1781 in Great Britain
Events from the year 1781 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Incumbents
Events
- 28 February - Foundation of Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester.[3]
- 13 March - Sir William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus.[2] Originally he calls it Georgium Sidus (George's Star) in honour of King George III.
- 15 March - American Revolutionary War: American General Nathanael Greene loses Battle of Guilford Court House to British.[2]
- 1 July - Second Anglo-Mysore War: At the Battle of Porto Novo, the British defeat the Mysore ruler Hyder Ali.[1]
- 6 July - American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Green Spring, the British led by Lord Cornwallis defeats the French led by marquis de La Fayette.[1]
- 27 July - French spy Francis Henry de la Motte executed in Tyburn prison in London for high treason.
- 30 August - American Revolutionary War: French fleet under Comte de Grasse enters Chesapeake Bay, cutting British General Charles Cornwallis off from escape by sea.
- 5 September - American Revolutionary War: In the Battle of the Chesapeake, a British fleet under Thomas Graves arrives and fights de Grasse, but to no effect.[1]
- 6 September - American Revolutionary War: The British army attacks a fort in Groton, Connecticut which became known as the Battle of Groton Heights.
- 19 October - American Revolutionary War: Following the Siege of Yorktown, General Charles Cornwallis surrenders to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, ending the armed struggle of the American Revolutionary War.[1]
- 29 November
- Zong Massacre: A British slave-trader orders that 133 slaves be thrown overboard from his vessel and then attempts to reclaim their value from insurers.[4]
- Henry Hurle officially founds the Ancient Order of Druids in London.
- 3 December - First known building society established, in Birmingham.[5]
- 12 December - French and British fleets fight in the Second Battle of Ushant.
Publications
Births
Deaths
Full date unknown
References
See also