1776

Events

   * January 10 - Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
   * March 17 - American Revolutionary War: British forces evacuate Boston,
     Massachusetts after George Washington places artillery overlooking the
     city.
   * March 28 - Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San
     Francisco.
   * May 1 - Former Jesuit Adam Weishaupt founds the Bavarian Illuminati
     (Order of the Illuminati) in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.
   * June 12 - Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason adopted by the
     Virginia Convention of Delegates.
   * June 17 - Lt. Jose Joaquin Moraga leads a band of colonists from
     Monterey Presidio, landing on June 29 and constructing the Mission
     Dolores of the new Presidio of San Francisco.
   * July 4 - American Revolutionary War: United States Declaration of
     Independence.
   * September - First running of the St. Leger Stakes horse race in
     England.
   * September 7 - World's first submarine attack. American submersible
     craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British
     Admiral Richard Howe's flagship Eagle in New York Harbor.
   * October 9 - Father Francisco Palou founds Mission San Francisco de Asis
     in what is now San Francisco, California.
   * October 11 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Valcour Island - On
     Lake Champlain near Valcour Island, a British fleet led by Sir Guy
     Carleton defeats 15 American gunboats commanded by Brigadier General
     Benedict Arnold. Although nearly all of Arnold's ships are destroyed,
     the two day-long battle will give Patriot forces enough time to prepare
     defenses of New York City.
   * October 28 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Plains -
     British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton
     Hill from the Americans.
   * December 5 - The Phi Beta Kappa society is organized at the College of
     William and Mary.
   * December 23 - Thomas Paine, living with Washington's troops begins
     publishing The Crisis, containing the stirring phrase, These are the
     times that try men's souls.
   * December 25 - American Revolutionary War: Gen. George Washington orders
     the first issue of The Crisis read to his troops on Christmas Eve, then
     at 6 PM all 2600 of them march to McKonkey's Ferry, cross the Delaware
     River and land on the Jersey bank at 3 AM.
   * December 26 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trenton -
     Washington's troops surprise the 1500 Hessian troops under the command
     of Col. [Johan Rall] at 8 AM outside Trenton and score a victory,
     taking 1000 prisoners while suffering only 6 wounded.

   * Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations
   * Edward Gibbon publishes The History of the Decline and Fall of the
     Roman Empire

Births

   * January 24 - E.T.A. Hoffmann, poet, composer, and painter (+ 1822)
   * February 11 - Joannis Capodistrias Greek governor of Troezen
     (1827-1831)
   * March 10 - Louise (Luise), queen of Prussia (+ 1810)
   * April 1 - Sophie Germain, mathematician (+ 1831)
   * June 11 - John Constable, landscape painter
   * August 6 - Amedeo Avogadro, chemist

Deaths

   * David Hume, Scottish philosopher

Monarchs/Presidents

   * China - Qianlong Emperor of China, Qing Dynasty (reigned from October
     18, 1735 to February 9, 1796)
   * Prussia - Frederick II King of Prussia (reigned from 1740 to 1786)

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