1740 CE

Frederick II becomes King in Prussia upon the death of his father, Frederick William I. 22 – Batavia Massacre: Troops of the Dutch East India Company massacre at least 10,000 Chinese Indonesians in Batavia. Frederick II of Prussia invades the Habsburg possession of Silesia, starting the War of the Austrian Succession.

In the 1740s, the 18th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

March 16 – King Edward of the Miskito Indians signs a treaty making his kingdom, located on the coast of modern-day Nicaragua, a protectorate of Great Britain.source
June 1 – Plantation Act 1740 or Naturalization Act 1740 of the Parliament of Great Britain comes into effect providing for Protestant alien immigrants (including Huguenots, and also Jews) residing in the American colonies for 7 years to receive British nationality.source
1 June – Plantation Act 1740 or Naturalization Act 1740 of the Parliament of Great Britain comes into effect providing for Protestant alien immigrants (including Huguenots, and also Jews) residing in the American colonies for 7 years to receive British nationality.United Kingdom source
The rulers of the northeast of the Middle Zhuz, including Ablai Khan, concluded an agreement on the Russian protectorate over the Middle Zhuz.Russia source
A subsequently-discredited account by William Stukeley asserts that Stonehenge was built by druids.United Kingdom source

Conflict & Security

April 8 – War of the Austrian Succession: The Royal Navy captures the Spanish ship of the line Princesa off Cape Finisterre and takes her into British service.source
8 April – War of the Austrian Succession: Three Royal Navy ships capture the Spanish ship of the line Princesa off Cape Finisterre and takes her into British service as HMS Princess.United Kingdom source
31 May – 2 June: bread riots in Dublin.Ireland source
June 26 – War of Jenkins' Ear: Siege of Fort Mose – A Spanish column of 300 regular troops, free Black militia and Indian auxiliaries storms Britain's strategically crucial position of Fort Mose, Florida.source
26 June – War of Jenkins' Ear: Siege of Fort Mose – A Spanish column of 300 regular troops, free black militia and Indian auxiliaries storms Britain's strategically crucial position of Fort Mose, Florida.United Kingdom source
July 11 – Pogrom: Jews are expelled from Little Russia.source
October 9–22 – Batavia Massacre: Troops of the Dutch East India Company massacre at least 10,000 Chinese Indonesians in Batavia.source
December 16 – Frederick II of Prussia invades the Habsburg possession of Silesia, starting the War of the Austrian Succession.source
1740-1748: The War of the Austrian Succession, with the American counterpart King George's War.Canada source
General George Wade is succeeded as Commander-in-chief in Scotland by Sir John Cope.Scotland source

Exploration & Expansion

1740s: The Mandan Indians west of the Great Lakes begin to trade in horses descended from those brought to Texas by the Spanish. Itinerant Assiniboine Indians bring them from Mandan settlements to their own territories southwest of Lake Winnipeg.Canada source
A Dublin–Belfast stage coach service runs.Ireland source
Zachariah Williams - The Mariners Compass CompletedWales source

Religion & Belief

August 17 – Pope Benedict XIV succeeds Pope Clement XII, as the 247th pope.source
October 20 – Maria Theresa inherits the hereditary dominions of the Habsburg monarchy (Austria, Bohemia, Hungary and modern-day Belgium) under the terms of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 on the death of her father, Charles VI. Her succession to the Holy Roman Empire is contested widely because she is a woman, but she will reign for 40 years.source
December – Sagan om hästen by Olof von DalinSweden source
The fairy-tale Beauty and the Beast by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve was published.source
Approximate date − The mystical tradition called Martinism is established as a masonic high-degree order.France source
Construction of Kongsberg Church was initiated.Norway source
date unknown - William Williams Pantycelyn becomes a deacon and is appointed curate to Theophilus Evans at Llanfaes.Wales source
Howell Harris - Llyfr o Hymneu o Waith Amryw Awdwyr (collection of hymns)Wales source

Economy & Finance

The watchmaking company Jules Jurgensen is established.Denmark source
Hugh and Robert Tennent take over the Wellpark Brewery, originally known as the Drygate Brewery, in Glasgow.Scotland source

Technology & Infrastructure

January - The Ice House was built in St. Petersburg.Russia source
March 25 – Construction begins on Bethesda Orphanage for boys near Savannah, Georgia, founded by George Whitefield.source
Spain begins construction on Fort Matanzas in the Matanzas Inlet, approximately 15 mi south of St. Augustine, Florida.source
Vincennes porcelain factory established.France source
Susanna Drury shows her gouache drawings of the Giant's Causeway at the Dublin Society's first exhibition, bringing the site to wider attention.Ireland source
Thomas Witherby establishes his stationery business in London, specializing in printing and publishing for the marine insurance industry. By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, as the Witherby Publishing Group, it will claim to be the oldest independent publisher in the English speaking world.United Kingdom source
James Whatman establishes his paper mill in Maidstone, specializing in quality paper. It will remain in production until 2014.United Kingdom source

Science & Discovery

18 September – George Anson sets out on his voyage around the world from Spithead.United Kingdom source
6 November - Charles Wesley records in his diary a visit to the Glascott family home at Cardiff.Wales source

Health & Medicine

April – citizens of Drogheda prevent food being exported from their town to Scotland.Ireland source
21 August – First issue of grog in the Royal Navy.United Kingdom source

Crime & Justice

20 November - Biron was arrested by the guards led by Burkhard Christoph von MünnichRussia source
The 43rd Highland Regiment of Foot (the 'Black Watch') first musters, at Aberfeldy.Scotland source
Henry Hindley invents a device to cut the teeth of clock wheels.United Kingdom source
Griffith Jones (Llanddowror) - Welsh PietyWales source

Disasters & Accidents

January 8 – All 237 crewmen on the Dutch East India Company ship Rooswijk are drowned when the vessel strikes the shoals of Goodwin Sands, off of the coast of England, as it is beginning its second voyage to the Indies. The wreckage is discovered more than 250 years later, in 2004.source
8 January – Dutch East India Company ship Rooswijk is wrecked on the shoals of Goodwin Sands with the loss of all 237 crew as it begins its second voyage to the Indies.United Kingdom source
First steam engine installed in Ireland, for pumping at Doonane Colliery, Shrule.Ireland source
The original Ballymena Castle burns down.Ireland source

Climate & Environment

January–February: the 'Great Frost' continues: unusually harsh winter followed by a Spring drought.Ireland source
January–February – the "Great Frost" continues; this will be the coldest known year (and coldest twelve-month period) by average annual temperature across central England for which reliable records are known.United Kingdom source
June–December – exceptionally cold weather, leading to the Great Irish Famine (1740–1741).Ireland source
Conolly's Folly in the grounds of Castletown House, County Kildare, commissioned by Katherine Conolly from architect Richard Cassels, is erected to provide employment for hundreds of the poor of Celbridge during the Famine.Ireland source

Culture & Society

February 20 – The North Carolina General Assembly incorporates the town of Newton as Wilmington, North Carolina, named for Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington and patron of Royal Governor Gabriel Johnston.source
May 31 – Frederick II becomes King in Prussia upon the death of his father, Frederick William I.source
June 16 – Pour le Mérite first awarded in Prussia as a military honour.source
July 7 – Adam Smith sets out from Scotland to take up a scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford.source
7 July – Adam Smith sets out from Scotland to take up a scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford.Scotland source
August 1 – The song Rule, Britannia! is first performed at Cliveden, the country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales, in England.source
1 August – the patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!", with words by Scottish-born poet James Thomson, is first performed at Cliveden, the English country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales.Scotland source
1 August – "Rule, Britannia!" is first performed in an open-air performance at Cliveden, the country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales as part of the masque Alfred with music by Thomas Arne to a lyric by Scottish-born poet James Thomson; the original tenor soloist is probably Thomas Salway.United Kingdom source
September 8 – Hertford College, Oxford, England, is founded for the first time.source
8 September – Hertford College, Oxford, is founded for the first time.United Kingdom source
28 October - 2-months old Prince Ivan Antonovich succeeds Empress Anna of Russia as Ivan VI under the regency of Anna's favourite Ernst von Biron.Russia source
November 6 – Samuel Richardson's popular and influential epistolary novel, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, is published anonymously in London.source
6 November – Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded is published anonymously in London.United Kingdom source
November 14 – The University of Pennsylvania is officially established.source
Enfield, North Carolina, is founded.source
William Hogarth paints a portrait of philanthropist Captain Thomas Coram (pictured).United Kingdom source

Births

February 4 – Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet, composer (died 1795)source
February 16 – Giambattista Bodoni, Italian publisher and engraver (died 1813)source
February 17 – John Sullivan, American General in the American Revolutionary War, delegate in the Continental Congress (died 1795)source
March – Johann van Beethoven, German musician, father of Ludwig van Beethoven (died 1792)source
April 7 – Haym Salomon, Polish-Jewish American financier of the American Revolution (died 1785)source
June 2 – Marquis de Sade, French author, for whom sadism is named (died 1814)source
June 24 – Juan Ignacio Molina, Spanish-Chilean Jesuit priest, naturalist, historian, translator, geographer, botanist, ornithologist and linguist (died 1829)source
June 27 – James Woodforde, English clergyman and diarist (died 1803)source
July 27 – Jeanne Baret, French explorer (died 1807)source
23 August - Ivan VI, Emperor of Russia in 1740–41. (died 1764)Russia source
August 26 – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier, French inventor (died 1810)source
September 23 – Empress Go-Sakuramachi of Japan (died 1813)source
September 23 - Empress Go-Sakuramachi (died 1813)Japan source
October 29 – James Boswell, Scottish author (died 1795)source
29 October – James Boswell, author (died 1795)United Kingdom source
October 31 – Philip James de Loutherbourg, English artist (died 1812)source
26 December - John Williams (Ioan Rhagfyr), musician (died 1821)Wales source
December – Elisabeth Olin, Swedish opera singer (died 1828)source

Deaths

January 5 – Antonio Lotti, Italian composer (born 1667)source
January 21 – Nicholas Trott, colonial magistrate, South Carolina Chief Justice (born 1663)source
January 27 – Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon, Prime Minister of France (born 1692)source
January – Louise Élisabeth de Joybert, politically active Canadian governors' wife (born 1673)source
February 6 – Pope Clement XII (born 1652)source
February 29 – Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal (born 1667)source
April 28 – Bajirao I, Great Maratha warrior and Prime Minister of Marartha Empire (b.1700)source
May 31 – Frederick William I, King in Prussia (born 1688)source
June 1 – Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian (born 1657)source
June 6 – Alexander Spotswood, British governor of Virginia Colony (born 1676)source
June 17 – William Wyndham, English politician (born 1687)source
7 August - Jane Brereton, poet, 55Wales source
August 20 : François-Louis de Pourroy de Lauberivière, bishop of Quebec (born 1711).Canada source
October 20 – Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1685)source
October 28 – Anna, Empress of Russia (born 1693)source
28 October - Anna, empress of Russia (born 1693)Russia source
December 20 – Richard Boyle, 2nd Viscount Shannon, British military officer and statesman (born 1675)source
Ásmundur Þórðarson was executed for the murder of a young man in Hegranessýsla named Guðmundur.Iceland source