1720

Events 
 The Town on Queen Anne's Creek, North Carolina is renamed Edenton in honor of North Carolina Governor Charles Eden.  It is later incorporated in 1722.
 The Tuscarora fled North Carolina as a result of European colonisation
 Edmond Halley appointed Astronomer Royal
 The Academia Real da Historia is founded in Lisbon, Portugal
 Jonathan Swift begins Gulliver's Travels
 Emperor Kangxi announced that all western businessmen could only trade in Guangzhou.