1742
Centuries: 17th century - 18th century - 19th century
Decades: 1690s 1700s 1710s 1720s 1730s - 1740s - 1750s 1760s 1770s 1780s 1790s
Years: 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 - 1742 - 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747
Events
- January 24 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
- February 16 - Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain.
- February 18 - British attack La Guayra.
- May 25 - A battle is fought at Sahay.
- December 2 - The Pennsylvania Journal first appears in print.
- Daniel le Pelley succeeds Nicolas le Pelley as Seigneur of Sark.
- Kingdom of Prussia captures Jihlava.
- Christian Goldbach formulates Goldbach's conjecture.
- Colin Maclaurin publishes his Treatise on Fluxions.
- Anders Celsius proposes the Celsius temperature scale.
- James Bradley succeeds Edmond Halley as Astronomer Royal.
- Henry Fielding publishes Joseph Andrews.
- John Carteret, 2nd Lord Carteret becomes Secretary of State for the Northern Department.
- Rigging of Chippenham by-election causes a political scandal.
- William Pulteney created as 1st Earl of Bath.
- University of Erlangen is founded.
- Molde in Norway becomes a city.
- Construction starts on the Foundling Hospital in London.
- Eisenach builds its Stadtschloss (city castle).
Ongoing events
Births
- January 8 - Philip Astley, the father of modern circus
- March 10 - Sampson Salter Blowers, North American lawyer and jurist
- March 31 - P. D. Q. Bach, fictitious composer
- April 28 - Henry Dundas, British statesman
- May 6 - Jean Senebier, Swiss pastor and botanist
- June 25 - Johann Schweighauser, German classical scholar
- June 26 - Arthur Middleton, American politician
- June 28 - William Hooper, American statesman (+ 1790)
- July 21 - John Cleves Symmes, American statesman (+ 1814)
- July 27 - Nathaniel Greene, American general
- September 14 - James Wilson, American politician
- December 9 - Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Swedish chemist
- December 16 - Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Prussian general (+ 1819)
- Philip Astley, the father of modern circus
- George Chalmers, Scottish antiquarian (+ 1825)
- Joseph Brant, Mohawk leader (+ 1807)
- Francis Nash, American military officer (+ 1777)
- Johan Herman Wessel, Scandinavian writer (+ 1785)
Deaths
- January 14 - Edmond Halley, astronomer
- February 22 - James Wilson, British publisher
- March 23 - Jean-Baptiste Dubos, French author
- April 17 - Arvid Horn, Swedish statesman
- June 27 - Nathan Bailey, English philologist and lexicographer
- July 9 - John Oldmixon, English historian
- July 14 - Richard Bentley, English scholar and critic
- July 19 - William Somervile, English poet
- September 18 - Jean Baptiste Massillon, French bishop
- November 24 - Andrew Bradford, American publisher
- John Aislabie, British politician and gardener
Monarchs/Presidents
- China - Qianlong Emperor of China, Qing Dynasty (reigned from October 18, 1735 to February 9, 1796)
- France - Louis XV King of France (reigned from 1715 to 1774)
- Great Britain - George II King of Great Britain (reigned from June 11, 1727 to October 25, 1760)
- Kingdom of Prussia - Frederick II King of Prussia (reigned from 1740 to 1786)
- Russia - Elizabeth Empress of Russia (reigned from 1741 to January 5, 1762)
- Saxony - Frederick Augustus II Elector of Saxony (from 1733 to 1763) (also King of Poland)