The Age of Enlightenment (1715-1774)
1720 - "South Sea Bubble" in England
1721 - Peace of Nystad, Montesquieu publishes the "Persian Letters"
1729 - Bach composes the "St. Matthew Passion"
1733 - War of the Polish Succession
1738 - the "Flying Shuttle" invented by John Kay
1739 - David Hume publishes his "Treatise of Human Nature"
1740 - Frederick the Great attacks Maria Theresa over Silesia
1741 - Dupleix becomes French governor in India, Handel writes
"The Messiah"
1744 - Second Silesian War
1745 - Louisbourg taken by the British
1748 - Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle
1749 - Bach writes "Art of the Fugue"
1752 - Ben Franklin experiments with electricity
1754 - French and Indian War breaks out in North America
1756 - Seven Years' War begins
1758 - Quesnay publishes the "Tableau economique" (physiocracy)
1759 - Quebec falls to the British, Voltaire publishes "Candide"
1762 - Rousseau publishes his "Social Contract"
1763 - Peace of Paris ends the Seven Years' War
1768 - Watt develops his steam engine
1770 - Captain Cook returns from his voyage around the world
1771 - Richard Arkwright opens his spinning mill in England
1772 - First partition of Poland
1773 - Pugachev's revolt in Russia
1774 - Goethe writes "Sorrows of Werther"