- Jan 2 John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (C) & English chief minister (1722-42), dies at 72
- Jan 11 Caspar Abel, German theologian, historian, and poet, dies at 86
- Jan 27 Johann Theodor of Bavaria, Prince-Bishop of Regensburg, Freising and Liège, dies at 59
- Jan 29 Louis Racine, French poet (La Religion), dies at 70
- Feb 11 William Shenstone, English poet, dies at 48
- Feb 12 Pierre de Marivaux, French playwright and novelist (Triomphe de l'amour,), dies at 75
- May 3 George Psalmanazar, British impostor (b. 1679)
- Jun 1 Johann Caspar Vogler, German composer, dies at 67
- Jul 17 Wenzel Raimund Pirck, Austrian organist composer at the court of Marie Theresa, dies at 45
- Aug 9 Jan Althuysen, Frisian vicar and poet (Frysk Jierboek), dies at 47
- Aug 14 Giovanni Battista Somis, Italian Baroque violinist and composer, dies at 76
- Aug 21 Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, British statesman (b. 1710)
- Sep 14 Johann Philipp Sack, German composer, dies at 40
- Sep 26 John Byron, English poet (b. 1692)
- Oct 5 August III, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1733-63), Elector of Saxony, dies of a stroke at 66
- Oct 17 Arnold Hoogvliet, Dutch poet (Abraham the patriarch), dies at 76
- Oct 22 French van Mieris "the Young", painter/historian, dies at 73
- Oct 28 Heinrich von Brühl, German statesman, dies at 63
- Nov 23 Friedrich Graf von Seckendorf, German soldier who commanded Austrian imperial forces (b. 1673)
- Dec 2 Carl August Thielo, Danish composer and court organist, dies at 56
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning