istoryworld
Events relating to europe
An alliance between the French and Spanish Bourbons is the first of what become known as the Family Compacts
Voltaire publishes a series of Philosophical Letters comparing the French unfavourably with England
John Kay, working in the Lancashire woollen industry, patents the flying shuttle to speed up weaving
Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus publishes a 'system of nature', capable of classifying all living things
Swedish chemist Georg Brandt discovers a new metallic element, which he names cobalt
Florence loses her independence when the last Medici duke of Tuscany dies
In the Treaty of Vienna, France accepts the Pragmatic Sanction of Charles VI – the last of the European powers to do so
Britain declares war on Spain, partly in a mood of indignation over Captain Jenkins' ear
David Hume publishes his Treatise of Human Nature, in which he applies to the human mind the principles of experimental science
Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador become the Spanish viceroyalty of New Granada, with Bogota as the capital
A charismatic leader, Baal Shem Tov, develops Hasidism in Poland as an influential revivalist movement within Judaism
Italian dramatist Carlo Goldoni makes a success of plays in the ancient commedia dell'arte tradition
Jack Broughton, champion of England, opens an academy to teach 'the mystery of boxing, that wholly British art'
Frederick II, the king of Prussia, invades the neighbouring Habsburg province of Silesia, launching the War of the Austrian Succession
Frederick's Prussian army defeats the Austrians at Mollwitz, securing his hold on most of Silesia
Venice's new theatre, the Teatro Novissimo, has machinery which can change the scenes in the blink of an eye
Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius proposes 100 degrees between the freezing and boiling points of water
Edmond Hoyle publishes the definitive rules of whist
France formally declares war on Britain half way through the War of the Austrian Succession
Bad weather causes the French to abandon a plan to invade Britain with the Scottish pretender Charles Edward Stuart
Maurice de Saxe, with a French army including an Irish brigade, defeats British, Austrian and Dutch forces at Fontenoy
Charles Edward Stuart lands at Eriskay in the Hebrides, launching the Forty-Five Rebellion
Charles Edward Stuart gathers support for the Forty-Five Rebellion on his way south from the Hebrides and reaches Edinburgh
Charles Edward Stuart marches as far south as Derby, but then turns back
Charles Edward Stuart and his 5000 Scots are routed at Culloden, bringing the Forty-Five Rebellion to an abrupt end
