1740 – 1750s

Events in the 1740s 6

• 1667 – 1745 Jonathan Swift Irish satirist Swift wrote Gullivers Travels, a sharp satire on politics, science, and human behavior.
• 1678 – 1741 Antonio Vivaldi Baroque violin virtuoso Italian Baroque composer and violinist, best known for The Four Seasons. He wrote over 500 concertos and shaped the concerto form.
• 1743 – 1756 Black — carbon dioxide and latent heat First identification of a distinct gas and hidden heat Joseph Black of Edinburgh discovered carbon dioxide (which he called "fixed air") in the 1750s, demonstrating that it was a chemically distinct gas absorbed and released during certain reactions. He also discovered latent heat — the heat absorbed or released during changes of state without temperature change — which was fundamental to understanding the steam engine and thermodynamics.
• 1743 – 1826 Thomas Jefferson 3rd President — author of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson (Apr 13, 1743 – Jul 4, 1826) was the 3rd President 1801-1809, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and architect of the Louisiana Purchase. He died on the same day as John Adams, July 4, 1826.
• 1746 – 1828 Francisco Goya Romanticism · Spain Francisco Goya (March 30, 1746 – April 16, 1828) was a Spanish Romantic painter and printmaker whose work ranges from royal portraits to nightmarish visions. His Saturn Devouring His Son and The Third of May 1808 are icons of Western art.
• 1749 – 1832 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German writer and statesman Goethe wrote Faust and shaped German literature through poetry, drama, and philosophical writings that defined European Romanticism.