- Jan 3 Charles Palissot de Montenoy, French writer/politician
- Jan 12 Johann Joachim Christoph Bode, German bassoonist and composer, born in Barum, Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (now Germany) (d. 1793)
- Jan 14 William Whipple, American merchant & judge (signatory of the Declaration of Independence), born in Kittery, Maine (d. 1785)
- Jan 15 John Malchair, German-born English artist, violinist and composer, born in Cologne (d. 1812)
- Jan 23 Joseph Hewes, American merchant (Declaration of Independence signatory), born in Princeton, New Jersey (d. 1779)