Events January–March January 15 – King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne in favour of his 16-year-old son Louis I. January 18 – The Dutch East India Company cargo ship Fortuyn, on its maiden voyage, departs from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa after a layover of 16 days following its arrival from the Netherlands. With a crew of 225 commanded by Pieter Westrik, the ship departs for Batavia in the Dutch East Indies and is never seen again. January 22 – Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, Spanish Captain general of the Río de la Plata, forces the Portuguese to abandon their fortified settlement at what will become the city of Montevideo in Uruguay. January 28 – Saint Petersburg State University is established in Russia. February 8 – Catherine I of Russia is officially named tsaritsa by her husband, Peter the Great. February 20 – The premiere of Giulio Cesare, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London. March 7 – Pope Innocent XIII dies at the age of 68 after less than three years as the Roman Catholic pontiff. March 20 – The conclave to elect a new Pope opens in Rome, 13 days after the death of Innocent XIII. Starting with 33 electors and eventually having 53, the conclave deliberates for more than two months before selecting a successor. April–June April 7 – The premiere performance, of the St John Passion (BWV 245) of Johann Sebastian Bach, takes place at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig. April 28 – The first of the seven "Drapier's Letters" satirical pamphlets, seeking to turn British public opinion against Ireland, is distributed by Jonathan Swift, who writes under the pseudonym "M. B., Drapier", identifying himself as a drapier or seller of cloth. May 13 – Cardinal Giulio Piazza, the Archbishop of Faenza, comes within four votes of being elected the new Pope May 29 – Cardinal Vincenzo Orsini, the Archbishop of Benevento, accepts the papacy, two days after being unanimously selected by the cardinals at the papal conclave in Rome. He becomes the 245th pontiff as Pope Benedict XIII. June 23 – The Treaty of Constantinople is signed, partitioning Persia between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. July–September July 27 – Peter the Wild Boy is captured near Helpensen in Hanover. July 31 – The Hyderabad State is created in India, as the Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Shah rewards his associate