Events January–March January 1 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, in the South Atlantic Ocean. January 3: A 7.6 earthquake shakes the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China killing 50,000 people. February 24 – Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah. March 20 – Nader Shah occupies Delhi, India and sacks the city, stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne, including the Koh-i-Noor. April–June April 7 – English highwayman Dick Turpin is executed by hanging for horse theft. May 12 – John Wesley lays the foundation stone of the New Room, Bristol in England, the world's first Methodist meeting house. June 13 – (June 2 Old Style); The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is founded in Stockholm, Sweden. July–September July 9 – The first group purporting to represent an all-England cricket team, consisting of 11 players from various parts of England, comes to Kent and loses to the renowned Kent team, led by Lord John Sackville. July 12 – The British East India Company signs a treaty with the Maratha Empire to gain the right of free trade within the territory. July 22 – The Ottoman Empire retakes Belgrade from Austria's Habsburg monarchy after winning the Battle of Grocka. August 20 – The Viceroyalty of New Granada, incorporating modern-day Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela is re-established by the royal cedula of King Philip V of Spain, 16 years after it had been dissolved, and adds the territory of Panama as well. September 9 – The Stono Rebellion, a slave rebellion, erupts near Charleston, South Carolina. September 18 – The Treaty of Belgrade brings the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39) to an end. October–December October 3 – The Treaty of Niš is signed. October 17 – The Foundling Hospital is created in London by royal charter. October 23 – War of Jenkins' Ear: Great Britain declares war on Spain. November 20–22 – War of Jenkins' Ear – Battle of Porto Bello: British marine forces capture the Panamanian silver-exporting town of Portobelo from the Spanish. December 30– Months of unseasonably cold weather begin in Ireland, precipitating the Irish Famine of 1740, known as Bliain an Áir ("The Year of Slaughter"). A January 5 dispatch from Dublin to the Stamford Mercury says "Since last Wednesday we have had the most violent cold Weather that was