1756

Events in 1756 6

• 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.
• 1756 – 1836 Aaron Burr (1756-1836) Died 14 September 1836, aged 80 American politician who served as the third Vice President of the United States and later killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. He was tried for treason in 1807 over an alleged conspiracy to create an independent territory and later acquitted.
• 1756 – 1836 John Loudon McAdam (1756-1836) Died 26 November 1836, aged 80 Scottish engineer who developed "macadam," a method of road construction using layered crushed stone. His technique was widely adopted across Europe and North America and gave rise to the later term "tarmac."
• 1756 – 1843 John Trumbull (1756-1843) Died 10 November 1843, aged 87 John Trumbull was an American painter of the Revolutionary War era. His painting Declaration of Independence hangs in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol.
• 1756 – 1836 William Godwin (1756-1836) Died 7 April 1836, aged 80 English political philosopher, novelist, and early proponent of anarchist thought, married to Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley. His writings on political justice influenced early British radicalism.
• 1756 – 1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Classical genius Austrian composer who showed prodigious talent from age 3. His 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, and operas Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute remain cornerstones of the repertoire.