Tiny Wiki : Fast loading, text only version of Wikipedia.

1781

Year 1781 (MDCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar).

Events of 1781

* January - William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister, enters Parliament.
* January 2 - Virginia passes a law ceding its western land claims, paving the way for Maryland to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
* January 5 - American Revolution: Richmond, Virginia is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
* January 6 - Battle of Jersey: The British beat the French in what is technically the last battle fought in the British Islands (coming after the Battle of Culloden in 1745). It is the last attempt by France to invade Jersey militarily.
* January 17 - American Revolution - Battle of Cowpens: Americans under Daniel Morgan defeat British forces.
* February 2 - The Articles of Confederation are ratified by Maryland, the 13th and final state to do so.
* March - Riots break out in Socorro and spread to other towns.
* March 1 - The United States Continental Congress implements the Articles of Confederation, forming its Perpetual Union as the United States in Congress Assembled.
* March 13 - Sir William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus. Originally he calls it ''Georgium Sidus'' (George's Star) in honour of King George III of England.
* March 15 - American Revolution - Battle of Guilford Court House: American General Nathanael Greene loses to the British.

Source: Wikipedia