The 1770s

1771 255 years ago

The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called The "

The Battle of Alamance took place on May 16, 1771. It was the final confrontation of the Regulator Rebellion in colonial North Carolina. The rebellion was instigated because of var…

The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called The "

1771 255 years ago

Premiere in Milan of the opera Ascanio in Alba, composed by Mozart at age 15.

Ascanio in Alba, K. 111, is a pastoral opera in two parts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Parini. It was commissioned by the Empress Maria Theresa for…

Premiere in Milan of the opera Ascanio in Alba, composed by Mozart at age 15.

1771 255 years ago

Robert Owen, Welsh businessman and social reformer (died 1858)

Robert Owen was a Welsh textile manufacturer, philanthropist, political philosopher and social reformer, and a founder of utopian socialism and the co-operative movement. He strove…

Robert Owen, Welsh businessman and social reformer (died 1858)

1771 255 years ago

Thomas Wedgwood, English photographer (died 1805)

Thomas Wedgwood was an English photographer and inventor. He is most widely known as an early experimenter in the field of photography. He is the first person known to have thought…

Thomas Wedgwood, English photographer (died 1805)

1771 255 years ago

Foundation of the Mission San Antonio de Padua in modern California by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra.

Mission San Antonio de Padua is a Spanish mission established by the Franciscan order in present-day Monterey County, California, near the present-day town of Jolon. Founded on Jul…

Foundation of the Mission San Antonio de Padua in modern California by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra.

1771 255 years ago

Bloody Falls massacre: Chipewyan chief Matonabbee, traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his Arctic overland…

The Bloody Falls massacre was an incident that took place during Hudson's Bay Company employee Samuel Hearne's exploration of the Coppermine River for copper deposits near modern-d…

Bloody Falls massacre: Chipewyan chief Matonabbee, traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his Arctic overland…

1771 255 years ago

Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg (died 1820)

Karl Philipp, Fürst zu Schwarzenberg was an Austrian Generalissimo and former Field Marshal. He first entered military service in 1788 and fought against the Turks. During the Fren…

Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg (died 1820)

1771 255 years ago

Sydney Smith, English preacher and author (died 1845)

Sydney Smith was an English writer and Anglican clergyman, mainly famous for his wit. Besides his energetic parochial work, he was known for his writing and philosophy, founding th…

Sydney Smith, English preacher and author (died 1845)

1771 255 years ago

Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover (died 1851)

Ernest Augustus was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death in 1851. As the fifth son of George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover, he initially seemed unlikely to bec…

Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover (died 1851)

1771 255 years ago

Patrick Gass, American sergeant (Lewis and Clark Expedition) and author (died 1870)

Patrick Gass served as sergeant in the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). He was important to the expedition because of his service as a carpenter, and he published the first …

Patrick Gass, American sergeant (Lewis and Clark Expedition) and author (died 1870)

1771 255 years ago

Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (died 1859)

Joseph Diez Gergonne was a French mathematician and logician.

Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (died 1859)

1771 255 years ago

Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, Scottish philanthropist and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright (died 1820

Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk FRS FRSE was a Scottish landowner and philanthropist best known for sponsoring immigrant settlements in Canada at the Red River Colony.

Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, Scottish philanthropist and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright (died 1820

1771 255 years ago

Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (died 1848)

Leopold Hermann Ludwig von Boyen was a Prussian army officer who helped to reform the Prussian Army in the early 19th century. He also served as minister of war of Prussia in the p…

Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (died 1848)

1771 255 years ago

Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, French chemist and businessman, founded DuPont (died 1834)

Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours was a French-American chemist and industrialist who founded the gunpowder manufacturer E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. His descendants, th…

Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, French chemist and businessman, founded DuPont (died 1834)

1771 255 years ago

Ferdinando Paer, Italian composer and conductor (died 1839)

Ferdinando Paer was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France…

Ferdinando Paer, Italian composer and conductor (died 1839)

1771 255 years ago

Thomas Talbot, Irish-Canadian colonel and politician (died 1853)

Thomas Talbot was an Irish-born Canadian soldier and colonial administrator. He founded the community of Port Talbot, Ontario, which was at one time the most prosperous town in the…

Thomas Talbot, Irish-Canadian colonel and politician (died 1853)

1771 255 years ago

Walter Scott, Scottish novelist, playwright, and poet (died 1832)

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature. He is known for his Waverley nove…

Walter Scott, Scottish novelist, playwright, and poet (died 1832)

1771 255 years ago

Henry Maudslay, English engineer (died 1831)

Henry Maudslay was an English machine tool innovator, tool and die maker, and inventor. He is considered a founding father of machine tool technology. His inventions were an import…

Henry Maudslay, English engineer (died 1831)

1771 255 years ago

Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (died 1847)

Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Lawrence of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field marshal, the third son of Emperor Leopold II and Maria Luisa of Spain. He was also the…

Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (died 1847)

1771 255 years ago

Mungo Park, Scottish surgeon and explorer (died 1806)

Mungo Park was a Scottish explorer of West Africa. After an exploration of the upper Niger River around 1796, he wrote a popular and influential travel book titled Travels in the I…

Mungo Park, Scottish surgeon and explorer (died 1806)

1771 255 years ago

Johann August Apel, German jurist and author (died 1816)

Johann August Apel was a German writer and jurist. Apel was born and died in Leipzig.

Johann August Apel, German jurist and author (died 1816)

1771 255 years ago

Emperor Kōkaku of Japan (died 1840)

Emperor Kōkaku was the 119th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkaku reigned from 1779 until his abdication in 1817 in favor of his son, Emperor…

Emperor Kōkaku of Japan (died 1840)

1771 255 years ago

Nikolay Raevsky, Russian general and politician (died 1829)

Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky or Rayevsky was a Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the Napoleonic Wars. His family left a lasting legacy in…

Nikolay Raevsky, Russian general and politician (died 1829)

1771 255 years ago

Christopher Smart, English actor, playwright, and poet (born 1722)

Christopher Smart was an English poet. He was a major contributor to two popular magazines, The Midwife and The Student, and a friend to influential cultural icons like Samuel John…

Christopher Smart, English actor, playwright, and poet (born 1722)