Early Modern
Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca (1774): Russia Gains the Black Sea
The Ottoman Empire lost its control of Crimea and the northern Black Sea coast, and Russia gained trade, navigation and diplomatic rights inside the empire.
Region
Europe
Early Modern
Intolerable Acts (1774): Britain's Punishment of Massachusetts
Intended to isolate Boston, the acts united the colonies in protest and led directly to the First Continental Congress.
Early Modern
Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (1776): Birth of Economics
The book became the founding text of classical economics and a lasting influence on debates about free trade, markets and the role of government.
Early Modern
Franco-American Alliance (1778): France Joins the Revolution
France recognised American independence and became a military ally, entering the war against Britain in 1778.
Early Modern
The Iron Bridge (1779): Coalbrookdale and the Age of Iron
The world's first major bridge built of cast iron opened to traffic on 1 January 1781 and became a symbol of the Industrial Revolution.
Early Modern
Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–1783): Britain Holds the Rock
The British garrison held out for three years and seven months, and Gibraltar remained British under the peace of 1783.
Early Modern
Gordon Riots (1780): London's Worst Riots of the 18th Century
The army suppressed the riots, leaving several hundred dead; about two dozen rioters were hanged, while Gordon was tried for treason and acquitted.
Early Modern
William Herschel Discovers Uranus (1781): A New Planet Found
Uranus was recognised as the seventh planet, the first discovered with a telescope, roughly doubling the known size of the Solar System.
Early Modern
Zong Massacre (1781): Murder at Sea and the Insurance Case
About 130 or more Africans were killed; the owners' insurance claim was challenged in court, no one was prosecuted, and the case became a rallying point for abolitionists.
Early Modern
Treaty of Paris (1783): Britain Recognises American Independence
Great Britain recognised the independence of the United States and agreed generous boundaries reaching to the Mississippi River.
Early Modern
Montgolfier Balloon (1783): The First Manned Flight in History
Two men flew freely over Paris for about 25 minutes, the first recorded untethered human flight, launching the age of aviation.
Early Modern
Calabrian Earthquakes (1783): Disaster in Southern Italy
A sequence of five major shocks destroyed some 180 towns and villages and killed an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 people.