Historical events in 1781
- The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation.
- Maryland ratified the Articles of Confederation. She was the last state to sign.
- Astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, which he named 'Georgium Sidus,' in honor of George III. He initially though it was a comet. It is the 7th planet from the sun and revolves around the sun every 84.02 years. It is 14.6 time the size of Earth and has five satellites.
- Premiere of Mozart's violin sonata K379.
- French fleet stopped Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope.
- George Stephenson, English engineer, inventor of the steam locomotive, was born in Newcastle, England.
- Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, was born.
- In
Virginia the Battle of Green Spring took place on the Jamestown
Peninsula. It was the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War
prior to the ColonialŐs final victory at Yorktown in October.
- Robert
Mills, architect and engineer, was born. His designs include the
Washington Monument, the National Portrait Gallery and the U.S.
Treasury Building.
- George Washington began to move his troops south to fight Cornwallis.
- Mexican Provincial Governor, Felipe de Neve, founded Los Angeles.
- Gen. Nathanael Greene engaged British forces at Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, and was forced to retreat.
- Gen. Washington took Yorktown.
- Cornwallis was defeated at Yorktown.
- British
troops under Lord Cornwallis, surrounded at Yorktown, Va., by American
and French regiments numbering 17,600 men, surrendered as the American
Revolution neared its end.
- French siege engineers under American command destroyed the British fortifications at Yorktown.
- David Brewster, physicist and inventor (kaleidoscope), was born in Scotland.
- Mozart broke with his patron, the archbishop of Salzburg, and struck off on his own. MozartŐs opera "Idomeneo" was composed.
- Tupak
Katari, Aymara Indian leader, laid siege to La Paz, Bolivia, for 109
days. A Spanish army finally broke through and Katari was executed by
being drawn and quartered.
- In Colombia the Comunero Revolt
was the most serious revolt against Spanish authority before the war
for independence. The most important uprising began among artisans and
peasants in Socorro (in present day Santander Department). The
imposition of new taxes by the viceroy stimulated the revolt further.
