- Jan 2 Ignaz Franz von Beecke, German composer, dies at 69
- Jan 18 Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian author and poet (Dushenka), dies at 59
- Jan 23 Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer and founder of the Guinness brewery, dies at 77
- Jan 26 Georg von Pasterwiz, Austrian composer, dies at 72
- Feb 3 Pedro Rodríguez de Campomanes, 1st Count of Campomanes, Spanish economist and politician, dies at 79
- Feb 9 Jean François de Saint-Lambert, French poet (b. 1716)
- Feb 16 Giovanni Punto [Jan Václav Stich], Bohemian horn player and composer, dies at 56
- Feb 18 J W L Gleim, writer, dies
- Feb 20 Marie Dumesnil, French actress (Iphigénie en Aulide), dies at 90
- Feb 21 Edward Despard, Irish born British officer, convicted for organising a conspiracy against the government and hung in front of a crowd of 20,000 in London
- Mar 13 William Emes, English landscape architect (b. 1729 or 1730)
- Mar 14 Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, German poet (Der Messias), dies at 78
- Mar 17 Candido Jose Ruano, Spanish composer, dies at 42
- Mar 29 Gottfried van Swieten, Dutch composer (b. 1733)
- Apr 2 Hieronymus van Alphen, Dutch poet of children's poems (Proeve van kleine gedigen voor Kinder), dies at 56
Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803)
Apr 7 Haitian general, revolutionary and most famous of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, dies while in prison in France at 59
- Apr 15 Václav Norbert Brixi, Czech organist, composer and priest (aka Jeroným Brixi), dies at 65
- Apr 18 Louis François Antoine Arbogast, French mathematician (Du calcul des derivations), dies at 43
- Jun 8 Jean Noel Paquot, Belgian theologian and historian, dies at 80
- Jun 22 Johann Wilhelm Heinse, German novelist and art critic of the Strum and Drang period, dies at 57
- Jun 24 Matthew Thornton, Irish-American physician (signed Declaration of Independence), dies at 88
- Jul 5 William Jackson [Jackson of Exeter], English composer and organist, dies at 73
- Jul 14 Esteban Salas y Castro, Cuban composer, dies at 77
- Jul 23 Arthur Wolfe, Irish 1st viscount Kilwarden, Chief Justice of Ireland, murdered during Irish Rebellion at 64
- Aug 18 James Beattie, Scottish poet and philosopher (Essay on Truth), dies at 67
- Aug 28 Charles L Fournier, Flemish writer and painter, dies at 73
- Sep 5 Francois Devienne, composer, dies at 44
- Sep 9 Armand-Emmanuel Trial, French pianist and comic opera composer, dies at 30
- Sep 13 John Barry, 1st American commodore of the US Navy, dies at 58
- Sep 15 Gian Francesco Albani, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1719)
- Sep 16 Nicolas Baudin, French explorer (b. 1754)
- Sep 17 Franz Xaver Sussmayr, Austrian composer and conductor, dies (b. 1766)
- Sep 20 Robert Emmet, Irish nationalist, executed by being hung then beheaded after death at 25
- Sep 30 Charles Broche, French composer, dies at 51
Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
Oct 2 American revolutionary (Boston Massacre-Tea Party) and politician (Lt Gov-Mass, 1789-94), dies at 81
- Oct 8 Vittorio Alfieri, Italian poet and playwright (Filippo), dies at 54
- Oct 26 Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, English politician, dies at 82
- Nov 3 Henri Moreau, Flemish composer, dies at 75
- Nov 5 Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, French army general and writer (Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons)), dies at 61
- Nov 22 Bernardus Bosch, Dutch vicar and poet, dies at 57
- Nov 25 Joseph Wilton, English sculptor (Westminster Abbey), dies at 83
- Dec 18 Johann G. von Herder, German philosopher, theologist and poet, dies at 59
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning