- In 1749, Rousseau won first prize in a contest, held by the Academy of Dijon
- Baronne de Warones created the foundation for Rousseau by giving him the proper education he needed.
- In 1742, Rousseau went to Paris to introduce a new system of musical notation, but it failed.
- While in Paris, he met a man named Denis Diderot. Both he and Denis became very successful as the center of a group of intellectuals.