| January 7 | 1st U.S. commercial bank, Bank of North America, opens in Philadelphia |
| February 4 | British garrison surrenders to French and Spanish fleet |
| February 5 | Spanish take Minorca (western Mediterranean) from English |
| February 13 | French fleet occupies St. Christopher |
| February 21 | U.S. congress resolves establishment of a U.S. mint |
| March 8 | Gnadenhutten Massacre - Ohio militia kills 90 indians |
| April 12 | Battle at Les Saintes West-Indies: British fleet beats French |
| April 19 | Netherlands recognizes U.S. |
| June 20 | Congress approves Great Seal of U.S. and eagle as it's symbol |
| July 6 | British-French sea battle at Negapatam (South-Indies) |
| July 16 | Mozart's opera "Das Entfuhrung aus dem Serail," premieres in Vienna |
| August 2 | George Washington creates Honorary Badge of Distinction |
| August 7 | George Washington creates Order of Purple Heart |
| August 14 | Suriname forbids selling slave mothers without their babies |
| September 16 | Great Seal of U.S. used for 1st time |
| November 30 | Britain signs agreement recognizing U.S. independence |
| December 14 | Charleston, South Carolina evacuated by British |
| December 29 | 1st nautical almanac in U.S. published by Samuel Stearns, Boston |
