|  | Date | Event(s) | 
	
| 1 | 1768 | 9 Jan 1768—9 Jan 1768: Philip Astley starts his circus in London6 Dec 1768—6 Dec 1768: The first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica' published in Edinburgh by
William Smellie 
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| 2 | 1769 | 1769—1769: Arkwright invents water frame (textile production)1769—1769: Capt James Cook maps the coast of New Zealand6 Sep 1769—6 Sep 1769: David Garrick organises first Shakespeare festival at Stratford-upon-Avon
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| 3 | 1770 | 1770—1770: Clyde Trust created to convert the River Clyde, then an insignificant river, into a major
thoroughfare for maritime communications28 Apr 1770—28 Apr 1770: Capt James Cook lands in Australia (Botany Bay) ? Aug 21: formally claims
Australia for Britain
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| 4 | 1771 | 1771—1771: Right to report Parliamentary debates established in England
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| 5 | 1772 | 1772—1772: First Travellers' Cheques issued by the London Credit Exchange Company1772—1772: Morning Post' first published (until 1937) 14 May 1772—14 May 1772: Judge Mansfield rules that there is no legal basis for slavery in England
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| 6 | 1774 | 13 Sep 1774—13 Sep 1774: Cook arrives on Easter Island
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| 7 | 1775 | 19 Apr 1775—19 Apr 1775: Battle of Lexington: first action in American War of Independence (1775- 1783)
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| 8 | 1776 | 1776—1776: Somerset House in London becomes the repository of records of population1776—1776: Watt and Boulton produce their first commercial steam engine4 Jul 1776—4 Jul 1776: American Declaration of Independence7 Sep 1776—7 Sep 1776: First attack on a warship by a submarine -  David Bushnell's ?Turtle' attacked
HMS Eagle in New York harbour. The attack was perhaps spectacular (a charge did
detonate beneath the ship)  but was nevertheless unsuccessful. 'Turtle' was a one man
Affair  man-powered [Les Moore] 
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| 9 | 1777 | 1777—1777: Samuel Miller of Southampton patents the circular saw.
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| 10 | 1779 | 1779—1779: Marc Isambard Brunel opens the first steamdriven sawmill at Chatham Dockyard in Kent1779—1779: First iron bridge built, over the Severn by John Wilkinson1779—1779: First Spinning Mills operational in Scotland14 Feb 1779—14 Feb 1779: Capt James Cook killed on Hawaii23 Sep 1779—23 Sep 1779: Naval engagement between Britain and USA off Flamborough Head
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| 11 | 1780 | 1780—1780: Male Servants Tax1780—1780: The English Reform Movement -  until now, only landowners and tenants (freeholders
with 40 shillings per year or more) allowed to vote, and in open poll books1780—1780: Fountain pen invented1780—1780: About this time the word 'Quiz' entered the language, said to have been invented as a
wager by Mr Daly, a Dublin theatre manager4 May 1780—4 May 1780: First Derby run at Epsom (some say 2nd June)2 Jun 1780—2 Jun 1780: Jun 2- 8: The Gordon Riots -  Parliament passes a Roman Catholic relief measure -  for
days, London is at the mercy of a mob and destruction is widespread
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| 12 | 1782 | 1782—1782: Gilbert's Act establishes outdoor poor relief -  the way of life of the poor beginning to
alter due to industrialisation -  New factories in rapidly expanding towns required a workforce
that would adjust to new work patterns1782—1782: James Watt patents his steam engine
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| 13 | 1783 | 1783—1783: Duty payable on Parish Register entries (3d per entry -  repealed 1794) -  led to a fall in
entries!3 Sep 1783—3 Sep 1783: Treaty of Versailles (Britain/US)3 Nov 1783—3 Nov 1783: Last public execution at Tyburn in London (John Austin, a highwayman)
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| 14 | 1784 | 1784—1784: Pitt's India Act -  the Crown (as opposed to officers of the East India Company) has
power to guide Indian politics1784—1784: Wesley breaks with the Church of England1784—1784: First golf club founded at St Andrews1784—1784: Invention of threshing machine by Andrew Meikle2 Aug 1784—2 Aug 1784: First mail coaches in England (4pm Bristol / 8am London)
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| 15 | 1785 | 1785—1785: Sunday School Society founded to educate poor children (by 1851, enrols more than 2
million)1 Jan 1785—1 Jan 1785: John Walter publishes first edition of The Times (called The Daily Universal
Register for 3 years)
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