1759

1759 was a pivotal year in the global conflict known as the Seven Years' War, with major military campaigns across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and beyond. The year saw a number of decisive victories that shifted momentum toward Britain and its allies.

In Europe, Allied forces won the Battle of Minden on August 1, a decisive defeat of French field armies in present-day Germany, strengthening the coalition of Britain, Prussia, and their partners. Naval power shifted in Britain's favor with the Battle of Quiberon Bay on November 20, when the Royal Navy defeated a French fleet off Brittany, effectively preventing a planned French invasion of Britain.

In North America, the Plains of Abraham on September 13 near Quebec saw a British victory under General James Wolfe against French forces led by the Marquis de Montcalm. Wolfe and Montcalm were killed in the fighting, and the subsequent fall of Quebec City reshaped control of Canada, marking a turning point in the war in North America.

In the Caribbean, British forces captured Guadeloupe from the French, signaling a significant expansion of British colonial possessions in the region.

Notable births in 1759 include Mary Wollstonecraft, English writer and advocate of women’s rights, born April 27. Notable deaths include James Wolfe and Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, both among the casualties of the Quebec campaign.