Events in year of 1780
- 01-03Danish national anthem "Kong Kristian, " 1st sung
- 01-15Continental Congress establishes court of appeals
- 01-16Battle at Cape St. Vincent: Admiral Rodney beats Spanish fleet
- 03-01Penn becomes 1st US state to abolish slavery (for new-borns only)
- 03-261st British Sunday newspaper appears (Brit Gazette & Sunday Monitor)
- 05-02William Herschel discovers 1st binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris
- 05-04American Academy of Arts and Science founded
- 05-04Charles Bunbury on Diomed wins 1st Epsom Derby
- 05-052nd oldest learned society in US (American Academy of Arts & Sciences) forms (Boston)
- 05-12British troops occupy Charleston, South Carolina
- 05-12Charleston, SC falls to British (Revolutionary War)
- 06-02Anti Catholic demonstration attacks parliament in London
- 06-07Anti-Catholic riot in London, 100s die
- 07-09Denmark declares neutrality
- 08-01Sweden declares neutrality
- 08-11Barbados hurricane begins
- 08-16British decisively defeat Americans in Battle of Camden, South Carolina
- 08-22Resolution, without Captain Cook, returns to England
- 09-25Benedict Arnold joins the British
- 10-07British defeated by American militia near Kings Mountain, South Carolina
- 10-10Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000 to 30,000 in Caribbean
- 11-20Britain declares war on Holland
- 12-20England declares war on Netherlands
People born in year of 1780
- 01-10M Heinrich C Lichtenstein: German zoologist
- 01-12Wilhelm M L de Wette: German exegetist / theologist
- 01-14Francois-Joseph Dizi: Composer
- 02-02Johannes van den Bosch: Governor-General (Netherlands East Indies)
- 02-09Walenty Karol Kratzer: Composer
- 02-15Carel Asser: Dutch jurist
- 02-19Friedrich H von der Hagen: German germanist (Nibelungenlied)
- 03-10Juan Jose Landaeta: Composer
- 03-17Thomas Chalmers: 1st moderator (Free Church of Scotland 1843-47)
- 03-27August L Crelle: German inventor / mathematician (1st Prussian Railway)
- 04-07William Ellery Channing: United States -- Unitarian clergyman
- 05-10Peter Lichtenthal: Composer
- 05-21Elizabeth Fry: Quaker Minister / prison Reformer / nurse
- 05-22Jan Emmanuel Dulezalek: Composer
- 05-28Joseph Frohlich: Composer
- 06-01Karl von Clausewitz: Prussian strategist
- 06-03William Hone: England, United Kingdom -- Author / bookseller (Every-Day Book)
- 06-18Michael Henkel: Composer
- 07-25Christian Theodor Weinlig: Composer
- 08-21Jernej Kopitar: Slovenian censor (Slovenian Grammar)
- 08-29Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres: French painter (Valpincon Bather)
- 09-28Elie Decazes: France -- Bourbon Restoration political figure
- 10-20M Pauline Bonaparte: Corsican Duchess of Parma / Guastalla
- 11-03Victor-Charles-Paul Dourlen: Composer
- 11-16Robert Archibald Smith: Composer
- 11-22Conradin Kreutzer: Composer
- 12-14Karl Robert von Nesselrode: German / Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 12-23Charles-Louis Panckoucke: French publisher
People died in year of 1780
- 01-10Francesco Antonio Vallotti: Italian Organist / composer, dies at 82
- 07-04Charles Alexander: Duke of Lotharingen South Netherlands, dies at 67
- 08-03Etienne B de Condillac: French philosopher (sensualism), dies at 64
- 08-19Bernhard Haltenberger: Composer, dies at 32
- 09-01Reynier de Klerk: Governor-General of Dutch-Indies (1777-1800), dies at 69
- 09-23John Andre: Hanged as a British spy at 29
- 10-07Patrick Ferguson: English major in SC, dies in battle at 36
- 11-14Jacobus Houbraken: Engraver / illustrator, dies at 81
- 11-29Maria Theresia Hapsburg: Queen of Austria, dies at 63
Events in year of 1781
- 01-05British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia
- 01-06Battle of Jersey (Island in the UK)
- 01-201st edition of Pieter It Hoens "Post of Neder-Rhijn" published
- 01-30Articles of Confederation ratified by 13th state, Maryland
- 02-03Dutch West Indies island of St. Eustatia taken by British
- 03-01Continental Congress adopts Articles of Confederation
- 03-13Sir William Herschel sees "comet" (really discovered Uranus)
- 03-15Battle of Guilford Court House, SC (British suffer heavy losses)
- 04-29French fleet occupies Tobago
- 04-29French fleet stopped Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope
- 05-01Emperor Jozef II decrees protection of population
- 05-26Bank of North America incorporates in Philadelphia
- 06-03Jack Jouett rides to warn Jefferson of British attack
- 07-11Thomas Hutchins designated Geographer of US
- 08-01English army under general Cornwallis occupies Yorktown, Virginia
- 08-05Battle at Doggers Bank: Dutch fleet vs. English fleet
- 08-20George Washington begins to move his troops south to fight Cornwallis
- 08-30French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeat British under Admiral Graves at battle of Chesapeake Capes in Revolutionary War
- 09-04Los Angeles founded by 44 in Bahia de las Fumas, (Valley of Smokes)
- 09-05Battle of Virginia Capes, French defeat British, traps Cornwallis
- 09-289,000 American forces and 7,000 French forces begin siege of Yorktown
- 10-06Americans and French begin siege of Cornwallis at Yorktown; last battle of Revolutionary War
- 10-16Washington takes Yorktown
- 10-17Cornwallis defeated at Yorktown
- 10-19Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown at 2pm; Revolutionary War ends
- 11-05John Hanson elected 1st "Pres of US in Congress assembled"
- 11-13English troops occupy Negapatam Ceylon
- 12-31Bank of North America, 1st US bank opens
People born in year of 1781
- 01-22Francois-Antoine Habeneck: Composer
- 01-26Achim v Arnim: Writer
- 01-26Ludwig Joachim "Achim" von Arnim: German poet (Des Knaben Wunderhorn)
- 01-30A v Chamisso: Writer
- 02-18Henry Martyn: Truro -- Missionary
- 03-11Anthony Philip Heinrich: Composer
- 03-13Karl F Schinkel: German architect / painter / writer (Schloss Tegel)
- 03-17Dominique J de Eerens: Governor-General of the Netherlands Indies
- 03-18Gustave Vogt: Composer
- 04-22Christian Friedrich Hermann Uber: Composer
- 05-14Friedrich von Raumer: German historian / parliamentarian
- 05-24Louis-Francois Dauprat: Composer / horn player
- 05-25Ferdinand K J: Archduke of Austria-Este / Governor-General (Sicily)
- 06-10Giovanni Battista Polledro: Composer
- 07-05Stamford Raffles: Founder (Singapore)
- 07-27Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani: Composer
- 08-09Michael Umlauf: Composer
- 08-12Robert Mills: United States -- Architect (Washington Monument)
- 09-06Anton Diabelli: Austria -- Publisher / composer
- 11-03Johann Ernst Friedrich Wollank: Composer
- 11-18Felice Blangini: Composer
- 11-20Karl F Eichhorn: German law historian
- 12-01Charles Philippe Lafont: Composer
- 12-11David Brewster: Scotland, United Kingdom -- Physicist / inventor (kaleidoscope)
People died in year of 1781
- 01-17Marie de Negre Dables: Marquess
- 01-22Johann Siebenkas: Composer, dies at 66
- 02-04Josef Myslivecek: Composer, dies at 43
- 02-04Willem Crul: Admiral (West-Indies), dies in battle at 59
- 02-15G E Lessing: Writer, dies at 52
- 02-15Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: Saxon playwright / critic
- 02-28Richard Stockton: US attorney (signed Declaration of Independence), dies at 50
- 05-22Garret Wesley Mornington: Composer, dies at 45
- 07-11Adolph Carl Kunzen: Composer, dies at 60
- 07-30Augustin Ullinger: Composer, dies at 35
- 10-09Thomas Alexander Erskine Kelly: Composer, dies at 49
- 10-27Herman-Francois Delange: Composer, dies at 66
- 11-02Jose F de Isla: Spanish Jesuit / author, dies at 78
- 11-22John Ekels [the Old]: Amsterdam Painter / cartoonist, dies at 57
- 12-16Georg Simon Lohlein: Composer, dies at 56
Events in year of 1782
- 01-071st US commercial bank, Bank of North America, opens in Philadelphia
- 02-04British garrison surrenders to French and Spanish fleet
- 02-05Spanish take Minorca (western Mediterranean) from English
- 02-13French fleet occupies St. Christopher
- 02-21US Congress resolves establishment of a US mint
- 03-08Gnadenhutten Massacre - Ohio militia kills 90 indians
- 04-12Battle at Les Saintes West-Indies: British fleet beats French
- 04-19Netherlands recognizes US
- 07-06British-French sea battle at Negapatam (South-Indies)
- 08-02George Washington creates Honorary Badge of Distinction
- 08-07George Washington creates Order of Purple Heart
- 08-14Suriname forbids selling slave mothers without their babies
- 09-16Great Seal of US used for 1st time
- 11-30Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence
- 12-14Charleston, SC evacuated by British
- 12-291st nautical almanac in US published by Samuel Stearns, Boston
People born in year of 1782
- 01-18Daniel Webster: Salisbury, New Hampshire -- Orator / politician / lawyer
- 01-20Johan B J F S: Archduke of Austria
- 01-29Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber: French opera composer (Fra Diavolo)
- 01-29Frantiszek Tucek Scigalski: Composer
- 03-04Johann Wyss: Switzerland -- Folklorist / writer (Swiss Family Robinson)
- 03-14Thomas Hart Benton: (rep), "Old Bullion"
- 03-25Carolina [Maria A] Bonaparte [countess Lipona]: Sister of Napoleon
- 04-14Carlo Coccia: Composer
- 04-26Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Sicily: Wife of Louis Phillip of Austria
- 05-16John Sell Cotman: Water color artist
- 05-26Joseph Drechsler: Composer
- 05-28Wouter J van Troostwijk: Dutch painter
- 06-03Charles Waterton: Eccentric naturalist / pioneer
- 06-10Amable-G-P B de Barante: French politician / historian
- 06-19John Bray: Composer
- 07-06Luis [Philippus] Brion: Curacao commander of Colombian fleet
- 07-19Jonathan Blewitt: Composer
- 07-26John Field: Dublin, Ireland -- Pianist / composer (Nocturnes)
- 08-10Charles Napier: London, England -- Soldier
- 08-15Henri MG Earl the Merode: Belgian revolutionary (Souvenirs)
- 09-07Bernardus JC Dibbets: Dutch Baron / General Major (Maastricht)
- 09-23Jacques-Fereol Mazas: Composer
- 10-09Lewis Cass: (Gov-Michigan)
- 10-11Steen Steensen Blicher: Denmark -- Poet / short-story writer (E Binddstouw)
- 11-01Viscount Goderich: (Tory), British Prime Minister (1827-28)
- 12-05Martin Van Buren: Kinderhook, New York -- (D) 8th President (1837-41)
People died in year of 1782
- 01-01Johann Christian Bach: German Composer / Mozarts tutor, dies at 46
- 01-04Ange-Jacques Gabriel: French Architect (Ecole Military), dies at 83
- 03-19Adrien Trudo Sale: Composer, dies at 59
- 03-19Louis-Henry Paisible: Composer, dies at 33
- 04-06Rynoldus Popma van Oevering: Composer, dies at 90
- 04-22Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger: Composer, dies at 66
- 05-16Daniuel Charles Solander: Botanist
- 05-20Carlo Giovanni Testori: Composer, dies at 68
- 05-20Christoph Gottlieb Schroter: Composer, dies at 82
- 07-01Charles Watson-Wentworth 2nd Marquis of Rockingham: Does at 52
- 07-15Farinelli: Italian singer, dies at 77
- 07-15Robert Wainwright: Composer, dies at 33
- 07-16Louise Ulrike: Queen of Sweden / Wife of Adolf Frederik, dies at 61
- 07-21Placidus Cajetan von Camerloher: Composer, dies at 63
- 08-29Richard Kempenfeldt: English Admiral, drowns
- 10-23Joseph Reipel: Composer, dies at 73
- 11-22John Barueth: Vicar / pamphleter