1753

Events 
 January 1 – Britain and its colonies adopt the idea that 1 January should be New Year's Day, following adoption of the Gregorian calendar in September 1752. The concept was first conceived in 1582, but suffered from slow public adoption.
 January 13 – Sentenced conspirators of the Tavora affair are executed
 January 29 – After a month's absence, Elizabeth Canning returns to her mother's home in London and claims that she was abducted. Following criminal trial causes uproar.
 April 5 – Founding charter of the British Museum

 Sweden adopts Gregorian calendar
 British parliament extends citizenship to Jews
 Publication of Species Plantarum by Linnaeus on 1 May, adopted by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature as the formal start date of the scientific classification of plants
 James Lind writes A Treatise of the Scurvy
 Tobias Smollett writes Ferdinand Count Fathom
 Robert Wallace writes On the Numbers of Man