From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Great Britain-related events during the year of 1778
Events from the year
1778 in
Great Britain .
Incumbents
Events
18 January – the third
Pacific expedition of
James Cook , with ships
HMS Resolution (1771) and
HMS Discovery (1774) , first views
Oahu then
Kauai in the
Hawaiian Islands , which he names the "Sandwich Islands".
[2]
6 February –
American Revolutionary War : Britain declares war on
France for aiding the Americans.
[3]
23 April – American Revolutionary War:
John Paul Jones in
USS Ranger (1777) raids
Whitehaven , with limited effect.
24 April – American Revolutionary War:
North Channel Naval Duel – John Paul Jones in USS Ranger captures
HMS Drake (1777) in the
North Channel .
May –
HMS Victory is commissioned and remains in active service for the following 32 years, most notably at the
Battle of Trafalgar (1805).
[4]
[5]
28 May–11 November – American Revolutionary War: In response to the threat of invasion from France, major
militia camps are set up at
Coxheath Common in Kent and Warley Common near
Brentwood, Essex .
16 June – American Revolutionary War:
Spain declares war on Britain.
[3]
28 June – American Revolutionary War: the
Battle of Monmouth takes place in
Monmouth, New Jersey .
[6]
3 July – American Revolutionary War: the
Wyoming Valley battle and massacre takes place near
Wilkes-Barre ,
Pennsylvania , ending in a defeat of the local
colonists .
10 July – American Revolutionary War:
Louis XVI of France declares war on Great Britain.
27 July – American Revolutionary War:
First Battle of Ushant – British and
French fleets fight to a standoff.
September – first
St. Leger Stakes horse race held under this name and at its continuing location, Town Moor,
Doncaster .
[3]
[7] The winner is
Hollandoise .
7 September – American Revolutionary War: French
invasion of Dominica captures the British fort there before the latter is aware that France has entered the war in the
Franco-American alliance .
26 November – in the
Hawaiian Islands , James Cook becomes the first
European to discover
Maui .
Ongoing
Undated
Births
Deaths
5 March –
Thomas Augustine Arne , composer (born 1710)
22 April –
James Hargreaves , weaver, carpenter, and inventor (born 1720)
11 May –
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham ,
Prime Minister of Great Britain (born 1708)
[9]
16 May –
Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness , diplomat and politician (born 1718)
12 August –
Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven , general and politician (born 1714)
See also
References
Further reading