1726 Explained

Events of

April 15 - Isaac Newton tells William Stukeley the story of how he developed his theory of gravity.
May 1 - Voltaire begins exile in England.

July 11 - André-Hercule Cardinal de Fleury, recalled from exile by King Louis XV of France, banishes Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, and Madame de Prie from court.
November - Mary Tofts allegedly gives birth to 16 rabbits in England; the story is later revealed to be a hoax.

The city of Montevideo is founded.
The Supreme Privy Council is established in Imperial Russia.
The Gujin tushu jicheng, an immense Chinese encyclopedia, is printed using copper-based movable type printing.
The remaining ruins of Liverpool Castle are finally demolished.
Muhammad bin Saud becomes head of the House of Saud.

January 14 - Jacques-Donatien Le Ray, French supporter of the American Revolution (d. 1803)
March 8 - Richard Howe, British admiral (d. 1799)
April 5 - Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the American Declaration of Independence (d. 1791)
April 12 - Charles Burney, English music historian (d. 1814)
April 20 - Joseph de Ferraris, Austrian cartographer of the Austrian Netherlands (d. 1814)
May 12 - Alexander Hood, British naval officer (d. 1814)
June 3 - James Hutton, Scottish geologist (d. 1797)
June 14 - Thomas Pennant, Welsh naturalist (d. 1798)
July 30 - William Jones (ecclesiastic), (d.1800)
August 7 - James Bowdoin, American Revolutionary leader and politician (d. 1790)
August 9 - Francesco Cetti, Italian Jesuit scientist (d. 1778)
September 1 - François-André Danican Philidor, French composer and chess player (d. 1795)
October 16 - Daniel Chodowiecki, Polish painter (d. 1801)

- John H. D. Anderson, Scottish scientist (d. 1796)
- Le Quy Don, Vietnamese philosopher, poet, encyclopedist, and government official (d. 1784)
- Katsukawa Shunsho, Japanese woodblock artist (d. 1792)
- Jedediah Strutt, English businessman (d. 1797)