Centuries: 17th century - 18th century - 19th century
Decades: 1690s 1700s 1710s 1720s 1730s - 1740s - 1750s 1760s 1770s 1780s 1790s
Years: 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 - 1743 - 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748
Events Ongoing events Year in topics Births
- February 13 - Sir Joseph Banks, British naturalist and botanist
- February 19 - Luigi Boccherini, Italian classical music performer
- February 23 - Mayer Amschel Rothschild, banker (+ 1812)
- March 4 - Johann David Wyss, Swiss author, (+ 1818)
- April 13 - Thomas Jefferson, later 3rd President of the United States(+ 1826).
- August 26 - Antoine Lavoisier (French chemist aka father of modern chemistry)
- September 17 - Marquis de Condorcet, mathematician, philosopher, and political scientist
- January 29 - Cardinal André-Hercule de Fleury, Bishop of Fréjus, chief minister of France under Louis XV
- China - Qianlong Emperor of China, Qing Dynasty (reigned from October 18, 1735 to February 9, 1796)
- France - Louis XV King of France (reigned from 1715 to 1774)
- Great Britain - George II King of Great Britain (reigned from June 11, 1727 to October 25, 1760)
- Kingdom of Prussia - Frederick II King of Prussia (reigned from 1740 to 1786)
- Russia - Elizabeth Empress of Russia (reigned from 1741 to January 5, 1762)
- Saxony - Frederick Augustus II Elector of Saxony (from 1733 to 1763) (also King of Poland)\n