1756 CE

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in New York City for the first time (at the Crown and Thistle Tavern). The Coup of 1756, an attempted coup d'état planned by Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden, to abolish the rule of the Riksdag of the Estates and reinstate absolute monarchy in Sweden with the support of the Hovpartiet, is exposed and subdued. Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, resigns as Prime Minister after British failure in the Battle of Minorca. He is succeeded by the Pitt–Devonshire ministry formed by William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, and William Pitt.

In the 1750s, the 18th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • 5 January – An article appears in The New York Mercury, criticising the work of Lewis Evans in identifying boundaries in his General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America.Walessource
  • January 16 – The Treaty of Westminster is signed between Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Electorate of Hanover, controlled by King George II of Great Britain.source
  • 16 January – Treaty of Westminster signed between Britain and Prussia guaranteeing the neutrality of Hanover, the German province controlled by King George II.United Kingdomsource
  • February - A conflict between the Riksdag and the King and the Queen result in the removal of the current governor of Crown Prince Gustav, who is replaced by a new one, appointed by the parliament.Swedensource
  • April 1 – Yirmisekizzade Mehmed Said Pasha resigns as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. He is replaced by Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha, who has been Grand Vizier from 1752 to 1755.source
  • 26 May - The parliament begun to use a name stamp with the signature of the King, when the monarch refuses to sign papers of state.Swedensource
  • October 14 – An "Agreement of Friendship and Trade" is signed by Sultan Osman III and King Frederick V. Denmark appoints an extraordinary representative to the Ottoman Empire.source
  • 14 October – An Agreement of Friendship and Trade between Denmark-Norway and the Ottoman Empire is signed by King Frederick V and Sultan Osman III.Denmarksource
  • Sion Kadwaladr – Einion a GwenllianWalessource

Conflict & Security

  • February 10 – The massacre of the Guaraní rebels in the Jesuit reduction of Caaibaté takes place in Brazil after their leader, Noicola Neenguiru, defies an ultimatum to surrender by 2:00 in the afternoon. On February 7, Neenguiru's predecessor Sepé Tiaraju has been killed in a brief skirmish. As two o'clock arrives, a combined force of Spanish and Portuguese troops makes an assault on the first of the Seven Towns established as Jesuit missions. Defending their town with cannons made out of bamboo, the Guaraní suffer 1,511 dead, compared to three Spaniards and two Portuguese killed in battle.source
  • February 14 – Battle of Vijaydurg: The Maratha Navy, that has controlled the western coast of India for the Maratha Empire for more than a century, is destroyed by British attackers fighting for the East India Company. On orders of Royal Navy Admiral Charles Watson, the British capture a Maratha ship (the former British warship HMS Restoration), set it on fire, and then float the burning vessel into the Vijaydurg Port where most of Maratha Admiral Tulaji Angre's ships are anchored. The fire soon spreads to the other ships, destroying one large warship armed with 74 cannons, eight gurabs of 200 tonnes apiece, and sixty galbat ships.source
  • March - A Canadien force of 300 captures Fort Bull, between Schenectady and Oswego, and puts the garrison to the sword.Canadasource
  • April 12 – Siege of Fort St Philip begins when the French under Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, land near Port Mahón on Menorca and besiege the British garrison here in a prelude to the Seven Years' War.source
  • May 17 – The Seven Years' War formally begins, when Great Britain declares war on France.source
  • May 20 – Seven Years' War: Battle of Minorca – The British fleet under John Byng is defeated by the French under Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière.source
  • 20 May – Battle of Minorca: The French fleet under Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière defeats the British under John Byng.Francesource
  • 19 June – Confinement of prisoners in the Black Hole of Calcutta.Indiasource
  • June 20 – A garrison of the British Army in India is imprisoned in the Black Hole of Calcutta.source
  • June 22 – The Coup of 1756, an attempted coup d'état planned by Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden, to abolish the rule of the Riksdag of the Estates and reinstate absolute monarchy in Sweden with the support of the Hovpartiet, is exposed and subdued.source
  • June 29 – Seven Years' War: Siege of Fort St Philip at Port Mahón: The British garrison in Menorca surrenders to the French after two months' siege by the Duke of Richelieu.source
  • July - The Coup of 1756 of Queen Louisa Ulrika, in which she planned to replace the reinstate the absolute monarchy by the support of the Hovpartiet, is exposed.Swedensource
  • August 14 – Seven Years' War: French and Indian War – Fort Oswego falls to the French.source
  • August 29 – King Frederick the Great of Prussia invades Saxony, beginning the Third Silesian War within the Seven Years' War on the European continent.source
  • September 2 – Abu l-Hasan Ali I, Bey of Tunis is forcibly removed after 23 years as the ruler of the North African emirate by his cousins, who are avenging the overthrow and execution of their father, Husayn in 1735. Hasan Ali surrenders to the rebels and is imprisoned in Algiers, then executed on September 22 on orders of the new Bey of Tunis, Muhammad I ar-Rashid.source
  • October 1 – Seven Years' War: Battle of Lobositz – Frederick defeats an Austrian army under Marshal Maximilian Ulysses, Reichsgraf von Browne.source
  • November 16 – Thomas Pelham-Holles, the Duke of Newcastle, is forced to resign as Prime Minister of Great Britain after the British lose the Battle of Minorca to the French. The office of Prime Minister remains vacant for eight months with William Pitt and the Duke of Devonshire leading the cabinet.source
  • 16 November – Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, resigns as Prime Minister after British failure in the Battle of Minorca. He is succeeded by the Pitt–Devonshire ministry formed by William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, and William Pitt.United Kingdomsource
  • December – Seven Years' War – French and Indian War: Militias of the Royal Colony of North Carolina build a fort on the province's western frontier to protect it against natives allied with the French. The fort is named Fort Dobbs in honor of North Carolina Governor Arthur Dobbs, who persuaded the North Carolina legislature to fund the construction a year earlier.source
  • The Marquis de Montcalm assumes a troubled command of French troops in North America. (The Seven Years' War between Britain and France begins in Europe).Canadasource
  • Suraj-ud-Dowlah captures Calcutta.Indiasource
  • Lewis Morris loses his post as collector of tolls at Aberdyfi.Walessource

Exploration & Expansion

  • Hugh Hughes – Cywydd Galarnadd am ynys Minorca...Walessource

Religion & Belief

  • January – Tobias Smollett becomes the first editor of The Critical Review, published in Edinburgh.Scotlandsource
  • 30 May – the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is formed by merger of the Bishopric of Ardagh with that of Clonmacnoise. Augustine Cheevers serves as first bishop until August when he is succeeded by Anthony Blake.Irelandsource
  • Two books of Icelandic sagas were published at Hólar, Ágætar fornmannasögur and Nokkrir margfróðir söguþættir.Icelandsource
  • The title Earl of Lanesborough is created in the Peerage of Ireland in favour of Humphrey Butler, 2nd Viscount Lanesborough.Irelandsource
  • The title Earl of Shannon is created in the Peerage of Ireland in favour of the politician Henry Boyle.Irelandsource

Economy & Finance

  • France sends two battalions to Canada, with provisions, and 1,300,000 livres, in specie, which has the effect of depreciating the paper currency by 25 per cent.Canadasource
  • National income - ₹9,334 millionIndiasource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • The first chocolate-candy factory begins operations in Germany.source
  • The town of Gus-Khrustalny is established in Russia, with the setting up of a crystal glass factory.source
  • The Vincennes porcelain factory moves to Sèvres as the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres.Francesource
  • A house is constructed in EyrarbakkiIcelandsource
  • The planned industrial village of Charlestown, Fife, is begun by Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin.Scotlandsource
  • 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot first formed.Scotlandsource
  • Undated – completion of William Edwards' Old Bridge, Pontypridd. With a 140 ft span it becomes (by 10 ft) the longest single-span bridge in Great Britain, remaining so for 40 years.United Kingdomsource
  • Spring – Completion of Britain's longest single-span bridge (at this date), William Edwards' Old Bridge, Pontypridd, over the River Taff, at the third (or fourth) attempt.Walessource

Science & Discovery

  • January 27 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is born in Salzburg, Austria, to Anna Maria and Leopold Mozart.source
  • Physician Francis Home publishes Experiments on Bleaching in Edinburgh.Scotlandsource
  • Edmund Burke's (anonymous) A Vindication of Natural Society.United Kingdomsource

Health & Medicine

Crime & Justice

  • 21 April – James Montgomery, a slave, escapes from a ship bound for Virginia at Port Glasgow and flees to Edinburgh where he is recaptured and begins the legal case of Montgomery v Sheddan in an attempt to gain his freedom.Scotlandsource
  • François Boucher paints portraits of Madame de Pompadour.Francesource
  • Charles Bingham was appointed High Sheriff of MayoIrelandsource
  • A decision of the Court of Session (in Edinburgh) establishes that tenants may easily be removed by the local sheriff.Scotlandsource

Climate & Environment

  • 6 October – hurricane hits Britain causing large losses of corn and other crops.United Kingdomsource
  • King Frederick the Great of Prussia forces his country's peasants to grow the unpopular and obscure potato.source
  • The Canadiens, suffering from smallpox and famine, are burthened with the support of their Indian allies.Canadasource

Culture & Society

  • March 17 – St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in New York City for the first time (at the Crown and Thistle Tavern).source
  • May – the dramatic poem Leucothoé becomes Isaac Bickerstaffe's first published work.Irelandsource
  • June 25 – The Marine Society is founded in London, the world's oldest seafarers' charity.source
  • 25 June – foundation of The Marine Society in London, the world's oldest seafarers' charity.United Kingdomsource
  • July 30 – Bartolomeo Rastrelli presents the newly built Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo to Empress Elizabeth of Russia and her court.source
  • 1 November – Wanlockhead Miners' Library set up.Scotlandsource
  • 4 December – Pitt becomes Secretary of State for the Southern Department.United Kingdomsource
  • December 14 – Rev. John Home's tragedy Douglas is performed for the first time in Edinburgh, with overwhelming success, in spite of the opposition of the local church presbytery, who summon Alexander Carlyle to answer for having attended its representation. However, it fails in its early promise to set up a new Scottish dramatic tradition.source
  • 14 December – Rev. John Home's blank verse tragedy Douglas is performed for the first time, in Edinburgh, with considerable success, in spite of the opposition of the local church presbytery, who summon Rev. Alexander Carlyle to answer for having attended its representation; however, it fails in its early promise to set up a new Scottish dramatic tradition.Scotlandsource
  • Leopold Mozart publishes his book on his method for learning to play the violin, Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.source
  • Foundation of the Imperial TheatresRussiasource
  • Church of St Andrew's in the Square, Glasgow, designed by Allan Dreghorn, is completed.Scotlandsource

Births

  • January 27 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer (died 1791)source
  • February 6 - Aaron Burr, American politician (died 1836)source
  • February 20 – Angelica Schuyler Church, American socialite, daughter of Genl.Philip Schuyler, sister to Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (died 1814)source
  • March 3 – William Godwin, English writer (died 1836)source
  • 3 March – William Godwin, writer (died 1836)United Kingdomsource
  • March 4 – Sir Henry Raeburn, Scottish painter (died 1823)source
  • May 10 – Singu Min, king of Myanmar (k. 1782)source
  • May 27 – King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (died 1825)source
  • May 31 – Abbé Faria, Luso-Goan Catholic monk, student of hypnotism (died 1819)source
  • June 6 – John Trumbull, American painter (died 1843)source
  • June 20 – Joseph Martin Kraus, German-Swedish composer (died 1792)source
  • 4 July – John Evans, surgeon and cartographer (died 1846)Walessource
  • August 29 – Heinrich Graf von Bellegarde, Austrian field marshal, statesman (died 1845)source
  • 4 September – Christen Pram, economist, civil servant, poet, novelist, playwright (died 1821).Norwaysource
  • September 13 – Benedikte Naubert, German writer (died 1819)source
  • September 23 – John Loudon McAdam, Scottish engineer, road-builder (died 1836)source
  • December 7 – John Littlejohn, British-American sheriff and Methodist preacher (died 1836)source
  • Jean François Hamtramck, French Canadian officer that joined American revolution.Canadasource

Deaths

  • February 7 – Guaraní War: The leader of the Guaraní rebels, Sepé Tiaraju, is killed in a skirmish with Spanish and Portuguese troops.source
  • February 22 – Akdun, Chinese Manchu statesman (born 1685)source
  • February 25 – Eliza Haywood, English actress, writer (born 1693)source
  • 19 March - Maria Choglokova, courtier (born 1723)Russiasource
  • April 4 – Marie Sophie de Courcillon, French noblewoman and Duchess of Rohan-Rohan, Princess of Soubise by marriage (born 1713)source
  • April 10 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer (born 1661)source
  • April 18 – Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (born 1677)source
  • July 1 – Giambattista Nolli, Italian architect (born 1701)source
  • July 24 – George Vertue, English engraver, antiquary (born 1684)source
  • 5 August – Sir George Wynne, 1st Baronet, landowner and politician, 56Walessource
  • September 22 – Abu l-Hasan Ali I, ruler of Tunisia (born 1688)source
  • 26 September – Joachim Andreas Stukenbrock, Berghauptmann at the Kongsberg Silver Mines (born 1699).Norwaysource
  • October 15 – William Grimston, 1st Viscount Grimston, Irish noble (born 1684)source
  • October 26 – Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière, governor of New France (born 1693)source
  • October 28 – Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (born 1709)source
  • December 8 – William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, English statesman, diplomat (born c. 1690)source
  • December 11 – Maria Amalia, Holy Roman Empress (born 1701)source
  • Siraj-ud-Din Ali Khan Arzu, Urdu poet and Lexicographer in Delhi. (born 1687)Indiasource