Famous People Who Died In 1782

Daniel Bernoulli was a Swiss physicist and mathematician. Born into the popular Bernoulli family of mathematicians, Daniel Bernoulli is renowned for his applications of mathematical equations to mechanics. He is also remembered for his pioneering work in statistics and probability. In 2002, he was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.

Jacques de Vaucanson was a French artist and inventor. He is credited with creating impressive and innovative automata. De Vaucanson was also the first inventor to design an automatic loom. His ideas for the automation of the weaving process were later perfected by Joseph Marie Jacquard, who created the Jacquard machine.    

One of the most significant architects of the 18th century, Ange-Jacques Gabriel built many major structures during the reign of Louis XV. Born to premier architect Jacques V, he later succeeded his father. His most notable works include the Place de la Concorde and the Petit Trianon at Versailles.

José Cadalso was a colonel of the Royal Spanish Army in the 18th century. He was also a well-known author, playwright, poet, and essayist. As an army man, he traveled through Italy, Germany, England, France, and Portugal and studied the literature of these countries. He is credited to have made massive contributions to Spanish Enlightenment literature. 

Irish-born George Croghan, The King of the Traders, later moved to America, where he was successful in befriending the local tribes of the Ohio region. Over the years, he got many treaties signed on behalf of the British government and had a 16-year stint as the Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Italian poet and librettist Pietro Metastasio is remembered for his opera seria. Though he initially aspired to be a lawyer, he later completely devoted himself to writing and penned masterpieces such as Gli orti esperidi. Part of the Academy of Arcadians, he also served as the court poet in Vienna.

Henry Home, Lord Kames was a Scottish philosopher, writer, agricultural improver, advocate, and judge. One of the most influential personalities in the Scottish Enlightenment, Home took an active part in an intellectual society of the 18th-century known as the Select Society. A founding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Home acted as a patron to personalities like David Hume.

The pioneer of military medicine, British physician Sir John Pringle also taught at the University of Edinburgh. He had also served as a physician to King George III of Britain and the Duke of Cumberland. Apart from coining the term influenza, he also identified various types of dysentery as a single disease.

French cartographer and geographer Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville is remembered for developing the art of map-making. His first significant work was a map of China. He later drew maps of various regions, such as India, Italy, and Africa. He was also named the first geographer to the French king.