1740

• Italian printer and font creator Giambattista Bodoni.
• Dutch novelist Isabelle de Charriere.
• English composer Samuel Arnold.
• Scottish author James Boswell.
• French composer Louis Granier.
• Infamous French aristocrat and writer Count Donatien Alphonse François de Sade.
• British sculptor John Bacon.
• Swedish poet Carl Michael Bellman.
• English inventor and industrialist Henry Cort.
• Scottish printer William Smellie.
• French aviation pioneer Joseph Montgolfier.
• Russian painter Alexey Venetsianov (d. 1847).
• English composer Elizabeth Olin.
• Japanese Princess Toshiko, who will later ascend the throne as Empress Go-Sakuramachi.

Died in 1740:

• An early frost kills crops in many parts of Europe. An immense famine will eventually kill 400,000 in Ireland alone . There is also famine in Norway,England, Scotland, France, Germany, and Quebec.
• Italian composer Antonio Lotti.
• (May 31) King Frederick William I of Prussia.  His son Frederick II succeeds him.
• (October 20) Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI Hapsburg.  His daughter Maria Theresa succeeds to the Hapsburg dominions.
• Pope Clement XII. After six months of wrangling, Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini is elected Pope Benedict XIV.
• Italian composer Domenico Alberti.
• Empress Anna of Russia. Ivan VI succeeds her.

• The problems associated with having Maria Theresa succeed her father had been foreseen and taken care of.  All of the European powers had agreed (or been bribed with territory) to not make trouble at her accession.  But Frederick sees nothing but opportunity: Prussia has a claim to Silesia, and does not allow women to inherit.  On December 13, Frederick holds a masked ball for all of Europe's courtiers and diplomats. During the ball he slips away to meet his troops, and on December 16 Frederick's troops march into Silesia.  This is the first action in what would become the War of the Austrian Succession.
• The War of Jenkins' Ear continues.
• (January) Georgia governor James Oglethorpe invades Florida.
• (May) Oglethorpe lays siege to St. Augustine.
• (July) Spanish reinforcements arrive from Cuba and Oglethorpe has to break off his siege.
• Two hurricanes destroy cattle and supplies in Louisiana.

1739 - 1740 - 1741

How They Were Made - 18th Century