- Jan 7 Gallus Zeiler, German composer, dies at 49
- Jan 15 Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia, Italian organist, harpsichordist, composer (Six Sonatas for Harpsichord), and organ builder, dies at 83
- Feb 10 Montesquieu, French philosopher and writer (Letters Persanes), dies at 66
- Feb 11 Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist (b. 1675)
- Mar 2 Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, French writer (b. 1675)
- Mar 24 Theodor Christlieb Reinhold, German composer, dies at 72
- Apr 6 Richard Rawlinson, English minister and antiquarian (b. 1690)
Louis Mandrin (1725-1755)
May 26 French smuggler considered the French Robin Hood, tortured and executed at 30 in front of 6,000 onlookers by being broken on the wheel for 8 minutes and then strangled
- Jul 9 Gottlob Harrer, German composer, dies at 52
- Jul 13 Edward Braddock, British General, dies of his wounds from the Battle of Fort Duquesne (near present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), during French & Indian War at 60
- Aug 22 Caspar Burman, Dutch historian and Mayor of Utrecht, dies at 59
- Sep 8 Ephraim Williams, American philanthropist (Williams College), dies at 40
- Sep 9 Johann Lorenz von Mosheim, German historian (b. 1694)
- Sep 30 Francesco Durante, Neapolitan composer,and teacher dies at 71
- Oct 4 Samuel von Cocceji, German lawyer, dies
- Oct 16 Saint Gerard Majella, Catholic saint, dies at 29
- Oct 22 Elisha Williams, American rector of Yale College (b. 1694)
- Oct 28 Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, composer, dies at 65
- Nov 11 Johan van de Bergh, Leids regent, dies at 91
- Nov 25 Johann Georg Pisendel, German violist/composer, dies at 76
- Dec 1 Maurice Greene, English composer, dies at 59
- Dec 21 Caspar Ruetz, German composer, dies at 47