1739 CE

A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China killing 50,000 people. Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah. "Address of the Roman Catholics of Ireland" to George II of Great Britain requesting longer leases.

In the 1730s, the 18th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

14 January – Britain and Spain sign the Convention of Pardo.United Kingdom source
16 April – The Hats (party) forms government with Carl Gyllenborg as Privy Council Chancellery.Sweden source
July 12 – The British East India Company signs a treaty with the Maratha Empire to gain the right of free trade within the territory.source
August 20 – The Viceroyalty of New Granada, incorporating modern-day Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela is re-established by the royal cedula of King Philip V of Spain, 16 years after it had been dissolved, and adds the territory of Panama as well.source
September 18 – The Treaty of Belgrade brings the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39) to an end.source
October 3 – The Treaty of Niš is signed.source
6 October – the title Earl of Bessborough is created in the Peerage of Ireland in favour of Brabazon Ponsonby, 2nd Viscount Duncannon, chief commissioner of revenue.Ireland source
Ecuador, part of Real Audiencia of Quito, becomes a part of New Granada, instead of Peru.source
Christian Rantzau is deposed as Steward of Norway, and the position was vacant until 1750.Norway source
Public schools for all children, from the age of seven, are established by law.Norway source
Hendrik Swellengrebel becomes the first Cape-born Governor of the Cape Colony.South Africa source
Sweden form an alliance with the Ottoman Empire against the Empire of Russia.Sweden source
Samuel and Nathaniel Buck tour Wales to produce the first of their prints of the country, following on from their prints of England.Wales source

Conflict & Security

February 24 – Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah.source
March 20 – Nader Shah occupies Delhi, India and sacks the city, stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne, including the Koh-i-Noor.source
6 June - Battle of Jakobshavn (Greenland). The battle led to the consolidation of Danish-Norwegian presence on Greenland.Norway source
July 22 – The Ottoman Empire retakes Belgrade from Austria's Habsburg monarchy after winning the Battle of Grocka.source
September 9 – The Stono Rebellion, a slave rebellion, erupts near Charleston, South Carolina.source
October 23 – War of Jenkins' Ear: Great Britain declares war on Spain.source
23 October – "War of Jenkins' Ear" (1739–1742) begins when Britain declares war on Spain.United Kingdom source
November 20–22 – War of Jenkins' Ear – Battle of Porto Bello: British marine forces capture the Panamanian silver-exporting town of Portobelo from the Spanish.source
Nadir Shah invades India from Iran.India source
Nadir Shah captures and sacks Delhi.India source
Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39)Russia source
The six Independent Highland Companies known as the Black Watch are augmented to ten and formed into the 43rd Highland Regiment of Foot (the "Earl of Crawford's Highlanders"), a regular British Army regiment of the line. Its first colonel is John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford (who on 22 July has been wounded at the Battle of Grocka).Scotland source
The last Khoikhoi rebellion against the Dutch happens in the south-western Cape. It is suppressed, and the survivors become farm labourers.South Africa source
San Bushmen raids in the north force farmers to flee. Acting governor Daniël van den Henghel raises a commando, and offers amnesty to participants.South Africa source

Exploration & Expansion

January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean.source
26 September – "Address of the Roman Catholics of Ireland" to George II of Great Britain requesting longer leases.Ireland source
Joseph La France begins to explore between Lake Superior and Hudson Bay.Canada source

Religion & Belief

May 12 – John Wesley lays the foundation stone of the New Room, Bristol in England, the world's first Methodist meeting house.source
12 May – John Wesley lays the foundation stone of the New Room, Bristol, the world's first Methodist meeting house.United Kingdom source
October 12 – The town of Utuado, Puerto Rico was founded by Sebastian de Morfi.source
Suspended ministers of the "Associate Presbytery" (First Secession) led by Ebenezer Erskine are summoned to appear before the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, but fail to attend because they do not acknowledge its authority.Scotland source
Rowland Ellis - A Salutation to the Britains (2nd London edition)Wales source
John Reynolds - The Scripture Genealogy and Display of HerauldryWales source

Economy & Finance

28 November – Hørsholm is incorporated as a market town.Denmark source
National income – ₹8,776 millionIndia source

Technology & Infrastructure

February – George Whitefield first preaches in the open air, to miners at Kingswood, South Gloucestershire.United Kingdom source
April – John Wesley first preaches in the open air, at Whitefield's invitation.United Kingdom source
Johan Ludvig Holstein constructs Ledrebrog's new main building near Lejre.Denmark source
The potato is first cultivated in Scotland as a field crop, at Kilsyth.Scotland source
The new privileges of the manufacturing industry liberates industrial workers from military service.Sweden source
The Manufakturkontoret (Office of Manufacture) is founded by the Riksdag of the Estates, which is to regulate and supervise the manufacture industry in Sweden.Sweden source
A new parish church is completed at Willington Worthenbury near Wrexham, designed by Richard Trubshaw.Wales source

Health & Medicine

July 9 – The first group purporting to represent an all-England cricket team, consisting of 11 players from various parts of England, comes to Kent and loses to the renowned Kent team, led by Lord John Sackville.source
October 17 – The Foundling Hospital is created in London by royal charter.source
17 October – the Foundling Hospital in London, established by Thomas Coram, is granted its royal charter.United Kingdom source
Census of New France counts 42,801 inhabitants.Canada source
A new regulation states that knowledge in the Finnish language should always be considered when someone is employed in a public office in the province of Finland; though all education above basic education and all public servants in Finland remain Swedish speaking, this regulation does increase the use of the Finnish language in public in Finland.Sweden source
In accordance with the new law of spinning teachers, the linen weaver Elisabeth Forsell are sent to Finland on government support to introduce linen spinning in the province.Sweden source

Crime & Justice

27 April – the trial of Henry Barry, 4th Baron Barry of Santry, before the Irish House of Lords for the drunken murder of a tavern servant in Palmerstown the previous summer opens; he is convicted but later pardoned.Ireland source
Etienne Barbier and his men refuse to pay taxes and accuse the government of tyranny, exploiting the governor's amnesty. Barbier remains in hiding but is eventually caught.South Africa source
The Khoikhoi accuse Olifants River farmers of cattle theft. They are proven right, the cattle are returned, but the farmers defy their summons.South Africa source

Climate & Environment

January 3 – A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China killing 50,000 people.source
July–August – wet summer, affecting the harvest and the cutting of turf.Ireland source
25 December–February 1740 – the 'Great Frost': unusually harsh winter in southern England and Ireland.United Kingdom source
27 December–February 1740 – the 'Great Frost': unusually harsh winter in which the River Liffey froze over, and citizens "walked and recreated themselves upon the ice".Ireland source
December 30– Months of unseasonably cold weather begin in Ireland, precipitating the Irish Famine of 1740, known as Bliain an Áir ("The Year of Slaughter"). A January 5 dispatch from Dublin to the Stamford Mercury says "Since last Wednesday we have had the most violent cold Weather that was ever known in this Kingdom; hard Frost began that evening, which has continued ever since with a very stormy Wind at South-East." At least 13% of Ireland's population dies of starvation in the year that follows.source
84,000 farmers revolt in the province of Iwaki in Japan.source
A Plinian eruption of Mount Tarumae volcano occurs in Japan.source

Culture & Society

16 January – first performance of George Frideric Handel's oratorio Saul at the His Majesty's Theatre, London.United Kingdom source
January (dated 9 February) – the original version of The Scots Magazine begins publication in Edinburgh.Scotland source
March - Diarist William Bulkeley of Brynddu is a bearer at the funeral of Richard Bulkeley, 5th Viscount Bulkeley, and leaves an account in his diary.Wales source
4 April – first performance of Handel's oratorio Israel in Egypt at the King's Theatre, London.United Kingdom source
20 May - The roof of St Mary's Church, Swansea, collapses into the nave just before a Sunday morning service; the congregation is waiting outside for the officiating priest, who is running late.Wales source
June 13 – (June 2 Old Style); The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is founded in Stockholm, Sweden.source
The first Bible in Estonian is published.source
The poem Nordlands Trompet by Petter Dass is published posthumously.Norway source
The Løvenskiold family were ennobled.Norway source
A reform partially retracts the unpopular sumptuary law of servants clothing from 1720, and secures the rights for servants of certain functions to dress as they wish, as the previous clothing restriction has proven to have a deteriorating effect on staff recruitment.Sweden source

Births

January 25 – Charles François Dumouriez, French general (died 1823)source
February 15 – Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect (died 1813)source
14 March - Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany, second son and third child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (died 1767)Wales source
March 16 – George Clymer, American politician and Founding Father (died 1813)source
March 19 – Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, Third Consul of France (died 1824)source
8 May: Hannes Finnsson, bishopIceland source
August 31 – Johann Augustus Eberhard, German theologian, philosopher (died 1809)source
August: Alexander Henry the elder, fur trader, merchant, militia officer, jp, and author (died 1824)Canada source
September 12 – Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, Methodist preacher and philanthropist (died 1816)source
October 11 – Grigory Potemkin, Russian military leader, statesman, nobleman and favourite of Catherine the Great (died 1791)source
October 11 - Grigory Potemkin (died 1791)Russia source
November 2 – Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, Austrian composer (died 1799)source
November 8 – Henrik Gabriel Porthan, Finnish professor and historian (died 1804)source
November 20 – Jean-François de La Harpe, French critic (died 1803)source
December 14 – Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, French politician (died 1817)source
Samuel Mason, Revolutionary War soldier, early American outlaw (died 1803)source
Karoline Kaulla, German banker (died 1809)source
Margherita Dalmet, Venetian dogaressa (died 1817)source

Deaths

March 5 – John Joseph of the Cross, Italian saint (born 1654)source
April 7 – English highwayman Dick Turpin is executed by hanging for horse theft.source
April 7 – Dick Turpin, English highwayman (hanged) (born 1705)source
April 19 – Nicholas Saunderson, English scientist and mathematician (born 1682)source
May 10 – Cosmas Damian Asam, German painter and architect during the late Baroque period (born 1686)source
May 19: Marie Barbier de l'Assomption, sister of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame (born 1663)Canada source
6 June - John Griffith, MP for Caernarvonshire, about 52Wales source
June 18 – Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Swedish nobleman (born 1700)source
June 20 – Edmond Martène, French Benedictine historian and liturgist (born 1654)source
July 24 – Benedetto Marcello, Italian composer (born 1686)source
September 8 – Yuri Troubetzkoy, Governor of Belgorod (born 1668)source
September 12 – Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (born 1667)source
September 19 – Anne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne, French princess (born 1722)source
October 6 – Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné, French noble (born 1684)source
October 18 – Antônio José da Silva, Brazilian-born dramatist (born 1705)source
November 14 – Juan de Galavís, Spanish Catholic archbishop (born 1683)source
1 December – Hartvig Jentoft, merchant (born 1693).Norway source
Etienne Barbier is executed by drawn and quarter as South Africa's first rebel, his remains are displayed as a warning.South Africa source