March 18 » American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act.
July 1 » François-Jean de la Barre, a young French nobleman, is tortured and beheaded before his body is burnt on a pyre along with a copy of Voltaire's Dictionnaire philosophique nailed to his torso for the crime of not saluting a Roman Catholic religious procession in Abbeville, France.
November 10 » The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signs the charter of Queen's College (later renamed Rutgers University).
December 2 » Swedish parliament approved the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implemented it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech.
December 5 » In London, auctioneer James Christie holds his first sale.
December 25 » Mapuches in Chile launch a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish starting the Mapuche uprising of 1766.
Day of death October 20, 1776
The temperature on October 20, 1776 was about 14.0 °C. There was 4 mm of rainWind direction mainly south-southeast. Weather type: zeer betrokken. Source: KNMI
March 17 » American Revolution: The British Army evacuates Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery in positions overlooking the city.
April 7 » Captain John Barry and the USSLexington captures the Edward.
May 15 » American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence.
June 28 » American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Sullivan's Island ends with the American victory, leading to the commemoration of Carolina Day.
June 28 » American Revolutionary War: Thomas Hickey, Continental Army private and bodyguard to General George Washington, is hanged for mutiny and sedition.
November 20 » American Revolutionary War: British forces land at the Palisades and then attack Fort Lee. The Continental Army starts to retreat across New Jersey.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Charles Olson, "Olson's Tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/olsons-tree/P25864.php : accessed January 21, 2026), "William EMERSON (1743-1776)".
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