- January 14
- Mozart completes "Dissonantenkwartet" (opus 10). [1]
- January 15
- Mozarts string quartet opus 10 premieres. [1]
- January 20
- Samuel Ellis advertises to sell Oyster Island (Ellis Island), no takers. [1]
- January 27
- First US state university chartered, Athens Georgia. [1]
- February 6
- Iman Willem Falck Dutch governor of Ceylon (1765-83), dies at age 48. [1]
- February 19
- Johann Christoph Richter composer, dies at age 84. [1]
- February 24
- Carlo Bonaparte Corsican attorney, dies at age 39. [1]
- March 1
- Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture organized. [1]
- March 7
- France gives Sweden the island of St. Bartholomew in the West Indies. [7]
- April 21
- Russian tsarina Catharina II ends noble privileges. [1]
- April 26
- Karl Siegmund von Seckendorff composer, dies at age 40. [1]
- April 30
- Frederick Philipse III land owner (Bronx, Westch and Putnam), dies at age 65. [1]
- May 1
- Kamehameha, the king of Hawai'i defeats Kalanikupule and establishes the Kingdom of Hawai'i. [5]
- May 8
- Pietro Longhi painter, dies. [1]
- May 9
- Franz Xaver Schnitzer composer, dies at age 44. [1]
- Joseph Bramah receives British patent for beer pump handles. [1]
- May 10
- Etienne Joseph Floquet composer, dies at age 36. [1]
- May 15
- Karel Blazej Kopriva composer, dies at age 29. [1]
- May 23
- Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals. [1]
- William Woollett engraver, dies. [1]
- June 15
- Two French balloonists die in world's first fatal aviation accident. [1]
- July 6
- The dollar (and decimal coinage) is unanimously chosen by the Continental Congress as the monetary unit for the United States. the US is the first nation to adopt decimal money system. [1] [5] [417.56] [450.46] [512.36] [584.9] [677.28]
- August 13
- Fire destroys a wing of the Redoute casino in Liège, France. Burning playing cards cause up to fifty thatch-roofed houses in Sauveniere to burn down, killing three people. [187.187] [811.79]
- September 29
- Chaidic sect is excommunicated in Cracow Poland. [1]
- October 11
- Bavarian authorities raid house of Herr von Zwack, counselor to Prince von Salm, finding Illuminati documents showing plans for world revolution. [916.56]
- December 8
- Antonio Maria Mazzoni composer, dies at age 68. [1]
- December 29
- Johann Heinrich Rolle composer, dies at age 69. [1]
1786
- January 4
- Moses Mendelssohn Jewish/German philosopher (Haksalah), dies at age 56. [1] [37]
- February 13
- Abraham Baldwin selected president of University of Georgia. [1]
- February 20
- Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht composer, dies at age 70. [1]
- February 24
- Charles Cornwallis appointed Governor-General of India. [1]
- March 7
- Frantisek Benda composer, dies at age 76. [1]
- March 11
- Jacobus Bellamy [Zelandus], Dutch/Swiss poet, dies at age 28. [1]
- April 20
- John Goodricke English deaf and dumb astronomer, dies at age 21. [1]
- April 23
- Alexander Cozens English water colors painter, dies at about age 68. [1]
- May 1
- Mozart's opera "Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Wien (Vienna). [1]
- May 5
- Pedro III King of Portugal, dies. [1]
- May 19
- John Stanley composer, dies at age 74. [1]
- May 21
- Carl W Scheele Swedish pharmacist/chemist, dies at age 43. [1]
- June 8
- First commercially-made ice cream sold (New York). [1]
- July 29
- First newspaper published west of Alleghenies, Pittsburgh Gazette. [1]
- August 8
- The American Continental Congress defines a silver dollar containing 375.64 grains of silver as the nation's unit of account. [388.188] [427.67] [910.44]
- August 9
- First ascent of Mount Blanc. [1]
- August 29
- Shay's Rebellion in Springfield, Massachusetts [1]
- September 11
- Annapolis Convention to determine interstate commerce. [1]
- October 16
- Continental Congress authorizes coinage system of gold piece valued at $10, silver piece at $1, tenth dollar in silver, and copper penny. [538.34] [553.36] [703.44]
1787
- January 1
- Arthur Middleton US farmer (signed Declaration of Independence), dies at age 44. [1]
- January 11
- William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus. [1] [5]
- January 25
- Shays' Rebellion suffers a setback when debt-ridden farmers, led by Captain Daniel Shays, fail to capture an arsenal at Springfield Massachusetts. [1]
- January 28
- Philadelphia's Free Africa Society organizes. [1]
- February 4
- First Anglican bishops of New York and Pennsylvania consecrated in London. [1]
- Shays' Rebellion (of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers) fails. [1]
- February 12
- Ruggiero Boscovich Italian physicist/astronomer/philosopher, dies at age 75. [1]
- February 18
- Austrian emperor Jozef II bans children under eight from labor. [1]
- March 2
- Jean Allamand French theologist/natural philosopher, dies at age 73. [1]
- March 11
- Maximilian JLP Gardel French ballet dancer/choreographer, dies at age 45. [1]
- April 12
- Philadelphia's Free African Society forms. [1]
- April 16
- First American comedy, "The Contrast", makes its debut in New York City. [1]
- May 10
- Parliament impeaches Warren Hastings. [1]
- May 13
- Arthur Phillip sets sails with 11 ships of criminals to Australia. On board are 588 men, 292 women, and 28 children. (The first ship arrives 270 days later in Botany Bay.) [1] [604.100]
- Johann Michael Malzat composer, dies at age 38. [1]
- May 14
- Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draw up US constitution. [1]
- May 17
- English slave ship Sisters, sailing from Africa to Cuba, capsizes. [1]
- May 25
- Constitutional convention opens at Philadelphia, George Washington presiding. [1]
- May 29
- "Virginia Plan" proposed. [1]
- June 12
- Law passes providing a senator must be at least 30 years old. [1]
- July 2
- de Sade shouts from Bastille that prisoners are being slaughtered. [1]
- July 13
- US Congress establishes Northwest Territory (excludes slavery). [1]
- Ordinance of 1787: a territory can become three to five states at 60,000 population. [1]
- August 6
- Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia begins debate. [1]
- August 17
- Jews are granted permission in Budapest Hungary to pray in groups. [1]
- August 19
- W Herschel discovers Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. [1]
- August 22
- John Fitch's steamboat completes its tests, years before Fulton. [1]
- September 17
- The United States Constitution is signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [1] [5]
- September 27
- Constitution submitted to the states for ratification. [1]
- September 28
- US Congress sends Constitution to state legislatures for their approval. [1]
- October 17
- Boston blacks, petition legislature for equal school facilities. [1]
- October 27
- Federalist letters start appearing in New York newspapers. [1]
- October 29
- The opera "Don Giovanni" is produced (Prague). [1]
- November 1
- First free school in New York City (African Free School) opens. [1]
- November 18
- First Unitarian minister in US ordained, Boston. [1]
- November 21
- Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar. [1]
- December 6
- Laurens Pieter van de Speigel appointed Dutch pension advisor. [1]
- December 7
- Delaware becomes first state to ratify US Constitution. [1] [548.42]
- December 12
- Pennsylvania becomes second state to ratify US constitution. [1]
- December 18
- New Jersey becomes third state to ratify constitution. [1]
1788
- January 1
- London's Daily Universal Register becomes the Times. [1]
- Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipate their slaves. [1]
- January 2
- Georgia is fourth state to ratify US constitution. [1] [453.70]
- January 5
- Johann Schneider composer, dies at age 85. [1]
- January 9
- Connecticut becomes 5th state. [1]
- January 15
- Gaetano Latilla composer, dies at age 77. [1]
- January 17
- Alessio Prati composer, dies at age 37. [1]
- January 20
- Pioneer African Baptist church organizes in Savannah Georgia. [1]
- January 26
- Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts and settlers into Botany Bay to land and form the colony of New South Wales (continent of Australia). [1] [129] [501.106] (January 18 [501.134])
- January 28
- Lord Gordon found guilty of libel of queen of France. [1]
- January 31
- Charles E Stuart, English pretender to the throne, dies at age 67. [1]
- Francesco Zannetti composer, dies at age 50. [1]
- February 1
- First US steamboat patent issued, by Georgia to Briggs and Longstreet. [1]
- February 6
- Massachusetts becomes sixth state to ratify the US Constitution. [1] [453.70] (February 8 [450.70])
- February 7
- British Captain Arthur Philip, flotilla commander of ships arriving at Australia, raises his flag at Sydney Cove. [696.22]
- February 9
- Austria declares war on Russia. [1]
- February 22
- Franz Joseph Oehlschlagel composer, dies at age 63. [1]
- March 1
- Orazio Mei composer, dies at age 56. [1]
- March 21
- Fire destroyed 856 buildings in New Orleans Louisiana. [1]
- Gustavus Vassa petitions Queen Charlotte, to free enslaved Africans. [1]
- March 29
- Charles Wesley hymn writer, dies. [1]
- April 7
- First settlement in Ohio, at Marietta. [1]
- April 12
- Carl Joseph Toeschi composer, dies at age 56. [1]
- Carlo Antonio Campioni composer, dies at age 67. [1]
- April 15
- England, Netherlands and Prussia sign peace treaty. [1]
- Giuseppi Bonno composer, dies at age 77. [1]
- April 22
- Zacharias H Alewijn Dutch poet, dies 46. [1]
- April 28
- Maryland becomes the 7th state to ratify the constitution. [1]
- May 9
- English parliament accepts abolishing of slave trade. [1]
- May 12
- Louis E van Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Austrian duke, dies at age 69. [1]
- May 23
- South Carolina becomes 8th state to ratify US constitution. [1] [453.70]
- May 26
- Mary Clark of England gives birth to a baby without a brain. [1]
- May 29
- Jacques Aliamet French etcher/engraver, dies at age 61. [1]
- June 11
- First British ship built on Pacific coast begun at Nootka Sound, British Columbia, Canada. [1]
- June 21
- US Constitution goes into effect as New Hampshire is 9th state to ratify it. [1] [432.95]
- June 25
- Virginia becomes 10th state to ratify US constitution. [1]
- July 26
- New York becomes 11th state to ratify constitution. [1]
- September 13
- New York City becomes capital of the United States. [1]
- December 12
- Joseph Gibbs composer, dies at age 88. [1]
- December 14
- Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach German composer, dies at age 74. [1]
- Carlos III King of Naples/Spain (1759-88), dies at age 72. [1]
- December 17
- Russian army of Grigorij Potemkin occupies Ochárov. [1]
- December 19
- Chinese troops occupy capital Thang Long Vietnam. [1]
- December 21
- Hue Tay Son becomes emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam. [1]
- December 23
- Maryland votes to cede a 10 square mile area for District of Columbia. [1]
- December 25
- John Logan Scottish conductor (Ode to the Cuckoo), dies at about age 40. [1]
- December 30
- Francesco Zuccarelli Italian rococo painter/etcher, dies at age 86. [1]
1789
- January 1
- Christleib Siegmund Binder composer, dies at age 65. [1]
- January 2
- Franz Joseph Leonti Meyer von Schavensee composer, dies at age 68. [1]
- January 7
- America's first presidential election is held; only white men who own property are allowed to vote. George Washington wins the election. [1] [129]
- January 10
- Pierre Lyonet Dutch zoologist/cryptologist, dies at age 82. [1]
- January 20
- Johann Christoph Oley composer, dies at age 50. [1]
- January 21
- First American novel, WH Brown's "The Power of Sympathy", is published. [1]
- January 23
- Georgetown, first US Catholic college, founded. [1]
- January 26
- John Odell signs contract for £336 to build Saint Peter's church (Bronx). [1]
- February 1
- Chinese troops driven out of Vietnam capital Thang Long. [1]
- February 2
- Armand-Louis Couperin French composer/organist (Notre Dame), dies at age 63. [1]
- February 4
- First electoral college chooses Washington and Adams as President and Vice President. [1]
- March 2
- Pennsylvania ends prohibition of theatrical performances. [1]
- March 10
- Franklin College founded (1787?). [1]
- March 11
- Benjamin Banneker with L'Enfant begin to lay out Washington DC. [1]
- March 12
- US Post Office established. [1]
- April 1
- House of Representatives first full meeting, New York City, New York, F Muhlenberg first speaker. [1]
- April 6
- First US Congress begins regular sessions, Federal Hall, New York City, New York. [1]
- April 7
- Abdül-Hamid I 27th sultan of Turkey (1774-89), dies at age 64. [1]
- Peter Camper anatomist/animal scholar, dies at age 66. [1]
- April 8
- House of Representives first meeting. [1]
- April 16
- George Washington heads for first presidential inauguration. [1]
- April 21
- John Adams sworn in as first US Vice President (9 days before Washington). [1]
- April 23
- President-elect George Washington moves into Franklin House, New York. [1]
- April 26
- Peter I Panin Russian General (Pugatshov-uprising), dies at about age 67. [1]
- April 28
- Chief Mate Fletcher Christian and nine others stage mutiny on the HMS Bounty. Commander Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 others are set adrift from Tahiti in a 23-foot boat. (They soon land at Tofua, depart May 2, and make a 43-day, 3600-mile voyage to Timor.) [1] [246.54] [394.31]
- April 30
- George Washington inaugurated as first President of USA, taking oath of office on alter Bible of Saint John's Masonic Lodge No. 1, New York City. [1] [129] [273.3] [585.30]
- May 5
- French States-General for Italy first since 1614 together. [1]
- May 7
- First inaugural ball (for George Washington in New York City, New York). [1]
- May 10
- Guillaume Gommaire Kennis composer, dies at age 72. [1]
- May 12
- Society of Saint Tammany is formed by Revolutionary War soldiers. (It later becomes an infamous group of New York City political bosses.) [1]
- June 1
- First US congressional act becomes law (on administering oaths). [1]
- June 3
- Alex Mackenzie explores Mackenzie River (Canada). [1]
- June 9
- Spanish capture British schooner Northwest America near Vancouver I. [1]
- June 13
- Mrs Alexander Hamilton serves ice cream for dessert to Washington. [1]
- June 17
- Third Estate in France declared itself a national assembly. [1]
- July 4
- July 11
- Marquis de Lafayette introduces Declaration of Rights of Man in France. [450.46]
- July 14
- Citizens of Paris, France, storm the Bastille prison, begining the French Revolution. [1] [223.91] [454.72] [811.88]
- July 27
- US Congress establishes Department of Foreign Affairs (State dept). [1]
- August 1
- US Customs begins enforcing Tariff Act. [1]
- August 7
- US War Department established. [1]
- August 18
- Citizens of Spa and Liège revolt, declaring a republic and forcing prince-bishop Prince Constantine de Hoensbroek to abdicate and flee. [187.189] [811.88]
- August 25
- Mary Ball Washington mother of George, dies. [1]
- August 26
- French National Assembly issues "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen". [223.91] (August 27 [1] [5])
- August 28
- Sir William Herschel discovers Saturn's moon Enceladus. [1] [5]
- September 13
- First loan to US Government (from New York City banks). [1]
- September 15
- Dept of Foreign Affairs, renamed the Department of State. [1]
- September 17
- William Herschel discovers Mimas, satellite of Saturn. [1]
- September 25
- US Congress proposes Bill of Rights (10 of 12 will ratify). [1] [37]
- September 26
- Jefferson appointed first Secretary of State; John Jay first chief justice; Samuel Osgood first Postmaster and Edmund J Randolph first Attorney Genl. [1]
- September 29
- First congress adjourns. [1]
- US War Department established a regular army. [1]
- October 3
- Washington proclaims the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26. [1]
- October 15
- First presidental tour-George Washington in New England. [1]
- November 8
- Bourbon Whiskey, first distilled from corn (by Elijah Craig, Bourbon, Kentucky). [1]
- November 13
- Ben Franklin writes "Nothing . . . certain but death and taxes". [1]
- George Washington, inaugurated as the first president of the United States in April, returns to Washington at the end of his first presidential tour. [129]
- November 21
- North Carolina ratifies constitution, becomes 12th US state. [1] [454.64]
- December 3
- Claude-Joseph Vernet French seascape painter, dies. [1]
- December 23
- Charles-Michel abbé de l'Epéé (school for the deaf), dies at age 77. [1]
|
