- Jan 1 Edmund Burke, British statesman, philosopher and author (A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, Reflections on the Revolution in France) [NS=Jan 12], born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1797)
- Jan 5 Paulus Constantijn la Fargue, Dutch cartoonist & painter, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1782)
- Jan 12 Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian physiologist and biologist, born in Modena Italy (d. 1799)
- Jan 22 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German critic and dramatist (1st ever dramaturge), born in Kamenz, Saxony (d. 1781)
- Feb 23 Josiah Hornblower, American statesman (d. 1809)
- Mar 28 Pieter Fouquet, Dutch art merchant (Atlas of Fouquet), born in Amsterdam (d. 1800)
- Apr 13 Thomas Percy, English literary and bishop of Dromore, born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England (d. 1811)
Catherine the Great (1729-1796)
Apr 21 German-born Empress of Russia (1762-96) who expanded the Russian empire, born in Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia
- Apr 22 Michael Hillegas, American merchant and first Treasurer of the United States (1775-89), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1804)
- May 13 Henry William (Baron) Stiegel, early American glassmaker
- May 23 Giuseppe Parini, Italian prose writer and poet (Il Giorno), born in Bosisio, Lombardy, Italy (d. 1799)
- May 25 Jean de Neufville, Dutch-American merchant (started 4th English war), born in Amsterdam (d. 1796)
- Jun 5 Cláudio Manuel da Costa, Brazilian poet, born in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Portuguese Colony of Brazil (d. 1789)
William Howe (1729-1814)
Aug 10 5th Viscount Howe, British military leader (commander of British forces in the American Revolutionary War), born in England
- Sep 6 Moses Mendelssohn, German Jewish enlightenment philosopher (Haksalah), born in Dessau, Principality of Anhalt (d. 1786)
- Sep 25 Christian G. Heyne, German archaeologist, born in Chemnitz, Germany (d. 1812)
- Sep 27 Michael Denis, Austrian poet, bibliographer and lepidopterist, born in Schärding, Austria (d. 1800)
- Oct 22 Johann Reinhold Forster, German botanist (naturalist on James Cook's second Pacific voyage), born in Dirschau (Tczew), Royal Prussia, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (d. 1798)
- Nov 12 Louis Antoine de Bougainville, French admiral and explorer (Falkland Islands, Bougainville Island), born in Paris, France (d. 1811)
- Nov 17 Maria Antonietta of Spain, queen of Sardinia (d. 1785)
- Nov 21 Josiah Bartlett, American physician and statesman (signed US Declaration of Independence), born in Amesbury, Province of Massachusetts Bay (d. 1795)
- Nov 24 Alexander Suvorov, Russian general (d. 1800)