1778
Cook Reaches Hawaii
On his third Pacific voyage, Cook sighted Oahu and Kauai - islands no European had ever logged.
Franco-American Alliance
Benjamin Franklin, in a plain brown coat in Versailles, signed the alliance that would sink Britain's war.
Voltaire Dies in Paris
Eighty-three years old, returning to Paris in triumph after decades of exile, the old philosophe died in the house of a marquis.
Rousseau Dies at Ermenonville
Six weeks after Voltaire - his great rival he had never met - Rousseau died suddenly at the country estate of the Marquis de Girardin.
Want 1778 in context? Print the whole 18th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1778?
Saeculum lists 4 events from 1778. The most significant is Cook Reaches Hawaii: On his third Pacific voyage, Cook sighted Oahu and Kauai - islands no European had ever logged.
What era was 1778 part of?
1778 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1778?
The events from 1778 span Oceania and Europe.