Year by year · 18th century
1778
1778 in world history: 5 events, 11 births, 11 deaths, 1 work, 1 state founded and 1 that came to an end. 1,283 recorded states existed that year.
Events
France signs an alliance with the United States
In Paris, Benjamin Franklin and his fellow commissioners signed treaties of alliance and commerce with France. French troops, money and naval power proved decisive in the war for independence.
La Scala opera house opens in Milan
The Teatro alla Scala opened with Salieri's opera L'Europa riconosciuta. It became one of the world's leading opera houses, closely linked with Verdi, Puccini and Toscanini.
Captain Cook sights Maui on his return to Hawaii
On his second visit to the Hawaiian Islands, which he called the Sandwich Islands, James Cook sighted Maui. He was killed at Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii Island less than three months later.
British forces capture Savannah
A British expedition took Savannah, Georgia, opening a new campaign in the American South. The southern strategy brought early gains but ended with surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
Born in 1778 11
José de San Martín1778–1850
Bernardo O'Higgins1778–1842
Louis Bonaparte1778–1846
Gustav IV Adolf1778–1837
Andrés Guazurary1778–c. 1821
Charles Grant, 1st Baron Glenelg1778–1866
Javier de Burgos1778–1848
Kittur Chennamma1778–1829
Ruggero Settimo1778–1863
Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky1778–1861- Okubo Tadazane1778–1837
Died in 1778 11
Voltaire1694–1778
Jean-Jacques Rousseau1712–1778
Carl Linnaeus1707–1778
Pedro de Cevallos1715–1778
Lord William Campbellc. 1730–1778
Nainsukhc. 1710–1778
Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial1698–1778
William Pitt the Elder1708–1778- Bogenbai Batyrc. 1690–1778
- James Hargreavesc. 1720–1778
- Salehuddin of Selangord. 1778
Works 1
States founded 1
States that came to an end 1
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- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1778. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1778
- MLA
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- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “1778.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1778.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1778’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1778 (Accessed: ).