Events in year of 1738
- 04-15Bottle opener invented
- 05-09England routes fleet in Mediterranean Sea and West-Indies
- 05-24Methodist Church forms
- 05-27Turkish troops occupy Orsova and Ochakov
- 08-02France offers Emperor Karel VI mediation in war against Turkey
- 11-18France and Austria sign peace
- 12-09Jews are expelled from Breslau Silesia
People born in year of 1738
- 04-14Duck of Portland: (C) British Prime Minister (1783, 1807-09)
- 04-17Philip Hayes: Composer
- 05-04Josef Kohaut: Composer
- 05-09John Pindar [Peter]: Physician / poet
- 05-27Bonaventura Furlanetto: Composer
- 06-03Johann Christoph Oley: Composer
- 06-29Constantin Reindl: Composer
- 07-03John Singleton Copley: Massachusetts, United States -- Finest colonial American artist
- 07-11Albert-Kasimir: Duke of Saxon / Viceroy of Hungary / Netherlands
- 07-24Elizabeth "Betje" Wolff-Bekker: Dutch author / poet (Sara Burgerhart)
- 09-22Dionysius G Van de Keessel: Lawyer (Theses Selectae)
- 10-10Benjamin West: Painter (Death of General Wolfe)
- 10-11Arthur Phillip: Admiral / 1st Governor New-South Wales
- 10-14Giovanni Calisto Andrea Zanotti: Composer
- 11-15F William Herschel: German / English astronomer (discovered Uranus)
- 12-14Johann Antonin Kozeluch: Composer
- 12-26Thomas Nelson: Merchant, signer of Declaration of Independence
- 12-28Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky: Composer
- 12-31Charles Lord Cornwallis: Soldier / Statesman "fire when ready Gridley"
People died in year of 1738
- 01-06Franz Xaver Murschhauser: Composer, dies at 74
- 01-17Jean-Francois Dandrieu: Composer
- 02-05Georg Reidel: Composer, dies at 61
- 02-12James Sherard: Composer, dies at 71
- 03-16Georg Baehr: German master builder (Frauenkirche, Dresden), dies at 72
- 07-15Alexander Voznitsyn: Rus Naval officer converted to Judaism, executed
- 07-15Antonio Maria Pacchioni: Composer, dies at 84
- 07-15Baruch Leibov: Converted Russian Naval officer to Judaism, executed
- 08-09Pierre Drevet: French engraver
- 08-16Joe Miller: English comic
- 08-29Georg Reuter: Composer, dies at 81
- 09-23Hermannus Boerhaave: Medical / botanist, dies at 69
- 12-13Gotthard Wagner: Composer, dies at 59
Events in year of 1739
- 01-01J B C Bouvet de Lozier discovers Bouvet Island, near Antarctica
- 01-14England and Spain signs 2nd Convention of Pardo
- 04-05French Emperor Karel VI sign secret treaty
- 04-10Dick Turpin executed in England for horse stealing
- 04-21Spain and Naples-Austria sign peace accord
- 07-22Turks defeats Holy Roman Emp at Crocyka Yugoslavia and threaten Belgrade
- 07-30Caspar Wistar begins glass manufacturing in Allowaystown, New Jersey
- 09-0135 Jews sentenced to life in prison in Lisbon Portugal
- 09-09Slave revolt in Stono SC led by Jemmy (25 whites killed)
- 09-18Turkey and Austria sign peace treaty-Austria cedes Belgrade to Turks
- 09-23Russia and Turkey sign Peace of Belgrade
People born in year of 1739
- 01-04Henrik C Cras: Dutch lawyer (Laudatio Hugonis Grotii)
- 02-07Joseph Pouteau: Composer
- 03-16George Clymer: US Merchant (signed Declaration of Independence, Constitution)
- 03-20Eligio Celestino: Composer
- 05-12Jan Krtitel Vanhal: Composer
- 05-12Johann Baptist Vanhal: Composer
- 07-06Freidrich Wilhelm Rust: Composer
- 07-29Johannes Ritschel: Composer
- 08-27Michel Delalande: Composer
- 09-07Joseph Legros: Composer
- 09-13Giuseppe Sigismondo: Composer
- 09-24Grigorij A Potemkin: Monarch of Tauris / friend of Catherine II
- 10-27Franz Ignaz Kaa: Composer
- 11-02Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf: Composer
People died in year of 1739
- 04-19Nicholas Saunderson: Mathematician
- 05-06Bernardus Smijtegelt: Vicar (Gekrookte Reed), dies at 63
- 07-24Benedetto Marcello: Composer, dies on 53rd birthday
- 07-25Johannes van der Hagen: Vicar / genealogy / chronologist, dies at 73
- 09-03George Lillo: English dramatist (Fatal Curiosity), dies at 46
- 09-12Reinhard Keiser: German conductor / Composer (Markus-Passion), dies at 65
- 11-12Ludwig Ernst: Composer, dies at 71
Events in year of 1740
- 02-03Charles de Bourbon, King of Naples, invites Jews to return to Sicily
- 06-22King Frederik II of Prussia ends torture and guarantees religion and freedom of the press
- 07-11Czarina Anne of Little Russia, expels Jews
- 07-11Jews are expelled from Little Russia by order of Czarina Anne
- 07-17Prospero Lambertini chosen Pope Benedictus XIV
- 08-13Hunger strike in Rotterdam
- 10-08Chinese assault on Diestpoort Batavia
- 10-09Netherlands Governor-General Adriaen Valckenier allows murder of 8000 Chinese inhabitants of Batavia
- 10-17Ivan VI becomes Czar of Russia
- 10-20Maria Theresa became ruler of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia
- 12-16Prussian Libya falls to Silezie
People born in year of 1740
- 02-03Guillaume Lasceux: Composer
- 02-07Adam-Philippe Custine: French Earl / General / MP
- 02-12Matej Sojka: Composer
- 02-15Ernst Eichner: Composer
- 02-16Giambattista Bodoni: Saluzzo, Italy -- Printer / typeface designer (Bodoni)
- 02-17Horace B de Saussure: Switzerland -- Physicist / geologist
- 03-06Giovanni Meli: Siclian poet (Buccolica)
- 03-19Johann Georg Roser: Composer
- 03-19Joseph F Weigl: Violin Cellist
- 03-24John Antes: Composer
- 04-02Armand-Gaston Camus: French CEO (Council of 500)
- 04-04Wolfgang Nicolaus Haueisen: Composer
- 04-18Francis Baring: Banker / Merchant
- 05-02Elias Boudinot: Lawyer / patriot, founder American Biblical Society
- 05-09Giovanni Paisiello: Italian composer (Barber of Seville)
- 06-08Gabriele Mario Piozzi: Composer
- 06-11Luigi Gatti: Composer
- 06-18Karel van Poucke: Flemish sculptor
- 06-21Hendrik van Wijn: Dutch archivist (Algemeen Rijksarchief)
- 08-10Samuel Arnold: Composer
- 08-14Pius VII [Luigi B Chiaramonti]: Bishop of Imola / Pope (1800-23)
- 08-15M Claudius: Writer
- 08-23Ivan VI: Emperor of Russia 1740-41)
- 08-26Joseph Montgolfier: France -- Aeronaut (ballooning)
- 10-08Michel-Julien Mathieu: Composer
- 10-14Joannes Siberg: Dutch Governor-General of the Netherlands Indies (1801-05)
- 10-20Belle van Zuylen: Netherlands -- Swiss writer (Three Women)
- 10-26Ernest Louis Muller: Composer
- 10-31William Paca: US judge / signer (Declaration of Independence)
- 11-24John Bacon: English sculptor
People died in year of 1740
- 01-02Johann Georg Weichenberger: Composer, dies at 63
- 01-05Antonio Lotti: Italian opera composer, dies at about 72
- 02-08Clement XII [Lorenzo Corsini]: Blind Pope (1730-40), dies at 87
- 02-09Vincenz Lubeck: Composer, dies at 85
- 04-23Thomas Tickell: Poet
- 05-31Frederick-William I: King of Prussia (1713-1740), dies at 51
- 07-19Francois van Aerssen: Dutch Vice-Admiral (Suriname), dies at 71
- 10-20Karl VI: German Emperor (1711-40)
- 12-26Mauritius Louis II Earl of Nassau: Lieutenant General (12 children)