1740
| Years: 1737 1738 1739 – 1740 – 1741 1742 1743 | |
| Decades: 1710s 1720s 1730s – 1740s – 1750s 1760s 1770s | |
| Centuries: 17th century – 18th century – 19th century 1740 in topic: Lists of leaders: | |
Events
- May 31 – Friedrich II comes to power in Prussia upon the death of his father, Friedrich Wilhelm I.
- October 20 – Maria Theresia of Austria inherits the Habsburg hereditary dominions (Austria, Bohemia, Hungary and present-day Belgium). However, her succession to the Holy Roman Empire is contested widely because she is a woman.
- December 16 – Friedrich II of Prussia invades the Habsburg possession of Silesia, starting the War of the Austrian Succession.
- By the act of English parliament, alien immigrants (including Huguenots and Jews) in the colonies receive British nationality
- Adam Smith enters Balliol College, Oxford
- George Whitefield founds the Bethesda orphanage
- The song Rule Britannia is first performed at Cliveden
Births
- March – Johann van Beethoven, German musician and father of Ludwig van Beethoven (d. 1792)
- June 2 – Marquis de Sade, French author (d. 1814)
- August 14 – Pope Pius VII (d. 1823)
- August 23 – Emperor Ivan VI of Russia (d. 1846)
- September 29 – Empress Go-Sakuramachi of Japan (d. 1813)
- Juan Andres, Spanish Jesuit (d. 1817)
Deaths
- January 5, Antonio Lotti, Italian composer (b. 1667)
- February 6, Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)
- May 31 – King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia (b. 1688)
- October 20 – Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1685)
- October 28 – Anna I of Russia (b. 1693)
Categories: 1740