On This Day

Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language" is published in London

A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson.

A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson. It is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language.

There was dissatisfaction with the dictionaries of the period, so in June 1746 a group of London booksellers contracted Johnson to write a dictionary for the sum of 1,500 guineas (£1,575), equivalent to about £310,000 in 2023. Johnson took seven years to complete the work, although he had claimed he could finish it in three. He did so single-handedly, with only clerical assistance to copy the illustrative quotations that he had marked in books.

Historical Significance

A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson.

Key People

Samuel Johnson

writer and lexicographer

English writer and lexicographer

Events Before

  1. British PM William Pitt the Elder (46) weds Lady Hester Grenville (34) in Argyle Street, London

    British PM William Pitt the Elder (46) weds Lady Hester Grenville (34) in Argyle Street, London

  2. Columbia University is founded as King's College in New York City

    Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college of Columbia University, a private Ivy League research university in New York City.

  3. Riot at burial of Orangist leader Daniel Raap in Amsterdam

    Riot at burial of Orangist leader Daniel Raap in Amsterdam

  4. British writer Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity

    Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House...

  5. Marquis of Ensenada becomes premier of Spain

    Marquis of Ensenada becomes premier of Spain

Events After

  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

More from the 1750s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 15, 1755?
A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson. It is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. There was dissatisfaction with the dictionaries of the period, so in June 1746 a group of London booksellers contracted Johnson to write a dictionary for the sum of 1,500 guineas (£1,575), equivalent to about £310,000 in 2023.
Why is Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language" is published in London significant?
A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson.
Who was involved in Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language" is published in London?
Key figures include Samuel Johnson (writer and lexicographer).

Explore More