9 April – The Scottish
JacobiteSimon Fraser, forfeited Lord Lovat, is beheaded by axe on
Tower Hill in London for
high treason, the last person to be executed in this way in Britain. Around twenty would-be spectators of the event are killed when a grandstand collapses.
Benjamin Robins presents a paper to the
Royal Society describing the physics of a spinning projectile following his investigation of rifle barrels.[4][5]
25 October – War of the Austrian Succession:
Second Battle of Cape Finisterre: British fleet puts an end to French naval operations for the remainder of the war.
birthdate unknown - Francis Salvador, Sephardic Jew born in London who became the first Jew elected to public office in British America, and the first Jew to die in the cause of American independence (died 1776)
15 January –
John Aikin, doctor and writer (died 1822)
18 January –
John Gillies, historian and classical scholar (died 1836)
26 January –
Samuel Parr, schoolmaster (died 1825)