Astronomer Royal Appointed
Succeeds Flamsteed as Astronomer Royal at Greenwich.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1720 in Great Britain
Explore 22 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1720.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1720
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 22 of 22 unique records.
22Unique records
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21Named events on this page
10Named people on this page
3Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Birth of William Cavendish
Birth of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
Captain Singleton Published
Defoe published Captain Singleton, an adventure narrative exploring piracy, travel and personal transformation.
Engravers Shop Card Issued
Hogarth produced an engraved trade card advertising his work, an early surviving example of his printmaking.
Governor
Appointed Governor of Nova Scotia
Greenwich Instruments Prepared for Halley Programme
The change of astronomer at Greenwich brought renewed attention to the instruments required for Halley's lunar measurements.
Halley Becomes Astronomer Royal
Edmond Halley succeeded Flamsteed and continued the work of improving astronomical predictions. The change strengthened the relationship between astronomy and accurate clocks.
Halley Plans New Greenwich Lunar Programme
After taking office at Greenwich, Halley prepared an observing programme focused on the Moon and maritime longitude.
Iliad Translation Completed
Pope completed publication of his six volume translation of Homer's Iliad, a major achievement of Augustan literature.
Iliad Translation Sixth Volume
The last volume of Pope's Iliad translation appeared in 1720 following several years of work.
Memoirs of a Cavalier Published
Defoe published Memoirs of a Cavalier, a historical fiction framed as a participant's account of seventeenth century warfare.
Paymaster of the Forces
Appointed Paymaster of the Forces
RAM
George Is interest in music leads to the foundation of the Royal Academy of Music
Scandal
Restores public confidence after collapse of the South Sea Company
Serious Reflections of Crusoe Published
Defoe published Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, extending the Crusoe narrative into moral essays.
South Sea Bubble
Walpole helps design measures to restore confidence after the South Sea Bubble collapses.
South Sea Bubble
The Bubble bursts & Walpole protects his own investments & those of the Royal Familly
South Sea Bubble Financial Crisis
John Hanger serves as Governor as the Bank of England confronts the financial disruption caused by the collapse of South Sea Company shares.
Stanhope Conducts Diplomacy In Paris
Stanhope travelled to Paris on diplomatic business aimed at European peace and cooperation.
Stanhope Government Faces South Sea Crisis
Stanhope's ministry faced public anger as speculation in South Sea Company shares ended in financial collapse.
Stanhope Undertakes Berlin Diplomatic Mission
Stanhope pursued British diplomatic interests in Berlin amid negotiations over northern European affairs.
Walpole Advises on South Sea Crisis
The collapse of South Sea Company speculation brought Walpole's knowledge of public credit back into demand.
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.