Battle of Virginia Cap
Destroys 3 British ships & has the better of the engagement but retreats to Newport
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1781 in France
Explore 46 historical events and records for France in 1781.
Historical records for France in 1781
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 46 unique records.
46Unique records
1 of 2Page
35Named events on this page
6Named people on this page
5Places on this page
March
May
Dismissal
Louis XVI dismisses his Finance Minister, Neckar
August
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
Defeats the British enabling 16,000 Continental & Allied troops to besiege Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown
Defeats the British enabling 16,000 Continental & Allied troops to besiege Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
Defeats the British enabling 16,000 Continental & Allied troops to besiege Yorktown
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
Lands a French Fleet in Chesapeake Bay
September
Birth of Eugene de Beauharnais
Birth of Eugene de Beauharnais
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
A major defeat for the British, since it prevented the Royal Navy from reinforcing or evacuating the blockaded forces of General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, as a result, Cornwallis surrendered his army after the Siege of Yorktown
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
Crucial naval Battle near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves and a French fleet led by Rear Admiral Francois Joseph Paul, the Comte de Grasse.
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
On 13 September de Grasse broke away from the British and returned to the Chesapeake, where de Barras had arrived, Graves returned to New York to organize a larger relief effort; this did not sail until 19 October, two days after Cornwallis surrendered.
Battle of Dunes
The British leave the sea near Chesapeake to the French & Graves returns to New York
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
Defeats the British fleet in the Battle of the Chesapeake, draws away the British forces and blockades the coast until Lord Cornwallis surrenders, ensuring the independence of the United States of America
Other events (month unknown)
Battle of Martinique
Takes part in the three actions fought by Guichen against Admiral Rodney in the Battle of Martinique
Capture of Grenada
Contributes to the capture of Grenada
Messier Catalogue Entry M100
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M100, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M101
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M101, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M71
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M71, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M72
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M72, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M73
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M73, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M74
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M74, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M75
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M75, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M76
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M76, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M77
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M77, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M78
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M78, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M79
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M79, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M80
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M80, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M81
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M81, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M82
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M82, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M83
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M83, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M84
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M84, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M85
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M85, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M86
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M86, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M87
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M87, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M88
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M88, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M89
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M89, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M90
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M90, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M91
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M91, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M92
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M92, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M93
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M93, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
Messier Catalogue Entry M94
Messier's 1781 final published catalogue includes M94, one of the entries that expanded the list to 103 astronomical objects.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.