January 6 - The North Carolina General Assembly authorizes nine commissioners to purchase 100 acres of land for the county seat of Chatham County. The town is named Pittsborough (later shortened to Pittsboro) for William Pitt the Younger.
September 13 - Prussian troops enter the Netherlands. More than 100,000 (out of a population of 2,000,000) patriots must go into exile for eight years.