Famous People Who Died In 1792

At age 10, John Montagu succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, as the earl of Sandwich. The Eton- and Cambridge-educated statesman had held several important positions, such as the First Lord of the Admiralty. While gambling, he would often have bread and meat, leading to the delicacy being named “sandwich.”

Initially a wig-maker, Richard Arkwright later grew an interest in the spinning mechanism, building the Arkwright’s water frame, which used water power to produce cotton yarn. He soon became a name to reckon with in the textile industry, with many mills to his name. He was knighted for his feats.

John Smeaton was the first person to claim to be a civil engineer. One of his best-known creations was the Eddystone Lighthouse. He was also the first to use hydraulic lime in concrete. He not only won the Copley Medal but was also made a Fellow of The Royal Society.

Joaquim José da Silva Xavier was a revolutionary who played a major role in a colonial Brazilian revolutionary movement called Inconfidência Mineira, which called for a creation of a Brazilian republic and full independence from the Portuguese Empire. Joaquim José da Silva Xavier was arrested and publicly hanged. Today, he is regarded as a national hero in Brazil.

Gustav III of Sweden, the eldest son of Adolf Fredrik, was a man of culture and a symbol of the Swedish Enlightenment. He is remembered for regaining control over the Swedish parliament and for introducing reforms such as free trade. He was assassinated at a masked ball.

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor reigned as king of Archduke of Austria, emperor of the Romans, and king of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 until his death in 1792. From 1765 to 1790, he served as Grand Duke of Tuscany, during which he abolished capital punishment in Tuscany, making it the first nation to abolish capital punishment in modern history.

Of French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil’s discoveries, the most notable remain the Messier objects M32, M36, and M38. He waited for 8 years in India to observe the transit of Venus, but bad weather prevented his mission. He was mistakenly declared dead in France, but went back to reclaim his life.

Jean-André van der Mersch was a Belgian military leader who played a major role in the Brabant Revolution. He is remembered for his victory against the formidable forces of Joseph II in 1789 at the Battle of Turnhout. He also played an important role during the Seven Years' War, participating in the Battle of Rossbach and the Battle of Hochkirch.          

André Boniface Louis Riqueti de Mirabeau was a French soldier who served as a reactionary leader at the beginning of the French Revolution. As a colonel, he commanded the Touraine Regiment under Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur in the American Revolution. He was part of many sea fights with the British, including the famous Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

Jan Frans Vonck was a Belgian lawyer who played an important role during the Brabant Revolution. The revolution, which led to the establishment of the United States of Belgium, witnessed Vonck serving as the leader of a radical faction of revolutionaries. The faction that he led came to be known as Vonckists.