Halleys Comet
Edmund Halley determines that the orbital elements of a comet which had appeared in 1682, were nearly the same as those of two comets which had appeared in 1531 and 1607, Halley thus concludes that they are the same comet.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1758 in Great Britain
Explore 42 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1758.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1758
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 42 unique records.
42Unique records
1 of 2Page
30Named events on this page
17Named people on this page
15Places on this page
March
Halleys Comet
Edmund Halley returns, as predicted in 1682, Halley's Comet last appeared in the inner Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.
Halleys Comet
Halley's Comet is the best-known short-period comet and is visible from Earth every 75 to 76 years.
April
Battle of Bengal
Takes part in the Battle of Bengal
Capture of Saint-Louis
British forces capture the ill-defended fort of Saint-Louis in Senegal
Invasion of West Africa
British forces capture the ill-defended fort of Saint-Louis in Senegal
June
Siege of Louisborg
Leads the attack on Quebec rowing into Freshwater Cove
July
Siege of Carillon
Defeated by the French at Carillon
Capture of London
Captures Fort Niagra
Siege of Louisborg
Helps capture Louisberg on Cape Breton Island to move up the St Lawrence
Capture of Cape Bretton
Captures Cape Bretton Island
August
Capture of Frontenac
Captures Fort Frontenac at the entrance to the St Lawrence
September
Dismissal
Abercromby is recalled from Canada
Birth of Horatio Nelson
Birth of Horatio Nelson, son of Reverend Edmund Nelson and Catherine Suckling.
Family
Catherine Suckling Nelson is mother of Horatio Nelson.
Family
Edmund Nelson is father of Horatio Nelson and rector of Burnham Thorpe.
November
Capture of Duquesne
Occupies Fort Duquesne
December
Halley's Comet
Halley's predicted comet is observed again, confirming his orbital calculation after his death and strengthening Newtonian celestial mechanics.
Halleys Comet
Halleys prediction of the comets return proved to be correct, although it was not seen until 25 December 1758, by Johann Georg Palitzsch, a German farmer and amateur astronome
Other events (month unknown)
Annual Register Editorial Work
Burke began work associated with the Annual Register, contributing historical and political commentary on current affairs.
Battle of Cape Breton Island
Serves under Boscawen in the taking of Louisburg (Cape Breton Island)
Bench Print Issued
Hogarth issued The Bench, a visual critique of judicial faces and questions of character.
Brigadier General
Appointed Brigadier
Brigadier General
Appointed Brigadier under Amherst in the campaign against the French in Canada
Capture of Cape Breton Island
Serves under Boscawen in the taking of Louisburg (Cape Breton Island)
Capture of Fort Duquesne
The Forbes Expedition captures Fort Duquesne and founds Pittsburgh giving the British control of the Ohio Country, the principal cause of the war
Capture of Fort Louisbourg
The gateway to Canada is forced open to the British. Louisburg falls to the British forces of General Abercromby & General Amherst
Capture of Gambia
Pitt sends out further expeditions to capture Goree and Gambia
Capture of Goree
Pitt sends out further expeditions to capture Goree and Gambia
Capture of Louisbourg
A second British attempt to capture Louisbourg succeeds
Concerning Human Understanding
Publication of "Concerning Human Understanding"
Essays and Treatises Revised
Hume substantially reorganized his collected essays and enquiries for a new edition of Essays and Treatises.
Forbes Expedition
The Forbes Expedition captures Fort Duquesne and founds Pittsburgh giving the British control of the Ohio Country, the principal cause of the war
General
Appointed Commander of an expedition against the French in Canada
General
Appointed Commander of an expedition against the French in Canada
Invasion of West Africa
Pitt had been lobbied by an American merchant Thomas Cumming to launch an expedition against the French trading settlements in West Africa
Invasion of West Africa
Pitt sends out further expeditions to capture Goree and Gambia
Major
Appointed Major General by Pitt & given command of the expedition against Quebec
Major
Appointed Major General by Pitt & given command of the expedition against Quebec
Marlborough Expedition
Pitt orders the dispatch of the first British troops to the European continent under the Duke of Marlborough, who joins Brunswick's army
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.