1749
| Years: 1746 1747 1748 - 1749 - 1750 1751 1752 | |
| Decades: 1710s 1720s 1730s - 1740s - 1750s 1760s 1770s | |
| Centuries: 17th century - 18th century - 19th century 1749 in topic: Lists of leaders: | |
Events
- While in debtor's prison, John Cleland writes Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure). Released from prison, the book was published in London. Immediately, the Church of England asked the British Secretary of State to "stop the progress of this vile Book, which is an open insult upon Religion and good manners." As a result, Cleland was arrested and charged with "corrupting the King's subjects."
- April 27 - The first official performance of George Frideric Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks finished early due to the outbreak of fire.
- May 19 - King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River.
- July 9 - Naval settlement of Halifax, Nova Scotia founded as British answer to Louisbourg.
Births
- January 13 - Friedrich Müller, painter, narrator, lyricist and dramatist (d. 1825)
- January 17 - Vittorio Alfieri, Italian dramatist (d. 1803)
- January 24 - Charles James Fox, English politician (d. 1806)
- January 29 - King Christian VII of Denmark (d. 1808)
- March 9 - Honore Mirabeau, French politician (d. 1791)
- March 10 - Lorenzo da Ponte, Italian librettist (d. 1838)
- March 23 - Pierre Simon de Laplace, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1827)
- May 17 - Edward Jenner, English physician (d. 1823)
- April 11 - Adelaide Labille-Guiard, French portrait painter (d. 1803)
- June 15 - Georg Joseph Vogler, German composer (d. 1814)
- August 28 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer (d. 1832)
- 30 September - Comte Siméon Joseph Jérôme, French jurist and politician
- November 23 - Edward Rutledge, American statesman (d. 1800)
- December 17 - Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer (d. 1801)
- Abraham Gottlob Werner, German geologist (d. 1817)
Deaths
- May 24 - Graf Valentin Potocki, Polish nobleman (b. ?)
- June 19 - Ambrose Philips, English poet (b. 1675)
- September 10 - Emilie du Chatelet, French scientific writer and translator (b. 1706)
- December 19 - Francesco Antonio Bonporti, Italian priest and composer (b. 1672)
- Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye, French-Canadian explorer (b. 1685)
- Louis Nicolas Clérambault, French organist and composer (b. 1676)
- Jan van Huysum, Dutch painter (b. 1682)