Peter The Wild Boy as an older man. Picture credit to wellcom.org
In the year 1724, the Dutch East India Company cargo ship Fortuyn sinks on its maiden voyage on the way to Batavia (Jan 18), Jonathan Swift distributes the first of his seven “Drapier’s Letters”, seeking to turn public opinion against Ireland (Apr 28), Peter the Wild Boy is captured near Helpensen in Hanover, but never adjusts to civilized society (Jul 27), Yeongjo becomes the new Emperor of Korea (Oct 16), China expels foreign missionaries, the oldest surviving publishing house in England is founded - and all these fine people were born:
1724-0112 Frances Brooke* (b Moore) novelist/playwright/ translator - Claypole, Lincolnshire, England (1789/65)
1724-0216 Christopher Gadsden* soldier/politician/revolutionary leader - Charleston, South Carolina, British America (1805/81)
1724-0229 Eva Marie Veigel* dancer/wife of actor David Garrick - Vienna, Austria (1822/98)
1724-0327 Jane Colden* botanist - New York, the Province of New York, British America (1766/41)
1724-0422 Immanuel Kant* philosopher - Königsberg, Prussia (1804/79)
1724-0507 Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser* Austrian field marshal during the French Revolutionary Wars - Strasbourg, Alsace, Kingdom of France (1797/73)
1724-0608 John Smeaton* civil engineer - Austhorpe, Leeds, England (1792/68)
1724-0708 Heikki Väänänen* church builder - Ylikiiminki, Sweden-Finland (1789/64)
1724-0710 Eva Ekeblad* agronomist/ scientist - Stockholm, Sweden (1786/61)
1724-0825 George Stubbs* painter - Liverpool, Lancashire, England (1806/81)
1724-0903 Guy Carleton* nobleman/soldier/Governor of the Province of Quebec - Strabane, County Tyrone, Kingdom of Ireland (1808/84)
1724-0911 Johann Bernhard Basedow* German educational reformer/teacher/writer - Hamburg (1790/65)
1724-0930
1724-1017 Johann Siegfried Hufnagel* German priest/entomologist - Falkenwalde, Brandenburg (1795/70)
1724-1031 Christopher Anstey* poet - Brinkley, Cambridgeshire, England (1805/80)
1724-1211 Charles Theodore* Elector of Bavaria - Drogenbos, Brussels, Austrian Netherlands (1799/74)
1724-1225 John Michell* natural philosopher/clergyman - Eakring, Nottinghamshire, England (1793/68)
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1724-0
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Updated 2025-0426 Helsinki
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