1778 in Great Britain

Great Britain-related events during the year of 1778
1778 in Great Britain:
Other years
1776 | 1777 | 1778 | 1779 | 1780
Countries of the United Kingdom
Scotland
Sport
1778 English cricket season
John Paul Jones seizes the Silver Plate of Lady Selkirk

Events from the year 1778 in Great Britain.

Incumbents

Events

  • 18 January – the third Pacific expedition of James Cook, with ships HMS Resolution (1771) and HMS Discovery (1774), first views Oahu then Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the "Sandwich Islands".[2]
  • 6 February – American Revolutionary War: Britain declares war on France for aiding the Americans.[3]
  • 23 April – American Revolutionary War: John Paul Jones in USS Ranger (1777) raids Whitehaven, with limited effect.
  • 24 April – American Revolutionary War: North Channel Naval Duel – John Paul Jones in USS Ranger captures HMS Drake (1777) in the North Channel.
  • May – HMS Victory is commissioned and remains in active service for the following 32 years, most notably at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).[4][5]
  • 28 May–11 November – American Revolutionary War: In response to the threat of invasion from France, major militia camps are set up at Coxheath Common in Kent and Warley Common near Brentwood, Essex.
  • 16 June – American Revolutionary War: Spain declares war on Britain.[3]
  • 28 June – American Revolutionary War: the Battle of Monmouth takes place in Monmouth, New Jersey.[6]
  • 3 July – American Revolutionary War: the Wyoming Valley battle and massacre takes place near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, ending in a defeat of the local colonists.
  • 10 July – American Revolutionary War: Louis XVI of France declares war on Great Britain.
  • 27 July – American Revolutionary War: First Battle of Ushant – British and French fleets fight to a standoff.
  • September – first St. Leger Stakes horse race held under this name and at its continuing location, Town Moor, Doncaster.[3][7] The winner is Hollandoise.
  • 7 September – American Revolutionary War: French invasion of Dominica captures the British fort there before the latter is aware that France has entered the war in the Franco-American alliance.
  • 26 November – in the Hawaiian Islands, James Cook becomes the first European to discover Maui.

Ongoing

Undated

Births

Deaths

See also

References

  1. ^ "History of Lord Frederick North - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  2. ^ Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
  3. ^ a b c Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 227–228. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.
  4. ^ "Icons, a portrait of England 1750–1800". Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  5. ^ "HMS Victory". Royal Navy. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  6. ^ a b Williams, Hywel (2005). Cassell's Chronology of World History. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 331–332. ISBN 0-304-35730-8.
  7. ^ "Race Courses of Great Britain and Ireland". tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
  8. ^ "Debenhams Plc History". Funding Universe. 1999. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  9. ^ "History of William Pitt 'The Elder', 1st Earl of Chatham - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2023.

Further reading