Sajun.org
(
17th century - '''18th century''' -
19th century -
more centuries)
As a means of recording the passage of
time, the '''18th century''' was that
century which lasted from
1701-
1800; however, historians will sometimes specifically refer to the 18th Century as
1715-
89; which denotes the period of time between the death of
King Louis XIV and the start of the
French Revolution. In Europe, the primary nations of this period (in terms of
industrial capacity) were:
Austria,
Britain,
France,
Prussia, and
Russia. This was the period of the so-called "
enlightened absolutism". The 18th century can easily be described in the political changes and the opening stages for nations to enter the modern world. France's absolutism would lead to the beginning of peasant revolts that, for the first time, would begin to shake the old ways and feudal life.
The Enlightenment was in full bloom and threatened the power of theology. The rise of nations like Austria, Russia, and Prussia began to shift the balance of power away from the west and create new competition in Europe other than France, England, and Spain.
Other major aspects of the 18th century were the rise of cultural centers like
Paris and
Vienna where nations could boast their power, enlightenment, and impression to the rest of Europe. Across the globe, European colonies were being both established, as well as breaking away. In Asia, exploration and influences from Europe were beginning to shake the structures of old empires, especially
India where civil war was giving the British an easy "pushover" for taking the entire peninsula.
In a strict aesthetic analysis, the 18th century was the beginning of Europe's changes and influence around the world.
== Events ==
*
1707 - The
Kingdom of Great Britain is formed
*
1715 -
Louis XIV dies
*
1750 -- peak of the
Little Ice Age
*
1770s -
James Cook explorations
*
1786 - On behalf of the
British East India Company,
Francis Light acquires the island of
Penang from the Sultan of
Kedah- the first
British colony in
South-East Asia.
*
1788 - First European settlement established in
Australia
*
1789 - The
French Revolution
*
The Enlightenment
* Scientific discovery and early
Industrial Revolution. See the
History of Science and Technology.
*
American Revolution leading to
United States declaration of independence in
1776 and
Constitution in
1789.
*
Rosetta stone is found by
Napoleon's troops in
1799.
* Wars of Empire between Great Britain,
France,
Spain,
Austria.
**See the
War of the Spanish Succession (or Queen Anne's War),
War of the Austrian Succession (or King George's War),
War of Jenkins' Ear,
Seven Years' War (or
French and Indian War)
== Significant people ==
*
Catherine the Great (Russian Tsarina)
*
James Cook (British navigator)
*
Leonhard Euler (mathematician)
*
Benjamin Franklin (inventor and diplomat)
*
Alexander Hamilton (American statesman)
*
David Hume (philosopher)
*
Thomas Jefferson (American politician)
*
Immanuel Kant (philosopher)
*
Louis XIV of France (monarch)
*
Adam Smith (Scottish economist)
*
George Washington (General, 1st American President)
=== Artists ===
*
Johann Sebastian Bach (composer)
*
Denis Diderot (French writer and philosopher)
*
Thomas Gainsborough (painter)
*
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German writer)
*
Thomas Gray (British writer)
*
William Hogarth (painter and engraver)
*
Samuel Johnson (British writer)
*
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer)
*
Sir Joshua Reynolds (painter)
*
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (French writer and philosopher)
*
Friedrich Schiller (German writer)
*
Jonathan Swift (British writer)
*
Voltaire (French writer and philosopher)
=== Notorious people ===
*
Benedict Arnold, considered a
traitor by many people on both sides (
United States and
Britain) of the
American Revolutionary War.
== Inventions, discoveries, introductions ==
*
Cotton gin by
Eli Whitney
* The
marine chronometer of
John Harrison solves the longitude problem for navigation.
* Improved
steam engines by
Thomas Newcomen and
James Watt
* first steam-powered
automobile by
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot
*
textile manufacturing:
**
Flying Shuttle of
John Kay
**
draw roller of
Lewis Paul
**
Spinning Jenny of
James Hargreaves/
Thomas Highs
**
Spinning Frame/
Water Frame of
John Kay/
Richard Arkwright
**
Spinning Mule of
Samuel Crompton
**
power loom of
Edmund Cartwright
==Decades and years==
{| border="0" cellpadding="5"
|style="background: #eeeeee"|'''
1690s'''
|
1690
|
1691
|
1692
|
1693
|
1694
|
1695
|
1696
|
1697
|
1698
|
1699
|-
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1700s'''
|
1700
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1701
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1702
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1703
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1704
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1705
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1706
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1707
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1708
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1709
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1710s'''
|
1710
|
1711
|
1712
|
1713
|
1714
|
1715
|
1716
|
1717
|
1718
|
1719
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1720s'''
|
1720
|
1721
|
1722
|
1723
|
1724
|
1725
|
1726
|
1727
|
1728
|
1729
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1730s'''
|
1730
|
1731
|
1732
|
1733
|
1734
|
1735
|
1736
|
1737
|
1738
|
1739
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1740s'''
|
1740
|
1741
|
1742
|
1743
|
1744
|
1745
|
1746
|
1747
|
1748
|
1749
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1750s'''
|
1750
|
1751
|
1752
|
1753
|
1754
|
1755
|
1756
|
1757
|
1758
|
1759
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1760s'''
|
1760
|
1761
|
1762
|
1763
|
1764
|
1765
|
1766
|
1767
|
1768
|
1769
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1770s'''
|
1770
|
1771
|
1772
|
1773
|
1774
|
1775
|
1776
|
1777
|
1778
|
1779
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1780s'''
|
1780
|
1781
|
1782
|
1783
|
1784
|
1785
|
1786
|
1787
|
1788
|
1789
|- style="background: #ffeedd"
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1790s'''
|
1790
|
1791
|
1792
|
1793
|
1794
|
1795
|
1796
|
1797
|
1798
|
1799
|-
|style="background: #ffddcc"|'''
1800s'''
|style="background: #ffeedd"|
1800
|
1801
|
1802
|
1803
|
1804
|
1805
|
1806
|
1807
|
1808
|
1809
|}
af:18de eeu
bg:18 век
ca:Segle XVIII
cs:18. stolet
da:18. rhundrede
de:18. Jahrhundert
et:18. sajand
es:Siglo XVIII
eo:18-a jarcento
fr:XVIIIe sicle
fy:18e ieu
ko:18세기
io:18ma yar-cento
it:XVIII secolo
he:המאה ה-18
ku:Sedsala 18'an
lb:18. Joerhonnert
nl:18e eeuw
ja:18世紀
no:18. rhundre
pl:XVIII wiek
pt:Sculo XVIII
ro:Secolul XVIII
ru:XVIII век
sl:18. stoletje
fi:1700-luku
sv:1700-talet
tr:18. yüzyıl
uk:18 століття
wa:18inme sieke
zh:18世纪