- Jan 9 France declares war on Spain
- Jan 17 Avalanche destroys every building in Leukerbad, Switzerland; kills 53
- May 7 The city of New Orleans founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville
- May 15 James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents world's 1st machine gun
- Jun 26 Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia, Peter the Great's son, mysteriously dies after being sentenced to death by his father for plotting against him.
- Jul 21 The Treaty of Passarowitz between the Ottoman Empire, Austria and the Republic of Venice is signed
- Aug 2 Austrian joins Triple Alliance
- Aug 11 Battle of Cape Passaro: British fleet destroys Spanish off Sicily
- Aug 21 Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, Turkey and Venice sign peace treaty
- Aug 25 Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana; New Orleans founded
- Dec 17 France, Britain and Austria declare war on Spain (War of the Quadruple Alliance 1718–1720)