Historical Events Jan 2 British troops occupy Calcutta India Jan 5 Failed assassination attempt on French King Louis XV by Damiens Jan 17 German Diet declares war on Prussia Famous Birthdays Jan 3 Johann Abraham Sixt, composer Jan 11 Samuel Bentham, English mechanical engineer (d. 1831) Jan 16 Samuel McIntire, woodcarver/architect (architect of Salem) Jan 19 Augusta Reuss-Ebersdorf, German Princess (d. 1831) Jan 28 Antonio Bartolomeo Bruni, composer Famous Deaths Jan 9 Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, French scientist and man of letters (b. 1657) Jan 9 Louis Bertrand Castel, French mathematician, dies at 68 Jan 19 Thomas Ruddiman, Scottish classical scholar (b. 1674) 1756 History by Year 1758 Famous Sports Stars Baseball Players Basketball Stars Boxers Footballers NFL Stars Tennis Champions