- Jan 1 Frederick Muhlenberg, American statesman (d. 1801)
- Jan 10 Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine, British Lord Chancellor, born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom (d. 1823)
- Jan 11 Johann Jakob Walder, Swiss politician and composer, born in Unterwetzikon, Switzerland (d. 1817)
- Jan 24 Wybo Fijnje, Dutch politician, and journalist, born in Zwolle, Netherlands (d. 1809)
- Jan 25 Johann Gottfried Vierling, German organist and composer, born in Metzels, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen (d. 1813)
- Jan 31 Gerrit Jan Pijman, Dutch minister of War (1798-1800, 1803-06) (d. 1839)
- Feb 10 Stanislao Mattei, Italian composer, teacher, musicologist, and monk, born in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1825)
- Feb 28 Ignacy Potocki, Polish politician and influential nobleman (co-wrote 3 May Constitution), born in Radzyń, Poland (d. 1809)
- Mar 5 Jean-Baptiste-Gaspard d'Ansse de Villoison, French classical scholar and ancient manuscript hunter (discovered 10th-century manuscript of the Iliad— codex Venetus) (d. 1805)
- Mar 16 Caroline Herschel, German astronomer, (comet 35P/Herschel-Rigollet), born in Hanover, Germany (d. 1848)
- Mar 20 Martinus van Marum, Dutch physician and inventor (Homo Diluvii Testus, constructed largest electrostatic machine in the world), born in Delft, Netherlands (d. 1837)
- Mar 23 Johannes Matthias Sperger, Austrian double bassist and composer, born in Feldsberg, Lower Austria (now Valtice, Czech Republic) (d. 1812)
- Mar 28 Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan freedom fighter, born in Caracas, Venezuela (d. 1816)
- Mar 30 John Stafford Smith, British organist and composer ("The Anacreontic Song", later used for American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner"), baptized in London, England (d. 1836)
- Apr 17 François de Neufchâteau, French statesman and intellectual figure, born in Saffais, France (d. 1828)
- Apr 24 Simon-Antoine-Jean Lhuillier, Swiss mathematician, born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 1840)
- Apr 28 Paul Ignaz Kürzinger, German composer and pedagogue, born in Mergentheim, Duchy of Württemberg (d. 1837)
- May 2 John André, British Army officer of the American Revolutionary War, born in London (d. 1780)
- May 8 Elias Mann, American composer, born in Weymouth, Massachusetts (d. 1825)
- May 20 Stephen Girard, French-born American banker (bailed out US bonds during War of 1812), born in Bordeaux, France (d. 1831)
- Jun 3 Frédéric Thiéme, French composer, born in Reims, France (d. 1802)
- Jun 17 Michel Woldemar, French violinist and composer, born in Orléans, France (d. 1815)
- Jun 21 Pierre-Nicolas Beauvallet, French artist, born in Le Havre, France (d. 1818)
- Jun 23 Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu, French geologist, discovered mineral dolomite, born in Dauphiné, France (d. 1801)
Heshen (1750-1799)
Jul 1 Chinese politician and infamous Qing Dynasty court official considered the most corrupt official in Chinese history, born in Beijing, Qing Empire
- Jul 19 Alessio Prati, Italian composer, born in Ferrara, Papal States (now Italy) (d. 1788)
Henry Knox (1750-1806)
Jul 25 American general (Continental Army and later the United States Army) and 1st US Secretary of War (1785-94), born in Boston, Massachusetts Bay
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Aug 18 Italian composer (Tarare; La Fiera), opera director (Habsburg Court, 1774-92), and Kapellmeister (Austrian Imperial Court, 1788-1824), born in Legnago, Republic of Venice
- Aug 24 Letizia Ramolino, Italian noble and mother of Napoleon Bonaparte, born in Ajaccio, France (d. 1836)
- Sep 2 Pehr Frigel, Swedish composer, born in Kalmar, Sweden (d. 1842)
- Sep 5 Robert Fergusson, Scottish poet (Scottish poems), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1774)
- Sep 18 Tomás de Iriarte, Spanish writer (Fabulas Literarias), born in La Orotava, Tenerife, Canary Islands of Spain (d. 1791)
- Sep 26 Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood, British admiral, born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England (d. 1810)
- Oct 31 Leonor de Almeida marquesa de Alorna, Portuguese poet, born in São Jorge de Arroios, Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1839)
- Nov 7 Friedrich Leopold Graf zu Stolberg, German poet, lawyer and translator, born in Bad Bramstedt, Germany (d. 1819)
- Nov 27 Anton Thadaus Johann Nepomuk Stamitz, German violinist and composer, baptized in Deutschbrod, Bohemia (now Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic), (d. between 1798–1809)
Tipu Sultan (1750-1799)
Dec 1 Indian ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore (1782-99) and pioneer of rocket artillery known as the "Tiger of Mysore", born in Devanahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka [1]
- Dec 3 Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel, German organist, pianist, kapellmeister, composer, and priest, born in Würzburg, Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1817)
- Dec 23 Frederik Augustus I of Saxony (1806-27) last Elector of Saxony, (d. 1827)
- Dec 25 John Christmas Beckwith, British organist and composer (The First Verse of Every Psalm of David with an Ancient or Modern Chant), born in Norwich, England (d. 1809)