Essay on Women
Feb 21 English House of Commons tries John Wilkes in absentia and finds him guilty of publishing a seditious libel for his "Essay on Women," an obscene parody of Alexander Pope’s "Essay on Man"
Sugar Tax Passed
Apr 5 British Parliament passes the Sugar Tax on the American colonies, introduced by Prime Minister George Grenville
- May 5 Smolny Institute forms in St Petersburg for noble girls
Event of Interest
May 24 Samuel Adams writes instructions for Boston Town Meeting opposing the Sugar Act, laying groundwork for colonial resistance to taxation without representation
- Jul 23 James Otis publishes views on taxation without representation
Edward Gibbon's Inspiration
Oct 15 Edward Gibbon observes a group of friars singing in the ruined Temple of Jupiter in Rome, which inspires him to begin work on The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire