1776

Events 
 July 4 – the United States of America say that they are no longer part of England (the Declaration of Independence)
 July 12 – Captain James Cook starts his third, and final, voyage to the Pacific Ocean
 The city of San Francisco is founded in California, USA (San Francisco was then part of Spain).
 The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith is published. It is an important book in the history of economics.

 Births 
 January 24 – E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer, and painter (died 1822)
 February 11 – Joannis Capodistrias, Greek governor of Troezen (died 1831)
 March 10 – Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia (died 1810)
 April 1 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician (died 1831)
 June 11 – John Constable, English painter (died 1837)
 August 9 – Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (died 1856)
 Muttusvami Dikshitar, Indian composer

 Deaths 
 August 25 – David Hume, Scotish philosopher