1777

Events 
 The Cornish language died out
 2nd edition of Encyclopædia Britannica published
 January 3 – American Revolutionary War: American general George Washington defeats British general Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.
January 12 – Mission Santa Clara de Asís is founded in what is now Santa Clara, California
January 16 – Vermont declares its independence from New York becoming an independent country, a status it retained until it joined the United States as the 14th state in 1791
 June 13 – American Revolutionary War: Marquis de Lafayette lands near Charleston, South Carolina to help the Continental Congress train its army.
 June 14 – Stars and Stripes adopted by the Continental Congress as the Flag of the United States.
 August 16 – American Revolutionary War:  Battle of Bennington – British forces are defeated by American troops.
 September 3 – Cooch's Bridge – Skirmish of American Revolutionary war in New Castle County, Delaware where the Flag of the United States was flown in battle for the first time.
 September 11 – Battle of Brandywine – Major American Revolutionary war victory for British in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
 September 19 – American Revolutionary War: First Battle of Saratoga/Battle of Freeman's Farm/Battle of Bemis Heights.
 October 4 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Germantown– Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under Sir William Howe.
 October 17 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Saratoga– American troops defeat the British.
 November 15 – American Revolutionary War: After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation in the temporary American capital at York, Pennsylvania.
 November 17 – Articles of Confederation submitted to the states for ratification.
November 29 – San Jose, California founded.  It is the first pueblo in Spanish Alta California.
 December 24 – Kiritimati discovered by James Cook
 The code duello is adopted at the Clonmell Summer Assizes as the form for pistol duels in Ireland.  It is quickly denounced but nevertheless widely adopted throughout the English-speaking world.