The world in
What happened in 1755?
10 events across 6 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- 1755 Lisbon earthquake
On the morning of 1 November 1755, a powerful earthquake struck Lisbon. Subsequent fires and a tsunami almost completely destroyed the city. The disaster also affected parts of Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, and the tsunami propagated across the Atlantic.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian War
In 1763, the Russian Empire invaded Circassia and occupied Mozdok, prompting the Circassian people to organize a resistance movement to preserve their independence, marking the beginning of the Russo-Circassian War. This conflict became the longest war in the history of the Caucasus and of Russia, ending in 1864 with the defeat of Circassian forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Completion of Place Stanislas
The Place Stanislas was completed around 1755 in Nancy, France. Commissioned by Stanislaus I, former King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, then Duke of Lorraine, the square is a notable example of 18th-century urban architecture. Its architectural ensemble was later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid
On 17 October 1755, King Ferdinand VI of Spain founded the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid by royal decree, initially located at Migas Calientes. Later moved to its current site on Paseo del Prado by order of King Charles III, the garden became a major centre for botanical research and plant collections.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Completion of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque
In the mid-18th century, an Ottoman Baroque-style mosque, the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, was completed in Istanbul. Commissioned by Sultan Mahmud I and finished under Sultan Osman III by architects Mustafa Ağa and Simon Kalfa, it is noted for its distinctive ablution fountain and Baroque elements.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- French and Indian War
From 1754 to 1763, Great Britain and France fought in North America, each with Indigenous allies. The conflict is regarded as the North American theatre of the Seven Years’ War; hostilities began in 1754, before the European war. In the United States it is often called the “French and Indian War,” while in Quebec it is known as the “guerre de la Conquête.” The fighting took place in North America.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Dzungar–Qing Wars
From the late 17th to mid-18th century, the Qing dynasty fought a long series of wars against the Dzungar Khanate across Outer Mongolia, Tibet, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. Qing victories led to the incorporation of these regions into the empire and the genocide of much of the Dzungar population.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Carnatic Wars (1746–1763)
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts fought between 1746 and 1763 in the Carnatic coastal region of India, mainly between the French East India Company and the British East India Company, with various local rulers also involved. The wars ended with the French East India Company's defeat, its influence confined to Pondicherry and ultimately diminished by the 1763 Treaty of Paris, while the British East India Company established dominance in India, paving the way for British India.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Guaraní War
Between 1754 and 1756, joint Spanish-Portuguese forces clashed with Guaraní tribes from seven Jesuit missions, sparked by the 1750 Treaty of Madrid, which unilaterally stripped the Guaraní of their lands.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Construction of Puning Temple
In 1755, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the construction of Puning Temple in Chengde to commemorate the subjugation of the Dzungars. Modeled after the Samye Monastery in Tibet, it is a Gelug Buddhist temple and one of the Eight Outer Temples of Chengde.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1755
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Founding of Kew Gardens
- Establishment of the British Convict System in Australia
- Completion of the Jantar Mantar observatory complex
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Creation of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm
- Construction of Hwaseong Fortress Begins
- Construction of the Palace of Mafra begins
- Founding of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew