London's first daily newspaper is The
Daily Courant, which continues in print until 1735.
Weekly Boston News-Letter becomes the first newspaper to survive in America.
First subscription library opens in Berlin.
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) defends the corpuscular (emission) theory of light
The London Evening Post is the first evening newspaper published in England.
George Berkeley (1685-1753) publishes his New Theory of Vision.
First Copyright Act passed in England.
Postage charges in England are related to mileage over which items are carried.
Abraham Derby's experiments into smelting iron by using a coke-fired blast-furnace
are successful. A key event in the birth of the Industrial Revolution.
Three-colour printing is invented by German engraver Jakob Christoph Le Blon (1667-1741).
1711 March 1
The Spectator is founded by Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and Richard Steele
Tuning fork is invented by John Shore.
1712 March 1
Stamp Act imposes a levy of 1d (0.42p) per whole sheet on newspapers in England.
1712 December 6
Last edition of The Spectator is published.
1716 December 22
First pantomime staged in England is seen at the Lincolns Inn Theatre, London.
The earliest known theatre in the American colonies is built at Williamsburg, Virginia.
1719 December 21
William Brooker publishes the first edition of The Boston Gazette. The first
edition of The American Mercury appears the following day.
Reporting of debates by journalists is banned by the British parliament.
The darkening effect of light on silver salts is discovered by Professor Johann Schulze at Altdorf University. He proves it by shining light through a lettering stencil onto a flask containing a suspension of silver nitrate and chalk, which darkens only where the light penetrates the cut-out shape.
Stephen Gray in England discovers the capacity of some substances to conduct electricity.
The Daily Advertiser newspaper is founded in London. It runs until 1807.
The Gentleman's Magazine is founded in London by Edward Cave, using the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban. Each issue costs 6d (2½p). In his famous Dictionary, Samuel Johnson credits Cave with inventing the concept of a 'magazine' and using the word in this sense (as opposed to its military meaning). It runs until 1914.
L'Abbé Nollet describes a 'chambre noire' in Leçons de physique expérimentale, confirming the persistence of vision theory.
Under the Stage Licensing Act, all plays produced in English theatres must have prior approval by the Lord Chamberlain. This requirement remains in force for 231 years until 1968.
1741 February 13
Andrew Bradford publishes The American Magazine, the first such issued in the North American colonies.
1741 February 16
Benjamin Franklin publishes the January issue of The General Magazine and Historical Chronicle, for all the British plantations in America, which is the first to include advertisements. It survives for only six issues, the last of which appears on 30 July.
1759 January 16
British Museum opens.
First edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica is published in Edinburgh.
1772 November 2
First edition of The Morning Post is published in London. It runs until 1937, when it is merged with The Daily Telegraph.
Sunday Observance Act prohibits public entertainments in England and Wales on a Sunday for which an admission charge is made.
Most successful of French shadow theatres is opened by Dominique Seraphin; it remains in operation until 1870.
The first mail coaches run in Britain.
1785 January 1
First edition of The Daily Universal Register newspaper appears in London. An editorial ('To the Public'), written by the editor-proprietor John Walter, occupies half the front page. It keeps this title for three years.
The Star and Evening Advertiser is the first daily evening newspaper published in London.
1789 June 23
First US federal bill to establish copyright protection is tabled in the first Congress.
1790 May 31
The first US federal Copyright Act is passed under the new US Constitution. Books, maps and charts are eligible and must be registered at the District Court of the jurisdiction within which the author resides. The privilege is granted for 14 years, with the option of renewal for a further 14 years.
The first item registered under the US Copyright Act is The Philadelphia Spelling Book by John Barry.
1791 December 4
The Observer Sunday newspaper is first published in London. Its handbill declares its 'Object is Truth, and the Dissemination of every Species of Knowledge that may conduce to the Happiness of Society.'
It is still being published.
A long-distance semaphore signalling system is devised in France by Claude Chappe.
Book by G Huth called A Treatise concerning some Acoustic Instruments and the use of the Speaking Tube in Telegraphy is published in Berlin; first use of the word telephone.
Belgian inventor Etienne Gaspard Robertson (aka Robert, 1763-1837), demonstrates his Phantasmagoria device.
Allgemeine Zeitung is founded by Johann Cotta in Leipzig.
Lithography is invented by Alois Senefelder.
1799 March 17
Etienne Gaspard Robertson is granted a patent for his Phantascope magic lantern. The wheeled device incorporates a gearing mechanism so that focus is maintained during forwards and backwards tracking, which can be used to change the image size.
Alessandro Volta invents the electric battery (aka Voltaic pile) by alternating discs of silver and zinc, separated by felt, in brine. He does not make the announcement until the following year
Chaussier discovers the effect of hyposulphate on silver salts.
Machine for making continuous reels of paper is devised by Frenchman Louis Robert (1761-1828).