- Jan 3 Charles Palissot de Montenoy, French writer/politician
- Jan 14 William Whipple, American merchant & judge (signatory of the Declaration of Independence), born in Kittery, Maine (d. 1785)
- Jan 23 Joseph Hewes, American merchant (Declaration of Independence signatory), born in Princeton, New Jersey (d. 1779)
- Feb 21 Charles L Fournier, Flemish writer/painter
- Mar 7 Baron de Breteuil, French statesman (d. 1807)
- Mar 11 Otto Friedrich Müller, Copenhagen, Danish Naturalist who was a pioneer in the study of microorganisms including bacteria, diatoms, and infusoria
- Mar 27 Thomas Tyrwhitt, English classical scholar and critic, born in London (d. 1786)
- Mar 31 Étienne Bézout, French mathematician (d. 1783)
- May 10 George Ross, American judge (signed US Declaration of Independence)
Charles Watson-Wentworth
May 13 Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquis of Rockingham, British Prime Minister (Whig: 1765-66, 1782), born in Wentworth, Yorkshire, England (d. 1782)
Charles Watson-Wentworth
- Jun 21 Norinaga Motoori, Japanese scientist, born in Matsuzaka, Japan (d. 1801)
- Jun 26 Charles Messier, French astronomer (cataloguer of "M objects"), born in Badonviller, Lorraine, France (d. 1817)
- Jul 12 Josiah Wedgwood, English pottery designer and manufacturer (Wedgwood), born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England (d. 1795)
- Aug 27 Johann Georg Hamann, German counter-enlightenment philosopher ("Reason is language"), born in Königsberg, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1788)
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
Sep 17 Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Prussian-American military officer (major general of the Continental Army), born in Magdeburg (d. 1794)
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
- Oct 1 Richard Stockton, American attorney and signer of Declaration of Independence, born in Princeton, New Jersey (d. 1781)
- Nov 10 Oliver Goldsmith, Irish novelist and dramatist (She Stoops to Conquer), born in Kilkenny West, Ireland (d. 1774)
- Nov 16 Gualtherus van Doeveren, Zealand-Flanders physician, born in Philippine, Zealand, Netherlands (d. 1783)
- Dec 8 Jan Ingenhousz, Dutch-English physiologist (discovering photosynthesis) and personal physician of Maria Theresa, born in Breda, Staats-Brabant, Dutch Republic (d. 1799)
- Dec 25 Philip Mazzei, Italian physician and friend of Thomas Jefferson (d. 1816)