1778

Centuries: 17th century - 18th century - 19th century

Decades: 1720s 1730s 1740s 1750s 1760s - 1770s - 1780s 1790s 1800s 1810s 1820s

Years: 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 - 1778 - 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783

Events

• "The term Thoroughbred was first used in the United States in an advertisement in a Kentucky gazette to describe a New Jersey stallion called Pilgarlick .
• January 18 - Third Pacific expedition of Capt. James Cook, with ships HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery, first view O'ahu then Kaua'i in the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the "Sandwich Islands."
• February 5 - South Carolina becomes the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation
• February 6 - American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
• February 23 - American Revolutionary War: Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army
• July 10 - American Revolutionary War: Louis XVI of France declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain.
• July 27 - American Revolution: First Battle of Ushant - British and French fleets fight to a standoff.
• France Introduced the first state-controlled brothel

Births

• February 22 - Rembrandt Peale, artist
• April 10 - William Hazlitt - English essayist
• November 1 - Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
• December 17 - Sir Humphry Davy - English chemist

Deaths

• January 10 - Carolus Linnaeus
• May 30 - François-Marie Arouet dit Voltaire, french philosopher
• June 28 - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher

Monarchs/Presidents

• China - Qianlong Emperor of China, Qing Dynasty (reigned from October 18, 1735 to February 9, 1796)
• Prussia - Frederick II King of Prussia (reigned from 1740 to 1786)