Historical Events in 1762

  • Jan 4 Seven Years' War: Great Britain declares war on Spain & Naples
  • Jan 15 Fraunces Tavern opens in NYC
  • Feb 2 Thomas Arnes' opera "Artaxerxes" premieres in London
  • Feb 12 British fleet occupies Martinique

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Mar 10 French Huguenot Jean Calas, who was wrongly convicted of killing his son, dies after being tortured by authorities; the event inspires Voltaire to begin campaign for religious tolerance and legal reform

Enlightenment Philosopher Voltaire
Enlightenment Philosopher
Voltaire
  • Mar 17 1st St Patrick's Day parade in NYC
  • Apr 5 British take Grenada, West Indies, from French
  • May 5 Russia & Prussia sign Treaty of Saint Petersburg ending the Seven Years War
  • May 22 Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg, reaffirming the status quo that existed before the Seven Years War
  • Jun 15 Austria uses 1st paper currency
  • Jun 28 1st reported counterfeiting attempt (Boston)

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Jun 28 Russian Tsarina Catherine II seizes power, declaring herself sovereign ruler of Russia

Empress of Russia Catherine the Great
Empress of Russia
Catherine the Great

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Jul 10 Louis-François Roubiliac's monument to George Frideric Handel is unveiled at Westminster Abbey in London

Composer George Frideric Handel
Composer
George Frideric Handel
  • Jul 17 Catherine II becomes tsarina of Russia following the murder of Peter III
  • Aug 14 English fleet occupies Havana
  • Aug 22 1st female (Ann Franklin) US newspaper editor, Newport, Rhode Island, Mercury
  • Sep 15 Battle of Signal Hill, the last battle of the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War.
  • Oct 5 Opera "Orfeo Ed Euridice" by Christoph Willibald Gluck is first produced in Vienna in front of Empress Maria Theresa.
  • Oct 6 British troops occupy Manila, Philippines
  • Nov 3 Britain & Spain sign Treaty of Paris
  • Nov 3 Spain acquires Louisiana
  • Dec 9 British parliament accepts Treaty of Paris