On This Day

German Diet declares war on Prussia

The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a global war fought by numerous great powers, primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and the Indian subcontinent.

The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a global war fought by numerous great powers, primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and the Indian subcontinent. The warring states were Great Britain and Prussia fighting against France and Austria, with other countries joining these coalitions: Portugal, Spain, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia. Related conflicts include the Third Silesian War, French and Indian War, Third Carnatic War, Anglo-Spanish War (1762–1763), and Spanish–Portuguese War.

Although the War of the Austrian Succession ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), none of the signatories were happy with the terms, and it was generally viewed as a temporary armistice.

Historical Significance

The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a global war fought by numerous great powers, primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and the Indian subcontinent.

Events Before

  1. Prime Minister of Great Britain Frederick North (24) weds heiress Anne Speke

    Prime Minister of Great Britain Frederick North (24) weds heiress Anne Speke

  2. Frontiersman Daniel Boone (21) weds Rebecca Bryan (17) in Yadkin River, North Carolina

    Frontiersman Daniel Boone (21) weds Rebecca Bryan (17) in Yadkin River, North Carolina

  3. Britain and Prussia sign the Treaty of Westminster, agreeing to respect each other's European territories

    Britain and Prussia sign the Treaty of Westminster, agreeing to respect each other's European territories

  4. St. Patrick's Day is first celebrated in NYC at the Crown & Thistle Tavern

    St. Patrick's Day is first celebrated in NYC at the Crown & Thistle Tavern

  5. Governor Glen of South Carolina protests against 900 Acadia indians

    Governor Glen of South Carolina protests against 900 Acadia indians

Events After

  1. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature establishes the starting point for standardized species names ac

    The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature establishes the starting point for standardized species names across the animal kingdom, based on the binomial nomenclature in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus

  2. French astronomer Charles Messier mistakes the Crab Nebula for a comet while searching for Halley's Comet, leading him t

    French astronomer Charles Messier mistakes the Crab Nebula for a comet while searching for Halley's Comet, leading him to begin his Messier Catalogue

  3. Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East-Prussia [NS=Jan 22]

    Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East-Prussia [NS=Jan 22]

  4. Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East Prussia [OS=Jan 11]

    Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East Prussia [OS=Jan 11]

  5. Poems by Jamaican Black intellectual and writer Francis Williams are published

    Poems by Jamaican Black intellectual and writer Francis Williams are published

More from the 1750s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 17, 1757?
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a global war fought by numerous great powers, primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and the Indian subcontinent. The warring states were Great Britain and Prussia fighting against France and Austria, with other countries joining these coalitions: Portugal, Spain, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia. Related conflicts include the Third Silesian War, French and Indian War, Third Carnatic War, Anglo-Spanish War (1762–1763), and Spanish–Portuguese War.
Why is German Diet declares war on Prussia significant?
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a global war fought by numerous great powers, primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and the Indian subcontinent.

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