January 11 Messier adds M51 (spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici) to his catalog January 30 Captain Cook reaches 71 degrees 10' S, 1820 km from S pole (record) February 10 Andrew Becker demonstrates diving suit February 22 English House of Lords rules authors do not have perpetual copyright March 4 1st sighting of Orion nebula (William Herschel) March 7 Boston Port Bill passes, British close port of Boston to all commerce on June 1st 1774 March 25 English Parliament passes Boston Port Bill March 28 Britain passes Coercive Act against Massachusetts April 19 CW Glucks opera "Iphigenia in Aulis," premieres in Paris April 30 Pope Clement XIV proclaims a universal jubilee May 10 Louis XVI ascends to throne of France May 20 Britain gives Quebec, Labrador and territory north of Ohio May 23 Chestertown tea party occurs (tea dumped into Chester River) May 28 1st Continental Congress convenes (Virginia) June 1 Boston Port Bill, British government orders Port of Boston closed June 2 England passed Quartering Act, mandating Colonists must board English troops in their homes June 11 Jews of Algiers escape attack of Spanish Army June 13 Rhode Island becomes 1st colony to prohibit importation of slaves June 22 English parliament accepts Quebec Act July 12 Citizens of Carlisle Penn, pass a declaration of independence July 12 Cossack leader Emilian Pugachevs army occupies Kazan July 17 Captain Cook arrives at New Hebrides (Vanuata) July 21 Peace of Kutsjuk Kainardji (end Russian-Turkish War) July 31 Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen August 1 Priestly discovers oxygen August 6 Founder of the Shaker Movement, Mother Ann Lee, arrives in NY August 10 1st Surinam newspaper (1st Wednesday Suriname) begins publishing September 5 1st Continental Congress assembles, in Philadelphia September 15 Cossack Emilian Pugachev captured October 14 1st American colonial decl of rights with sinking of Peggy Stewart October 14 1st Continental Congress is 1st to declare colonial rights, Philadelphia October 20 Continental Congress orders discouragment of entertainment October 26 1st Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia October 26 Minute Men organized in colonies December 13 1st incident of Revolution-400 attack Ft. William and Mary, New Hampshire December 14 Mass militiamen successfully attacked arsenal of Ft. William and Mary December 18 Empress Maria Theresa expels Jews from Prague, Bohemia and Moravia
