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Births on November 12

Gerhard von Scharnhorst
1755Nov, 12

Gerhard von Scharnhorst

Gerhard von Scharnhorst, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (d. 1813)
Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst (12 November 1755 – 28 June 1813) was a Hanoverian-born general in Prussian service from 1801. As the first Chief of the Prussian General Staff, he was noted for his military theories, his reforms of the Prussian army, and his leadership during the Napoleonic Wars. Scharnhorst limited the use of corporal punishments, established promotion for merit, abolished the enrollment of foreigners, began the organization of a reserve army, and organized and simplified the military administration.

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Events on 1755

  • 15Apr

    A Dictionary of the English Language

    Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London.
  • 9Jul

    Battle of the Monongahela

    The Braddock Expedition is soundly defeated by a smaller French and Native American force in its attempt to capture Fort Duquesne in what is now downtown Pittsburgh.
  • 25Jul

    Expulsion of the Acadians

    British governor Charles Lawrence and the Nova Scotia Council order the deportation of the Acadians.
  • 10Aug

    Expulsion of the Acadians

    Under the orders of Charles Lawrence, the British Army begins to forcibly deport the Acadians from Nova Scotia to the Thirteen Colonies.
  • 1Nov

    1755 Lisbon earthquake

    In Portugal, Lisbon is totally devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami, killing between 60,000 and 90,000 people.