. Túpac Amaru II led an uprising that sought to end Spanish colonial rule in Peru.


Events


1701–1750

* 17001721: Great Northern War between the Russian and Swedish Empires. * 1701: Kingdom of Prussia declared under King Frederick I. * 1701: The Battle of Feyiase marks the rise of the Ashanti Empire. * 17011714: The
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
is fought, involving most of continental
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. * 17021715: Camisard rebellion in France. * 1703:
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
is founded by Peter the Great; it is the Russian capital until 1918. * 17031711: The Rákóczi uprising against the Habsburg monarchy. * 1704: End of Japan's Genroku period. * 1704: First Javanese War of Succession.Ricklefs (1991), page 82 * 17061713: The War of the Spanish Succession: French troops defeated at the Battle of Ramillies and the Siege of Turin. * 1707: Death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb leads to the fragmentation of the Mughal Empire. * 1707: The Act of Union is passed, merging the Scottish and English Parliaments, thus establishing the Kingdom of Great Britain. * 1708: 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. * 17081709: Famine kills one-third of East Prussia's population. * 1709: Foundation of the Hotak Empire. * 1709: The Great Frost of 1709 marks the coldest winter in 500 years, contributing to the defeat of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
at Poltava. * 1710: The world's first copyright legislation, Britain's Statute of Anne, takes effect. * 17101711:
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
fights Russia in the Russo-Turkish War and regains Azov. * 1711: Bukhara Khanate dissolves as local begs seize power. * 17111715: Tuscarora War between British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora people of
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. * 1713: The Kangxi Emperor acknowledges the full recovery of the Chinese economy since its apex during the Ming. * 1714: In Amsterdam, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the mercury-in-glass thermometer, which remains the most reliable and accurate thermometer until the electronic era. * 1715: The first Jacobite rising breaks out; the British halt the Jacobite advance at the Battle of Sheriffmuir; Battle of Preston. * 1716: Establishment of the Sikh Confederacy along the present-day India- Pakistan border. * 17161718: Austro-Venetian-Turkish War. * 1718: The city of
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
is founded by the French in North America. * 17181720: War of the Quadruple Alliance with Spain versus France, Britain, Austria, and the Netherlands. * 17181730: Tulip period of the Ottoman Empire. * 1719: Second Javanese War of Succession.Ricklefs (1991), page 84 * 1720: The South Sea Bubble. * 17201721: The Great Plague of Marseille. * 1720: Qing forces oust Dzungar invaders from Tibet. * 1721: The Treaty of Nystad is signed, ending the Great Northern War. * 1721: Sack of Shamakhi, massacre of its Shia population by Sunni Lezgins. * 1722: Siege of Isfahan results in the handover of Iran to the Hotaki Afghans. * 17221723: Russo-Persian War. * 17221725: Controversy over William Wood's halfpence leads to the '' Drapier's Letters'' and begins the Irish economic independence from England movement. * 1723: Slavery is abolished in Russia; Peter the Great converts household slaves into house serfs. * 17231730: The "Great Disaster", an invasion of Kazakh territories by the Dzungars. * 17231732: The Qing and the Dzungars fight a series of wars across Qinghai, Dzungaria, and Outer Mongolia, with inconclusive results. * 1724: Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit proposes the Fahrenheit temperature scale. * 1725: Austro-Spanish alliance revived. Russia joins in 1726. * 17271729: Anglo-Spanish War ends inconclusively. * 1730: Mahmud I takes over Ottoman Empire after the Patrona Halil revolt, ending the Tulip period. * 17301760: The First Great Awakening takes place in Great Britain and North America. * 17321734: Crimean Tatar raids into Russia. * 17331738: War of the Polish Succession. * 17351739: Austro-Russo-Turkish War. * 17351799: The Qianlong Emperor of China oversees a huge expansion in territory. * 17381756: Famine across the Sahel; half the population of Timbuktu dies. * 17371738: Hotak Empire ends after the siege of Kandahar by Nader Shah. * 1739: Great Britain and Spain fight the War of Jenkins' Ear in the Caribbean. * 1739: Nader Shah defeats a pan-Indian army of 300,000 at the Battle of Karnal. Taxation is stopped in Iran for three years. * 17391740: Nader Shah's Sindh expedition. * 1740: George Whitefield brings the First Great Awakening to New England * 17401741: Famine in Ireland kills 20 percent of the population. * 17411743: Iran invades Uzbekistan, Khwarazm, Dagestan, and Oman. * 17411751: Maratha invasions of Bengal. * 17401748: War of the Austrian Succession. * 1742: Marvel's Mill, the first water-powered cotton mill, begins operation in England. * 1742: Anders Celsius proposes an inverted form of the centigrade temperature, which is later renamed Celsius in his honor. * 1742: Premiere of George Frideric Handel's ''Messiah''. * 17431746: Another Ottoman-Persian War involves 375,000 men but ultimately ends in a stalemate. * 1744: The First Saudi State is founded by Mohammed Ibn Saud. * 1744: Battle of Toulon is fought off the coast of France. * 17441748: The First Carnatic War is fought between the British, the French, the Marathas, and Mysore in India. * 1745: Second Jacobite rising is begun by Charles Edward Stuart in Scotland. * 1747: The Durrani Empire is founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani. * 1748: The Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession and First Carnatic War. * 17481754: The Second Carnatic War is fought between the British, the French, the Marathas, and Mysore in India. * 1750: Peak of the Little Ice Age.


1751–1800

* 1752: The
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
adopts the
Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
, skipping 11 days from 3 September to 13 September. On the calendar, 2 September is followed directly by 14 September. * 1754: The Treaty of Pondicherry ends the Second Carnatic War and recognizes Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah as Nawab of the Carnatic. * 1754: King's College is founded by a royal charter of George II of Great Britain. * 17541763: 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: The great Lisbon earthquake destroys most of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
's capital and kills up to 100,000. * 1755: The Dzungar genocide depopulates much of northern Xinjiang, allowing for Han, Uyghur, Khalkha Mongol, and Manchu colonization. * 17551763: The Great Upheaval forces transfer of the French Acadian population from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. * 17561763: The Seven Years' War is fought among European powers in various theaters around the world. * 17561763: The Third Carnatic War is fought between the British, the French, and Mysore in India. * 1757: British conquest of Bengal. * 1760: George III becomes King of Britain. * 1761: Maratha Empire defeated at Battle of Panipat. * 17621796: Reign of Catherine the Great of Russia. * 1763: The Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years' War and Third Carnatic War. * 1764: Dahomey and the Oyo Empire defeat the Ashanti army at the Battle of Atakpamé. * 1764: The Mughals are defeated at the Battle of Buxar. * 1765: The Stamp Act is introduced into the American colonies by the British Parliament. * 1765–1767: The Burmese invade Thailand and utterly destroy Attuthaya. * 17651769: Burma under Hsinbyushin repels four invasions from Qing China, securing hegemony over the Shan states. * 1766: Christian VII becomes king of Denmark. He was
king of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional political system, institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous administrative division, autonomous territories of the Faroe Is ...
to 1808. * 17661799: Anglo-Mysore Wars. * 1767: Taksin expels Burmese invaders and reunites Thailand under an authoritarian regime. * 17681772: War of the Bar Confederation. * 17681774: Russo-Turkish War. * 1769: Spanish missionaries establish the first of 21 missions in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. * 17691770: James Cook explores and maps New Zealand and Australia. * 17691773: 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, ending the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) monopoly of the plant.Ricklefs (1991), page 102 * 17701771: 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 Qing Dzungaria. * 1772: Gustav III of Sweden stages a coup d'état, becoming almost an absolute monarch. * 17721779: Maratha Empire fights Britain and Raghunathrao's forces during the First Anglo-Maratha War. * 17721795: The Partitions of Poland end the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and erase Poland from the map for 123 years. * 17731775: Pugachev's Rebellion, the largest peasant revolt in Russian history. * 1773: East India Company starts operations in Bengal to smuggle opium into China. * 1775: Russia imposes a reduction in autonomy on the Zaporizhian Cossacks of Ukraine. * 17751782: First Anglo-Maratha War. * 17751783:
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. * 1776: Several kongsi republics are founded by Chinese settlers in the island of Borneo. They are some of the first democracies in Asia. * 17761777: 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 Second Continental Congress in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. * 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 first permanent holding in Africa from the Portuguese, which is administered by the newly-established La Plata Viceroyalty. * 1778: Vietnam is reunified for the first time in 200 years by the Tay Son brothers. The Tây Sơn dynasty has been established, terminating the Lê dynasty. * 17791879: Xhosa Wars between British and Boer settlers and the Xhosas in the South African Republic. * 17791783: 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 indigenous rebellion against Spanish colonization led by Túpac Amaru II in
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. *
1781 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
: The city of Los Angeles is founded by Spanish settlers. *
1781 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
1785: Serfdom is abolished in the 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 formally ends the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. * 1783: Russian annexation of Crimea. * 17851791: Imam Sheikh Mansur, a Chechen warrior and Muslim mystic, leads a coalition of Muslim Caucasian tribes from throughout the Caucasus in a 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. * 17851795: The Northwest Indian War is fought between the United States and Native Americans. * 17851787: The Maratha–Mysore Wars concludes with an exchange of territories in the Deccan. * 17861787: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premieres '' The Marriage of Figaro'' and '' Don Giovanni''. * 1787: The Tuareg occupy Timbuktu until the 19th century. * 17871792: Russo-Turkish War. * 1788: First Fleet arrives in Australia * 17881790: Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). * 1788: Dutch Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (1788–1899) would become the first generally accepted validated case of a supercentenarian on record.Photo Gallery for Supercentenarians born before 1850, as of May 17, 2019
/ref> * 17881789: A Qing attempt to reinstall an exiled Vietnamese king in northern Vietnam ends in disaster. * 1789:
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
is elected the first
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
; he serves until 1797. * 1789: Quang Trung defeats the Qing army. * 17891799: French Revolution. * 1789: The Liège Revolution. * 1789: The Brabant Revolution. * 1789: The , an unsuccessful separatist movement in central Brazil led by Tiradentes * 1791: Suppression of the Liège Revolution by Austrian forces and re-establishment of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. * 17911795: George Vancouver explores the world during the Vancouver Expedition. * 17911804: The Haitian Revolution. * 1791: Mozart premieres '' The Magic Flute''. * 17921802: The French Revolutionary Wars lead into the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, which last from 18031815. * 1792: The New York Stock & Exchange Board is founded. * 1792: Polish–Russian War of 1792. * 1792: Margaret Ann Neve (1792–1903) would become the first recorded female supercentenarian to reach the age of 110. * 1793: Upper Canada bans slavery. * 1793: The largest yellow fever epidemic in American history kills as many as 5,000 people in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, roughly 10% of the population. * 17931796: Revolt in the Vendée against the French Republic at the time of the Revolution. * 17941816: 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 in Sydney,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. * 1795: The Marseillaise is officially adopted as the French national anthem. * 1795: The Battle of Nuuanu in the final days of King Kamehameha I's wars to unify the Hawaiian Islands. * 17951796: Iran invades and devastates Georgia, prompting 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
monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
s. * 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 South Africa. * 17961804: The White Lotus Rebellion against the Manchu dynasty in China. * 1797: John Adams is elected the second
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
; he serves until 1801. * 1798: The Irish Rebellion fails to overthrow British rule in Ireland. * 17981800: The Quasi-War is fought between the United States and France. * 1799: Dutch East India Company is dissolved. * 1799: Austro-Russian forces under Alexander Suvorov liberates much of Italy and Switzerland from French occupation. * 1799: Coup of 18 Brumaire - Napoleon's coup d'etat brings the end of the French Revolution. * 1799: Death of the Qianlong Emperor after 60 years of rule over China. His favorite official, Heshen, is ordered to commit suicide. * 1800: On 1 January, the bankrupt VOC is formally dissolved and the nationalized Dutch East Indies are established.Ricklefs (1991), page 106


Inventions, discoveries, and introductions

* 1709: The first
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
was built by Bartolomeo Cristofori * 1711: Tuning fork was invented by John Shore * 1712: Steam engine invented by Thomas Newcomen * 1714: Mercury thermometer by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit * 1717: Diving bell was successfully tested by
Edmond Halley Edmond (or Edmund) Halley (; – ) was an English astronomer, mathematician and physicist. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720. From an observatory he constructed on Saint Helena in 1676–77, Hal ...
, sustainable to a depth of 55 ft * c. 1730: Octant navigational tool was developed by John Hadley in England, and Thomas Godfrey in America * 1733: Flying shuttle invented by 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 Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...
* c. 1740: Modern
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
was developed by Benjamin Huntsman * 1741: Vitus Bering discovers Alaska * 1745: Leyden jar invented by Ewald Georg von Kleist was the first electrical capacitor * 1751: 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: The tallest ''wooden'' Bodhisattva statue in the world is erected at 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 Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
technologies * 1761: The problem of longitude was finally resolved by the fourth chronometer of John Harrison * 1763: Thomas Bayes publishes first version of Bayes' theorem, paving the way for Bayesian probability * 17681779: James Cook mapped the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean and discovered many Pacific Islands * 1774:
Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...
discovers "dephlogisticated air", oxygen * 1775: Joseph Priestley's 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 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
: 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: 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 Lithographic printing process invented by Alois SenefelderMeggs, Philip B. A History of Graphic Design. (1998) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p 146 * 1799: Rosetta Stone discovered by Napoleon's troops


Literary and philosophical achievements

* 1703: '' The Love Suicides at Sonezaki'' by Chikamatsu first performed * 17041717: '' One Thousand and One Nights'' translated into French by Antoine Galland. The work becomes immensely popular throughout Europe. * 1704: '' 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: '' The New Science'' by Giambattista Vico * 1726: '' Gulliver's Travels'' by Jonathan Swift * 1728: '' The Dunciad'' by Alexander Pope (publication of first version) * 1744: '' A Little Pretty Pocket-Book'' becomes one of the first books marketed for children * 1748: '' Chushingura'' (''The Treasury of Loyal Retainers''), popular Japanese puppet play, composed * 1748: '' Clarissa; or, The History of a Young Lady'' by Samuel Richardson * 1749: '' The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'' by Henry Fielding * 1751: '' Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'' by Thomas Gray published * 17511785: The French Encyclopédie * 1755: '' A Dictionary of the English Language'' by Samuel Johnson * 1758: ''Arithmetika Horvatzka'' by Mihalj Šilobod Bolšić * 1759: '' Candide'' by Voltaire * 1759: '' The Theory of Moral Sentiments'' by Adam Smith * 17591767: '' Tristram Shandy'' by Laurence Sterne * 1762: '' Emile: or, On Education'' by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...
* 1762: '' The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right'' by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...
* 1774: '' The Sorrows of Young Werther'' by Goethe first published * 1776: (''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 * 17761789: '' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' was published by Edward Gibbon * 1779: '' Amazing Grace'' published by John Newton * 17791782: '' Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets'' by Samuel Johnson *
1781 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
: '' Critique of Pure Reason'' by Immanuel Kant (publication of first edition) *
1781 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
: '' 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 * 17871788: '' 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 Edmund Burke (; 12 January ew Style, NS1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish Politician, statesman, journalist, writer, literary critic, philosopher, and parliamentary orator who is regarded as the founder of the Social philosophy, soc ...
* 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 The book ''An Essay on the Principle of Population'' was first published anonymously in 1798, but the author was soon identified as Thomas Robert Malthus. The book warned of future difficulties, on an interpretation of the population increasing ...
'' 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'', Handel's first opera for the London stage, premiered * 1721: '' Brandenburg Concertos'' by J.S. Bach * 1723: '' The Four Seasons'', violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, composed * 1724: '' St John Passion'' by J.S. Bach * 1727: '' St Matthew Passion'' composed by J.S. Bach * 1727: '' Zadok the Priest'' is composed by Handel for the coronation of George II of Great Britain. It has been performed at every subsequent British coronation. * 1733: '' Hippolyte et Aricie'', first opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * 1741: '' Goldberg Variations'' for harpsichord published by Bach * 1742: '' Messiah'', oratorio by Handel premiered in Dublin * 1749: '' Mass in B minor'' by J.S. Bach assembled in current form * 1751: '' The Art of Fugue'' by J.S. Bach * 1762: '' Orfeo ed Euridice'', first "reform opera" by Gluck, performed in Vienna * 1786: '' The Marriage of Figaro'', opera by Mozart * 1787: '' Don Giovanni'', opera by Mozart * 1788: '' Jupiter Symphony (Symphony No. 41)'' composed by Mozart * 1791: '' The Magic Flute'', opera by Mozart * 17911795: London symphonies by Haydn * 1798: The Pathétique, piano sonata by Beethoven * 1798: '' The Creation'', oratorio by 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
* 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 2nd millennium Centuries Early modern period