A modern seed drill in action In the year 1701, the electorate of Brandenburg-Prussia becomes the Kingdom of Prussia, still part of the Holy Roman Empire, and with Berlin as its capital (Jan 18), captain William Kidd is hanged in London (May 23), a French emporium named Fort Ponchartrain (future Detroit) is founded (Ju 24), English agriculturalist Jethro Tull invents a drill for planting seeds in rows - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

WM Nafis, a German thorougbred In the year 1704, the first regular newspaper in the Thirteen Colonies, The Boston News-Letter, is published (Apr 24), Gibraltar is captured from Spain by English and Dutch forces (Aug 3), Darley Arabian, purchased by Thomas Darley in Syria, becomes the most important foundation sire of all modern thoroughbred racing bloodstock in England, the Great Northern War goes on its fifth year - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Twinings tea room at 216 Strand In the year 1706, the founder of Twinings, Thomas Twining, opens the first known tea room at 216 Strand, London (Oct), the city of Albuquerque is founded, the English Parliament establishes the first turnpike trusts, the common method of road maintenance for the next 150 years - and all these fine people were born: 1706-0101 Nils Wallerius* physicist/ philosopher/theologian - Stora Mellösa, Swedish Empire (1764/58) Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_3284” align=“alignright” width=“321”]Magnus Stenbock leading his troops in Helsingborg in 1710[/caption] In the year 1710, Danish invaders are decisively defeated by the Swedish army at the Battle of Helsingborg in Southern Sweden (Feb 28), the world’s first copyright legislation, Britain’s Statute of Anne, becomes effective (Apr 10), the Tuscarora nation in Carolina protest the seizure of their lands and enslavement of their people by the settlers there (Jun 8), the Great Northern War (1700-1721) goes on, Beijing becomes the largest city in the world - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1717, the first ballet in Britain takes place at the Theatre Royal in London (Mar 2), Spain concludes its conquest of Sardinia (Oct 30), six men from the wrecked Whydah Gally are hanged in Boston for piracy and robbery (Nov 15), the Charleville musket enters service in France, Tatar invasions in Transylvania devastate many towns - and all these fine people were born: 1717-0118 Jean-François-Marie de Surville* merchant captain with the French East India Company – Port-Louis, Brittany, France (1770/53) Continue reading

In the year 1712, enslaved Africans revolt in New York City (Apr 6), Peter the Great moves the capital of Russia from Moscow to Saint Petersburg (May 19), a warrant is issued in Scotland for the arrest of outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor (Oct 3), John Arbuthnot creates the character of John Bull to represent Britain, the Great Northern War goes on - and all these fine people were born: 1712-xxxx Angélique du Coudray* pioneering midwife - Clermont-Ferrand, France (1794/c. Continue reading

In the year 1720, Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm, by and by ending the Great Northern War (Feb 11), Spanish forces assault the British settlement of Nassau in the Bahamas (Feb 24), Frederick I becomes the king of Sweden (Mar 24), the English stock market crashes (Sep), the Tuscarora people leave North Carolina as a result of European colonization, the world’s first yacht club is founded in Ireland, Jonathan Swift begins his Gulliver’s Travels - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1722, Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeveen lands on Easter Sunday on what is now Easter Island (Apr 5), The “Brown Bess” musket becomes the British Army’s standard infantry firearm for more than a century - and all these fine people were born: 1722-0103 Fredrik Hasselqvist* traveller/ naturalist - Törnevalla, Östergötland, Kingdom of Sweden (1752/30) 1722-0126 Alexander Carlyle* church leader/autobiographer - Cummertrees, Dumfriesshire, Scotland (1805/83) 1722-0207 Azar Bigdeli* Persian anthologist/poet - Isfahan, Safavid Empire (1781/59) Continue reading

In the year 1711, King Louis XIV becomes the longest-reigning monarch in the world (surpassed by Queen Elizabeth in 2020) (Jun 18), the Tuscarora War begins when Tuscarora natives raid settlements in the Province of Carolina (Sep 22), Wall Street in New York City becomes the city’s first official slave market for the sale and rental of enslaved Africans and Indians (Dec 13), John Shore invents the tuning fork - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

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: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_1563” align=“alignright” width=“342”]Shearith Israel in New York City (Courtesy of Gryffindor)[/caption] In the year 1730, the first synagogue in New York City is dedicated (Apr 8), Mahmud I becomes the new Ottoman emperor, an empire that existed from around 1299 until 1922 (Sep 17), construction of the Ladoga Canal - one of the first major navigable canals - is completed in order to safeguard the passage for boats in the windy Lake Ladoga in Western Russia (Oct 22) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1731, the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy is established by order of the Empress Anna of Russia, helping Okhotsk to develop into a major port (May 10), the oldest known sports score in history is recorded at a cricket match in England (Aug 23), Laura Bassi becomes the first official female university teacher, at the University of Bologna - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1733, the Molasses Act is passed by British House of Commons, reinforcing the negative opinions of the British by American colonists (Mar 21), English replaces Latin and Law French as the official language of English and Scottish courts (Mar 25), the _Danish West India Compan_y buys the island of Saint Croix from France (Jun 15), the first Freemasons lodge opens in (British) America (Jul 30) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Bellevue Hospital in New York in the early days In the year 1736, Bellevue Hospital is founded in New York (Mar 31), Witchcraft Act of 1735 in Great Britain comes into effect, intending to end legal witch trials there (Jun 24), attempts to calculate the precise circumference of Earth start in today’s Ecuador (Oct 13), Benjamin Franklin builds the first volunteer fire company in Philadelphia (Dec 17) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Charles XII of Sweden (reign 1697-1718) In the year 1708, Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia by crossing the frozen Vistula river (Jan 1), Menorca is captured by British forces (Aug 18), Peter the Great of Russia defeats the forces of the Swedish Empire in Lesnaya (in today’s Belarus) (Oct 9), fearful of a Swedish attack, the Russians blow up the city of Tartu, the Great Northern War (1700-1721) goes on - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Salzburger Emigrants, picture from c. 1732 In the year 1734, Salzburgers - Lutherans expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg - set sail for the British Colony of Georgia, in America (Jan 8), French and Swiss troops suppress the slave insurrection in the Danish West Indies after six months and restore control of the plantations to the Danish owners (May 27), Jamaica’s Governor John Ayscough declares martial law to fight the slave rebellion that began the previous year (Oct 23) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_1544” align=“alignright” width=“358”]Fort Matanzas today, with the flag of Florida[/caption] In the year 1740, Jews are expelled from Little Russia, part of present day Ukraine (Jul 11), the song Rule, Britannia! is first performed in England (Aug 1), troops of the Dutch East Indian Company start the massacre of thousands of Chinese Indonesians in Batavia, present day Jakarta (Oct 9), Spain begins construction on Fort Matanzas on the Florida’s Atlantic coast to safeguard the strategic inlet of Matanzas, the southernmost access for boat travel between St. Continue reading

Mumbai Harbor in 1731, four years before the shipbuilding begins there ©Heritage Images/Leemage In the year 1735, the Russian Empire and Persia sign the Treaty of Ganja, and form a defensive alliance against the Ottoman Empire (Mar 10), the Kingdom of France approves the issue of “card money” to serve as currency in its Louisiana territory in America (Sep 14), the first successful appendectomy is performed in London (Dec 6), shipbuilding industry begins in Mumbai, Carl Linnaeus publishes his Systema Naturae - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_4294” align=“alignleft” width=“364”]Westminster Palace (1016, rebuilt 1834-1840), Westminster Bridge (1750) and Big Ben (1859)[/caption] In the year 1750, the Treaty of Madrid between Spain and Portugal authorizes a larger Brazil (Jan 13), riots break out in Paris fueled by rumors of police abducting children (May), Westminster Bridge is officially opened in London (Nov 18), Istanbul is devastated by several fires, Britain produces c. 2% of the world’s output of industrial goods, and thus begins the Industrial Revolution - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1755, Moscow University is founded (Jan 23), France dispatches 3,600 troops to protect its Canadian colonies in Quebec from a British invasion, unaware that Britain’s warships had sailed toward Canada a few days before (May 3), France completes the construction of Fort Duquesne, later renamed Fort Pitt by the British, and three years later giving name to the city of Pittsburgh (May 24), the British clothes manufacturer Wolsey is established - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading