1776

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Year 1776 (MDCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar.

Events

January 10: Common Sense published

January–February

• January 1 – American Revolutionary War: Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia, is destroyed by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
• January 10 – American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense "written by an Englishman" in Philadelphia arguing for independence from British rule in the Thirteen Colonies.^[1]
• January 20 – American Revolution: South Carolina Loyalists led by Robert Cunningham sign a petition from prison agreeing to all demands for peace by the formed state government of South Carolina.
• January 24 – American Revolution: Henry Knox arrives at Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the artillery that he has transported from Fort Ticonderoga
• February 17 – Edward Gibbon publishes the first volume of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
• February 27 – American Revolution: Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge: Scottish North Carolina Loyalists charge across Moore's Creek bridge near Wilmington to attack what they mistakenly believe to be a small force of rebels. Several loyalist leaders are killed in the ensuing battle. The patriot victory^[2] virtually ends all British authority in the province.

March–April

• March 2–3 – American Revolutionary War:
  • Battle of Nassau: The American Continental Navy and Marines make a successful assault on Nassau, Bahamas.
  • Battle of the Rice Boats: American Patriots resist the Royal Navy on the Savannah River. British control over the Province of Georgia is lost.
• March 4 – American Revolutionary War: American Patriots capture Dorchester Heights dominating the port of Boston.
• March 9 – Scottish economist Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations in London.
• March 17 – American Revolutionary War: Threatened by Patriot cannons on Dorchester Heights, the British evacuate Boston, ending the 11‑month Siege of Boston.^[2]
• March 28 – Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.
• April 12 – American Revolution: The Royal Colony of North Carolina produces the Halifax Resolves making it the first British colony officially to authorize its Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

May–June

• May 1 – Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.
• May 4 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III of Great Britain.
• May 15–26 – American Revolution: Battle of The Cedars: British forces skirmish with the American Continental Army around Les Cèdres, Quebec.
• June 7 – American Revolution: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposes to the Second Continental Congress (meeting in Philadelphia) that "these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
• June 8 – American Revolution: Battle of Trois-Rivières: The invading American Continental Army is driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
• June 11 – American Revolution: The Continental Congress appoints a Committee of Five to draft a Declaration of Independence.
• June 12 – American Revolution: Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason adopted by the Virginia Convention of Delegates.
• June 15 – American Revolution: Delaware Separation Day: The Delaware General Assembly votes to suspend government under the British Crown.
• June 17 – Lt. José Joaquín 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–August

• July 2 – American Revolution: The final (despite minor revisions) U.S. Declaration of Independence is written. The Continental Congress passes the Lee Resolution.
• July 4 – American Revolution: United States Declaration of Independence: The Continental Congress ratifies the declaration by the United States of its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.^[3]

July 4: American Declaration of Independence.

• July 8 – American Revolution: The Liberty Bell rings in Philadelphia for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
• July 9 – American Revolution: An angry mob in New York City topples the equestrian statue of George III of Great Britain in Bowling Green.
• July 12 – Captain James Cook sets off from Plymouth, England, in HMS Resolution on his third voyage, to the Pacific Ocean and Arctic, which will be fatal.
• July 21 – Mozart's Serenade No. 7 (the "Haffner") is first performed in Salzburg, Austria.
• July 29 – Francisco Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, and eight other Spaniards set out from Santa Fe on an eighteen-hundred mile trek through the American Southwest. They are the first Europeans to explore the vast region between the Rockies and the Sierras.^[4]
• August 2 – Most of the American colonies ratify the Declaration of Independence.
• August 15 – American Revolution: First Hessian troops land on Staten Island to join British forces.
• August 27 – American Revolution: Battle of Long Island: Washington's troops routed in Brooklyn by British under William Howe.

September–October

• September – First running of the St. Leger Stakes horse race in England.
• September 1 – Invasion of Cherokee Nation by 6,000 patriot troops from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina begins. The troops destroy thirty-six Cherokee towns. ^[5]
• September 6 – Hurricane hits Guadeloupe, killing more than 6000 people.
• September 7 – American Revolution: 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 HMS Eagle in New York Harbor.
• September 11 – American Revolution: abortive peace conference between British and Americans on Staten Island.
• September 15 – American Revolution: Landing at Kip's Bay: British troops land on Manhattan at Kips Bay.^[2]

September 22: British hang spy Nathan Hale in New York City.

• September 16 – American Revolution: Battle of Harlem Heights: The Continental Army under Washington are victorious against the British on Manhattan.
• September 22 – American Revolution: Nathan Hale executed in New York City for espionage.
• October 7 – Crown Prince Paul of Russia marries Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.
• October 9 – Father Francisco Palóu founds the Mission San Francisco de Asís in what is now San Francisco.
• October 11 – American Revolution: 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 18 – American Revolution: Battle of Pell's Point: Troops of the American Continental Army resist a British and Hessian force in The Bronx.
• October 28 – American Revolution: Battle of White Plains: British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans.^[2]
• October 31 – In his first speech before British Parliament since the Declaration of Independence that summer, King George III acknowledges that all is not going well for Britain in the war with the United States.

November–December

• November 16 – American Revolution: Hessian mercenaries under Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen capture Fort Washington from the American Continentals. The captain of the American navy ship Andrew Doria fires a salute to the Dutch flag on Fort Oranje and Johannes de Graaff answers with eleven gun shots.^[6]
• December 5 – The Phi Beta Kappa Society is founded at the College of William & Mary.
• December 7 – American Revolution: the Marquis de Lafayette attempts to enter the American military as a major general.
• December 21 – American Revolution: The Royal Colony of North Carolina reorganizes into the State of North Carolina after adopting its own constitution. Richard Caswell becomes the first governor of the newly formed state.
• December 23 – American Revolution: Thomas Paine, living with Washington's troops, begins publishing The American Crisis, containing the stirring phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls."
• December 25 – American Revolution: Gen. George Washington orders the first issue of The Crisis read to his troops on Christmas Eve, then at 6 p.m. all 2600 of them march to McKonkey's Ferry, cross the Delaware River and land on the Jersey bank at 3 a.m.
• December 26 – American Revolution: Battle of Trenton: Washington's troops surprise the 1500 Hessian troops under the command of Col. Johann Rall at 8 a.m. outside Trenton and score a victory,^[2] taking 948 prisoners while suffering only 5 wounded.

Births

• January 1 – James M. Broom, American politician (d. 1850)
• January 2 – Jeremiah Chaplin, Reformed Baptist theologian (d. 1841)
• January 3 – Thomas Morris, American politician (d. 1844)
• January 4
  • Bernardino Drovetti, Italian diplomat (d. 1852)
  • Jean-Baptiste Prosper Jollois, French Egyptologist (d. 1842)
• January 6
  • Ferdinand von Schill, German noble (d. 1809)
  • Auguste Jean Ameil, French soldier (d. 1822)
• January 8 – Thomas Langlois Lefroy, British politician (d. 1869)
• January 9 – Ludwig Rhesa (d. 1840)
• January 10 – George Birkbeck (d. 1841)
• January 15 – Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, British Prince (d. 1834)
• January 16
  • Matthew Brown, college president (d. 1853)
  • João Soares de Albergaria de Sousa, Portuguese politician (d. 1875)
  • Richard Onslow, British Archdeacon (d. 1849)
• January 17 – Jane Porter, Scottish novelist (d. 1850)
• January 21
  • Poul Christian Holst, Norwegian politician (d. 1863)
  • Elisha Haley, American politician (d. 1860)
• January 23 – Howard Douglas, British Army general (d. 1861)
• January 24
  • Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville, French aristocrat (d. 1857)
  • E. T. A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer, and painter (d. 1822)
  • Peter A. Jay, American politician (d. 1843)
• January 25 – Joseph Görres, German writer and journalist (d. 1848)
• January 29 – William Bowie, agrarian (d. 1826)
• February 4
  • Gottfried Reinhold Treviranus, German biologist (d. 1837)
  • Jan Gerard Kemmerling, Dutch mayor (d. 1818)
• February 11 – Ioannis Kapodistrias, Governor of Greece (d. 1831)
• February 12
  • Richard Mant, Irish bishop (d. 1848)
  • Mary Young Pickersgill, Maker of Star Spangled Banner flag (d. 1857)
• February 14 – Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck, prolific German botanist (d. 1858)
• February 15 – Jean-Pierre Boyer, President of Haiti (d. 1850)
• February 16 – Abraham Raimbach, British engraver (d. 1843)
• February 17
  • Ross Cuthbert, Canadian politician (d. 1861)
  • Georg zu Münster, German paleontologist (d. 1844)
• February 18 – Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke, German general (d. 1830)
• February 20 – Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca, Spanish colonial governor of Cuba (d. 1846)
• February 21 – Joseph Barss, privateer and sea captain (d. 1824)
• February 23
  • John Walter, British politician (d. 1847)
  • Heneage Horsley, Scottish priest (d. 1847)
• February 25 – George William Tighe, British noble (d. 1837)
• February 26
  • Innis Green, American congressman for Pennsylvania (d. 1839)
  • John Paterson, Missionary to Northern Europe (d. 1855)
• February 28 – François Quirouet, Canadian politician (d. 1844)
• March 1
  • John Collins, American manufacturer and politician (d. 1822)
  • Elias Moore (d. 1847)
• March 3 – James Parker, American politician (d. 1868)
• March 4 – Guillaume Emmanuel Guignard, vicomte de Saint-Priest, Russian army commander (d. 1814)
• March 5 – Gerard Troost, American mineralogist (d. 1850)
• March 6 – Luigi Lambruschini, Catholic cardinal (d. 1854)
• March 7 – Timothy Ruggles, Canadian politician (d. 1831)
• March 8
  • David Rogerson Williams, American politician (d. 1830)
  • Samuel Tweedy, American politician (d. 1868)
• March 9
  • Thomas Evans, British Army general (d. 1863)
  • Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, Archduke of Austria (d. 1847)
• March 10
  • Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia (d. 1810)
  • Étienne Ranvoyzé, Canadian politician (d. 1826)
• March 12 – Lady Hester Stanhope, British archaeologist (d. 1839)
• March 15 – Aimé Picquet du Boisguy, French chouan general during the French Revolution (d. 1839)
• March 17 – Joel Abbot, American politician (d. 1826)
• March 19 – Philemon Beecher, American politician (d. 1839)
• March 20
  • Joshua Bates, American educator (d. 1854)
  • Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, British politician (d. 1839)
• March 21 – John Frederick Frelinghuysen, United States general (d. 1833)
• March 23
  • Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto, British politician (d. 1848)
  • Vicente Salias, Venezuelan doctor (d. 1814)
• March 24 – Zusho Hirosato, Samurai (d. 1849)
• March 27 – Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel, French botanist and politician (d. 1854)
• March 30 – Vasily Tropinin, Russian artist (d. 1857)
• March 31 – Joseph Küffner, German musician and composer (d. 1856)
• April 1
  • Pierre François Bellot, Swiss jurist (d. 1836)
  • Sophie Germain, French mathematician (d. 1831)
• April 3
  • François Blanchet, Canadian politician (d. 1830)
  • Mary Anne Clarke, mistress of Prince Frederick (d. 1852)
• April 6 – Jesse Bledsoe, American politician (d. 1836)
• April 11
  • Macvey Napier (d. 1847)
  • Jerome Inglott, Maltese philosopher (d. 1835)
• April 12
  • Henry Hezekiah Cogswell, Canadian politician (d. 1854)
  • Henry Hobhouse, Archivist (d. 1854)
• April 13 – Wilhelm von Schütz, Author and playwright (d. 1847)
• April 15 – John Anstruther-Thomson, Scottish nobleman and Colonel of the Royal Fifeshire Yeomanry Cavalry (d. 1833)
• April 17 – Jean-François Roger, French poet and politician (d. 1842)
• April 20
  • Augustin-Marie d'Aboville, French artillerist during the Revolution (d. 1843)
  • Daniel Oliver Guion, officer of the Royal Navy (d. 1811)
  • William Weston Young, BRitish Quaker businessman (d. 1847)
• April 25
  • James Miller, American politician (d. 1851)
  • Edward Solly, English merchant and art collector (d. 1844)
  • Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, member of the British Royal Family (d. 1857)
• April 27
  • Hyacinthe Jadin, French composer (d. 1800)
  • John Cunningham, Canadian politician (d. 1847)
• April 28
  • Charles Bennet, 5th Earl of Tankerville, British politician (d. 1859)
  • Manuel Vieira de Albuquerque Touvar, Portuguese nobleman, (d. 1833)
• May 4 – Johann Friedrich Herbart, German philosopher and psychologist (d. 1841)
• May 5 – Valentine Efner, American politician (d. 1865)
• May 6
  • Stephen Rumbold Lushington, British politician (d. 1868)
  • Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky, Russian Field Marshal (d. 1852)
  • Rensselaer Westerlo, American politician (d. 1851)
• May 8
  • Edward Leveson-Gower, Royal Navy admiral (d. 1853)
  • Prince Bagrat of Georgia (d. 1841)
• May 9 – Thomas Maguire, Canadian Roman Catholic priest (d. 1854)
• May 10 – George Thomas Smart, English musician (d. 1867)
• May 13 – Jett Thomas, American militia general (d. 1817)
• May 17 – Amos Eaton, American botanist (d. 1842)
• May 18 – Dennis Pennington, American politician (d. 1854)
• May 20
  • Simon Fraser, Canadian explorer (d. 1862)
  • Víctor Rosales, Mexican rebel (d. 1817)
• May 29 – Peter Erasmus Müller, Danish historian, linguist and theologian (d. 1834)
• May 31 – José Antonio de la Garza, American mayor (d. 1851)
• June 1
  • George Schetky, American conductor (d. 1831)
  • Giuseppe Zamboni, Italian Roman Catholic priest, physicist (d. 1846)
• June 4 – Isaac B. Van Houten, American politician (d. 1850)
• June 6 – William Reed, American politician (d. 1837)
• June 8 – Thomas Rickman, English architect and architectural antiquary (d. 1841)
• June 11 – John Constable, English painter (d. 1837)
• June 12
  • Karl Friedrich Burdach, German physiologist (d. 1847)
  • José Manuel de Goyeneche, 1st Count of Guaqui, Spanish soldier and diplomat (d. 1846)
  • Pierre Révoil, French painter (d. 1842)
• June 19 – Francis Johnson, American politician (d. 1842)
• June 21
  • Landgravine Josepha of Fürstenberg-Weitra, Princess of Liechtenstein (d. 1848)
  • William Wadd, surgeon, medical author (d. 1829)
  • Charles Horsfall, British politician (d. 1846)
• June 23 – Stephen Longfellow, American politician (d. 1849)
• June 28 – Charles Mathews, English Theatre actor (D. 1835)
• June 29 – George Okill Stuart, Canadian clergyman (d. 1862)
• July 1
  • Samuel Thatcher, American politician (d. 1872)
  • Sophie Gay, French author (d. 1852)
• July 3 – Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton, British politician (d. 1842)
• July 4
  • Pär Aron Borg, sign language creator (d. 1839)
  • Ethan Allen Brown, American politician (d. 1852)
• July 5
  • Daniel Dobbins, captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service (d. 1856)
  • Bernard Smith, American politician (d. 1835)
• July 10 – Samuel Powell, American politician (d. 1841)
• July 11 – William Bradbery (d. 1860)
• July 12 – John Christian, Manx judge (d. 1852)
• July 13 – Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria (d. 1841)
• July 14 – Pierre Yrieix Daumesnil, French soldier (d. 1832)
• July 16
  • Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician and naturalist (d. 1827)
  • Johann Georg von Soldner, German physicist (d. 1833)
• July 17 – John Neilson, Canadian politician (d. 1848)
• July 18 – John Struthers, British poet (d. 1853)
• July 20 – Ignaz Schuppanzigh, Austrian musician (d. 1830)
• July 22
  • Etheldred Benett, early English geologist (d. 1845)
  • Friedrich Hermann Otto, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (d. 1838)
• July 26 – Pierre Fouquier, physician and professor of medicine (d. 1850)
• July 29 – James McSherry, American politician (d. 1849)
• July 30 – Sir Edward Kerrison, 1st Baronet, British general (d. 1853)
• August 1
  • Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, Governor General of British North America, 1835 - 1837 (d. 1849)
  • Jean Corbineau, French cavalry general (d. 1848)
• August 2
  • Thomas Assheton Smith II, Cricketer (d. 1858)
  • Friedrich Stromeyer, German Chemist (d. 1835)
• August 4 – Pierre-Simon Ballanche, French writer and counterrevolutionary philosopher (d. 1847)
• August 5
  • Sophie d'Artois (d. 1783)
  • John Willson, Canadian judge (d. 1860)
• August 6 – William Crooks, Canadian politician (d. 1836)
• August 9
  • Jacob Munch, A Norwegian painter and officer (d. 1839)
• * Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (d. 1856)
• August 12
  • Thomas Millidge, Jr., businessman and political figure in New Brunswick (d. 1838)
  • David Erskine, 2nd Baron Erskine, British politician (d. 1855)
• August 13 – Abraham Shepherd, American politician (d. 1847)
• August 14
  • Prince Christian of Hesse (d. 1814)
  • Christian Friedrich Tieck, German sculptor (d. 1851)
• August 15
  • Ignaz von Seyfried, Austrian musician (d. 1841)
  • Gottlieb Schick, German artist (d. 1812)
• August 16
  • Amalia von Helvig, German and Swedish artist (d. 1831)
  • Philipp Jakob Riotte, German composer (d. 1856)
  • Monaldo Leopardi, Italian philosopher (d. 1847)
  • Jean-Roch Coignet, French soldier (d. 1865)
• August 18
  • Agustín Argüelles, Spanish liberal politician (d. 1844)
  • Thomas Howard, 16th Earl of Suffolk, English Earl (d. 1851)
  • Sir Robert Newman, 1st Baronet, British politician (d. 1848)
• August 21
  • Joseph Healy, American politician (d. 1861)
  • Elizabeth Parke Custis Law (d. 1832)
• August 22 – Carlo Amati, Architect (d. 1852)
• August 23
  • Jens Peter Debes, Norwegian politician (d. 1832)
  • Józef Maria Hoene-Wroński, Polish philosopher (d. 1853)
• August 25 – Thomas Bladen Capel, British military leader (d. 1853)
• August 26
  • Ferdynand Stokowski, Polish general (d. 1827)
  • Henry A. Livingston, American politician (d. 1849)
• August 27 – Barthold Georg Niebuhr, Danish-German statesman and historian (d. 1831)
• August 29 – Georg Friedrich Treitschke, German librettist (d. 1842)
• September 1
  • Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie, French general and politician (d. 1856)
  • Ezekiel Bacon, American politician (d. 1870)
• September 3 – Étienne Mayrand, Canadian politician (d. 1872)
• September 4 – Stephen Whitney, American merchant (d. 1860)
• September 5 – Augustus Simon Frazer (d. 1835)
• September 8
  • Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg, German noblewoman (d. 1841)
  • Heinrich Meldahl, Norwegian builder (d. 1840)
• September 9
  • Parmenio Adams, American politician (d. 1832)
  • Calvin Pease, Ohio Jurist and legislator (d. 1839)
  • Philip Broke, Royal Navy admiral (d. 1841)
• September 11 – Thomas Arbuthnot, British Army general (d. 1849)
• September 15
  • William Baylies, American politician (d. 1865)
  • Calvin Willey, American politician (d. 1858)
• September 17 – Langdon Cheves, American politician (d. 1857)
• September 18 – Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen, 2nd Viscount Newcomen, British politician (d. 1825)
• September 21
  • Karl Gustav Bonuvier, Swedish actor and theatre director (d. 1858)
  • John Fitchett, Poet (d. 1838)
• September 27
  • Peter Shaver, Canadian politician (d. 1866)
  • Maria Versfelt, Dutch writer and actor (d. 1845)
• October 1 – Augustus Warren Baldwin, naval officer and political figure in Upper Canada (d. 1866)
• October 3 – Thomas Walsh, Vicar Apostolic of England and Wales (d. 1849)
• October 4
  • Giovanni Battista Bellé, Italian priest who became Bishop of Mantova (d. 1844)
  • Antonio Tosti, Cardinal-Priest (d. 1866)
  • Mariano Lagasca, Spanish botanist (d. 1839)
• October 6
  • Hirata Atsutane, theologian of the Shintō religion (d. 1843)
  • James Duff, 4th Earl Fife, Spanish general (d. 1857)
  • James Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe, British Baron and Politician (d. 1845)
• October 8 – Pieter van Os, painter, engraver (d. 1839)
• October 12 – Jean-Michel Mahé, French Navy officer and captain (d. 1833)
• October 13
  • Peter Barlow, mathematician (d. 1862)
  • John Gibb, Engineer (d. 1850)
• October 14
  • Samuel Rexford, New York politician (d. 1857)
  • Robert Townsend Farquhar, British colonial administrator (d. 1830)
• October 18 – Cowles Mead, American politician (d. 1844)
• October 20 – John Rolls of The Hendre, British judge (d. 1837)
• October 21 – George Izard, United States general (d. 1828)
• October 22 – Edward Draper, military officer in the British Army and civil servant in Mauritius (d. 1841)
• October 25 – Patrick Neill, Printer and horticulturalist (d. 1851)
• October 28 – Joachim Haspinger, Catholic priest and leader of the Tyrolese revolt against Napoleon (d. 1858)
• October 30
  • George M. Bibb, American politician (d. 1859)
  • John Hahn, American politician (d. 1823)
• October 31 – Francis Locke, American politician (d. 1823)
• November 1 – Abraham McClellan, American politician (d. 1851)
• November 5 – Abraham Teerlink, Dutch painter (d. 1857)
• November 7
  • Bartow White, American politician (d. 1862)
  • James Abercromby, 1st Baron Dunfermline, British politician (d. 1858)
• November 10
  • Samuel Gross, American politician (d. 1839)
  • Henry Seymour, British politician (d. 1849)
  • General Washington Johnston, American politician (d. 1833)
• November 11 – Philip E. Thomas, Banker and railroad executive (d. 1861)
• November 14 – Henri Dutrochet, French physician (d. 1847)
• November 15
  • Aaron Manby, English civil engineer, founder of the Horseley Ironworks (d. 1850)
  • Pehr Henrik Ling, Swedish physical therapist (d. 1839)
• November 17
  • Robert Trimble, United States federal judge (d. 1828)
  • Friedrich Christoph Schlosser, German historian (d. 1861)
• November 20
  • William Blackwood, Scottish publisher (d. 1834)
  • Maximilian Seyssel d’Aix, German general (d. 1855)
• November 24
  • Jean-Joseph Marcel, French printer and engineer (d. 1854)
  • Matthew John Tierney, Irish surgeon (d. 1845)
• November 29 – Harcourt Lees, Irish clergyman and political pamphleteer (d. 1852)
• November 30
  • Philippe André de Vilmorin, French horticulturist (d. 1862)
  • Bartholomew Frere, English diplomat (d. 1851)
• December 1
  • Elijah H. Mills, American politician (d. 1829)
  • Isaac Lacey, American politician (d. 1844)
• December 2 – Louis Alexis Baudoin (d. 1805)
• December 3
  • Yashwantrao Holkar, Ruler of Holkar State. (d. 1811)
  • Nicolas Charles Seringe, French physician and botanist (d. 1858)
• December 5 – Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck, German surgeon (d. 1851)
• December 6 – Theodorick Bland, United States federal judge (d. 1846)
• December 7 – Reuben Whallon, American politician (d. 1843)
• December 8
  • Theodore Dehon, second Bishop of South Carolina (d. 1817)
  • William Logan, American politician (d. 1822)
• December 10
  • Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este, second wife of Charles Theodore (d. 1848)
  • David Marchand, American politician (d. 1832)
  • Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy, German banker; father of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (d. 1835)
• December 12 – Nicholas Conyngham Tindal, British politician (d. 1846)
• December 13 – James Hawkes, American politician (d. 1865)
• December 14 – Ingelbrecht Knudssøn, Norwegian politician (d. 1826)
• December 16
  • Narciso Durán (d. 1846)
  • Johann Wilhelm Ritter, German chemist (d. 1810)
• December 19
  • Lord Edward Somerset, British Army general (d. 1842)
  • Lars Roverud, Musician (d. 1850)
  • Eusebio Bardají y Azara, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1842)
• December 20 – José María del Castillo y Rada, President of Colombia (d. 1833)
• December 25 – John Slater, American businessman (d. 1843)
• December 26 – Charles Hamilton Smith, British artist (d. 1859)
• December 27 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)
• December 29 – Gustaf af Wetterstedt, Swedish politician (d. 1837)
• December 30 – William Drayton, American politician (d. 1846)
• December 31 – Johann Spurzheim, German physician (d. 1832)
• date unknown
  • Muthuswami Dikshitar, Indian composer (d. 1835)
  • Jane Porter, English novelist (d. 1850)

Deaths

• March 10
  • Élie Catherine Fréron, French critic (b. 1719)
  • Niclas Sahlgren, Swedish merchant and philanthropist (b. 1701)
• March 24 – John Harrison, English clockmaker (b. 1693)
• March 26 – Samuel Ward, American politician (b. 1725)
• April 29 – Edward Wortley Montagu, English traveler and writer (b. 1713)
• May 4 – Jacques Saly, French sculptor (b. 1717)
• June 10 – Leopold Widhalm, Austrian luthier (b. 1722)
• June 20 – Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and manufacturer (b. 1704)
• July 7 – Jeremiah Markland, English classical scholar (b. 1693)
• July 10 – Richard Peters, English-born clergyman (b. 1704)
• August 1 – Francis Salvador, American patriot (b. 1747)
• August 2 – Louis François, Prince of Conti, French military leader (b. 1717)
• August 25 – David Hume, Scottish philosopher (b. 1711)
• September 22 – Nathan Hale, American Revolutionary War captain, writer and patriot (executed) (b. 1755)
• October 10 - Karl Gotthelf von Hund, German Freemason (b. 1722)
• October 17 – Pierre François le Courayer, French theologian (b. 1681)
• November 17 – James Ferguson (Scottish astronomer) (b. 1710)

References

• Historic Letters of 1776

Further reading

• John Blair; J. Willoughby Rosse (1856). "1776". Blair's Chronological Tables. London: H.G. Bohn – via Hathi Trust.