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Millennium: 2nd millennium
Centuries: 17th century – 18th century – 19th century
Decades: 1710s 1720s 1730s – 1740s – 1750s 1760s 1770s
Years: 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749
Categories: Births – Deaths – Architecture
Establishments – Disestablishments

The 1740s decade ran from January 1, 1740, to December 31, 1749.

Politics and wars

Wars

• War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) - a war which involved nearly all the powers of Europe (except for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire).

Prominent political events

• Frederick II ascended the Prussian throne upon the death of his father, Frederick William I.

Additional significant world-wide events

• Bonnie Prince Charlie captured Edinburgh. This prompted the singing of the original version of God Save the Queen (at the time, it was God Save the King) in England as a rallying cry to defeat Bonnie Prince Charlie.

People

World leaders

• Louis XV King of France (king from 1715 to 1774)
• Frederick II (later known as "the great") inherited the throne from his father, he ruled prussia from 1740 to 1786 (as King in Prussia from 1740 to 1772 and as King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786)
• Maria Theresa of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary
• George II King of Great Britain (king from 1727 to 1760)
• Philip V King of Spain (king from 1700 to 1746)
• Ferdinand VI King of Spain (king from 1746 to 1759)
• Afsharid dynasty of Persia

1. Nadir Shah, 1736–1747
2. Adil Shah, 1747–1748
3. Ebrahim Afshar, 1748
4. Shah Rukh, 1748–1750

• Muhammad Shah (Mughal Empire) 1720–1748
• Bhonsle Dynasty of the Marathas

1. Shahu 1707–1749

• Peshwa of the Marathas

1. Balaji Baji Rao1740–1761