Chronology of Robert Burns

CHRONOLOGY

Life of Robert Burns	Contemporary Events
	1732 Haydn born
	1737 Thomas Paine born
	1750 Death of Bach Lacaille draws up star catalogue
	1752 Gregorian calendar adopted in Britain
	1754 Black identifies carbon dioxide
	1755 Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language
	1756 Mozart born Black Hole of Calcutta Beginning of Seven Years War (to 1763)
	1757 William Blake born British defeat French at Plessey
	1758 Nelson born Halley's Comet returns as predicted
1759 Born at Alloway, 25^th January	1759 Handel dies British capture Quebec Mary Wollstonecraft born British Museum opens Harrison Completes Number Four (Prize- winning chronometer) Candide by Voltaire Wedgwood sets up business Guinness brewery established in Dublin
1760 Gilbert Burns born	1760 George II dies Benjamin Franklin erects lightning rods in Philadelphia Identification of hydrogen by Cavendish
	1761 Black discovers latent heat in ice
	1762 Chippendale publishes Cabinetmakers' Directory Rousseau's Discours Gluck's Orfeo et Eurydice Ossian's Fingal proved a forgery
	1763 Boswell meets Johnson Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason begin their survey
	1764 Hargreaves develops spinning jenny Voltaire publishes Dictionnaire Philosophique Catherine founds The Hermitage in St. Petersburg
1765 Robert and Gilbert taught by John Murdoch	1765 James Watt develops efficient steam engine
1766 William Burnes leases farm at Mount Oliphant	1766 Giant bones found near the Meuse river, later identified as remains of a mosasaur
	1767 Work begins on Edinburgh's New Town
	1768 Laurence Sterne dies Foundation of the Royal Academy Publication of Encyclopaedia Britannica begins Cook sails for the Pacific Reynolds becomes first president of the Royal Academy Arkwright introduces spinning frame in England
	1769 Watt's steam engine patented Napoleon born Wellington born
	1770 Wordsworth born Hegel born Goethe completes first part of Faust Beethoven born James Hogg born d'Holbach's Le Systeme de la Nature published Bruce finds source of Blue Nile
	1771 Tobias Smollett dies Christopher Smart dies
1772 Robert and Gilbert attend Dalrymple School	1772 Final volume of L’Encyclopédie published Thomas Gray dies Samuel Taylor Coleridge born First partition of Poland between Russia and Austria
1773 Burns receives tuition in English grammar, French and Latin from Murdoch in Ayr Introduced to the work of Alexander Pope	1773 Boston Tea Party Cook crosses Antarctic Circle Stock Exchange established in Jonathan's coffee-house
1774 First song, Handsome Nell, written for Helen Blair	1774 Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen Joseph Wright of Derby witnesses eruption of Vesuvius Louis XV dies Formulation of the rules of cricket
1775 Burns studies mathematics with Hugh Rodger at Kirkoswald	1775 Richard Sheridan’s The Rivals opens
	1776 Declaration of Independence David Hume dies Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations published James Cook begins last voyage Klinger's Sturm und Drang Pennsylvania frees slaves
1777 Family moves to Lochlea or Lochlie at Tarbolton Burns attends dancing classes
	1778 Thomas Arne dies Humphrey Davy born Carolus Linnaeus dies Rousseau dies Voltaire dies Bramah invents water-closet
	1779 William Boyce dies David Garrick dies Comte de Buffon argues that the Earth is much older than Biblical evidence suggests Crompton produces spinning mule
1780 Tarbolton Bachelors’ Club formed by Burns and six others Mary Morison	1780 Spallanzani develops artificial insemination Gordon riots
1781 Inducted into St David’s Lodge, Tarbolton Learns the trade of flax-dressing at Irvine Pays court to Elizabeth Gebbie	1781 William Herschel discovers Uranus George Stephenson born Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason Schiller’s Die Rauber British surrender to Washington at Yorktown Messier produces star catalogue
1782 Flax shop at Irvine destroyed by fire John Barleycorn	1782 Last witch-burning in Europe (Switzerland)
1783 Green Grow The Rashes The Rigs O' Barley	1783 Luigi Galvani develops the electric cell Lancelot "Capability" Brown dies Mongolfier makes balloon ascent
1784 William Burnes dies Gilbert and Robert Burns rent Mossgiel Farm from Gavin Hamilton Man Was Made To Mourn	1784 Diderot dies Franklin commissions bifocal spectacles Pitt the Younger becomes Prime Minister First Bristol to London mail coach
1785 Burns meets Jean Armour at a dance in April Daughter Elizabeth born in May; her mother is Elizabeth Paton Burns "attests" his marriage to Jean Armour in September Address To The Deil The Cotter's Saturday Night Death And Doctor Hornbook Halloween The Holy Fair Holy Willie's Prayer The Jolly Beggars Rantin', Rovin' Robin To A Mouse	1785 Hutton introduces scientific geology Cartwright patents power loom
1786 Death of "Highland" Mary Campbell Publication of the Kilmarnock Edition First visit to Edinburgh Jean Armour gives birth to twins, Robert and Jean Address To A Haggis The Lass Of Ballochmyle To A Louse To A Mountain Daisy The Twa Dogs	1786 First ascent of Mont Blanc Klaproth discovers uranium
1787 Tours of Scotland Second visit to Edinburgh First Edinburgh Edition published May Cameron advises Burns of her pregnancy Collaborates with Johnson in "The Scots Musical Museum" Meets Agnes Maclehose ("Clarinda") The Birks Of Aberfeldy Bonie Dundee A Rose-Bud By My Early Walk Selkirk Grace	1787 Lavoisier publishes Method of Chemical Nomenclature
1788 Burns moves to Ellisland Excise commission issued to Burns Authenticity of Burns’s marriage to Jean recognised by Mauchline Kirk Session Auld Lang Syne Comin' Thro' The Rye O' A' The Airts The Wind Can Blaw A Mother's Lament	1788 Byron born Penal colony founded in Botany Bay
1789 Begins work as excise officer The Braes O' Killiecrankie John Anderson, My Jo My Love, She's But A Lassie Yet Ca' The Yowes Willie Brew'd A Peck O' Maut	1789 French Revolution Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man Blake's Songs of Innocence Mutiny on the Bounty Washington becomes first president of USA
1790 Tam O’Shanter	1790 Adam Smith dies Benjamin Franklin dies Galvani carries out electrical experiments Cartwright introduces steam-powered loom
1791 Burns moves to Dumfries Ann Park gives birth to Burns’s daughter, Elizabeth Attends Gilbert’s wedding Meets Agnes Maclehose for the last time (6^thDecember) Ae Fond Kiss sent to Agnes (27^thDecember) Bonie Wee Thing Sweet Afton Ye Jacobites By Name	1791 Mozart dies Michael Faraday born Samuel Morse born
1792 Made an Honorary Member of the Royal Company of Archers Attempts to send the captured brig Rosamund’s carronades to French revolutionaries Burns investigated as "a person disaffected to Government" The Deil's Awa' Wi' The Exciseman Highland Mary Willie Wastle	1792 Robert Adam dies Percy Shelley born Raeburn's Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch Foundation of French Republic Rouget de Lisle composes La Marseillaise
1793 Second Edinburgh Edition published Bonie Jean The Soldier's Return Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad	1793 Execution of Louis XVI Assassination of Marat
1794 Charlie, He's My Darling My Nanie's Awa'; My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose	1794 Edward Gibbon dies
1795 Founder Member of Dumfries Volunteers The Lass Of Ecclefechan A Man's A Man For A' That Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat?	1795 John Keats born British seize Cape Town Mungo Park reaches Niger river
1796 Burns dies on July 21^st; his son Maxwell is born on the day of his funeral: July 25 ^th Fifth volume of Scots Musical Museum published Inscription to Miss Jessy Lewars; O Wert Thou In The Cauld Blast	1796 Catherine the Great dies Edward Jenner discovers smallpox vaccine Senefelder invents lithography
	1797 Horace Walpole dies Edmund Burke dies MacArthur introduces merino sheep to Australia
	1798 Napoleon invades Egypt Irish rebellion suppressed Nelson defeats French at Aboukir Bay Wordsworth and Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads Malthus publishes Essay on the Principle of Population
	1799 George Washington dies Beethoven writes first symphony Napoleon becomes First Consul
	1800 Act of Union between Britain and Ireland Volta makes first battery
	1801 First paddle steamer (Scotland) Trevithick builds steam carriage