* 1738 – Premiere in London, England, Great Britain of Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel.

* 1738 – Jacques François Dugommier, French general ( d. 1794 )

* 1683 – Jean-Joseph Mouret, French composer ( d. 1738 )

* 1738 – Real Academia de la Historia (" Royal Academy of History ") is founded in Madrid.

* 1738 – William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, English statesman, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ( d. 1809 )

Herman Boerhaave (, 31 December 1668 – 23 September 1738 ) was a Dutch botanist, humanist and physician of European fame.

There is some controversy over the identity of the disease, but in its virulent form, after the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720 – 1722, the Great Plague of 1738 ( which hit Eastern Europe ), and the Russian plague of 1770-1772, it seems to have gradually disappeared from Europe.

* 1738 – Richard Montgomery, Irish-born soldier ( d. 1775 )

* 1738 – Jan Antonín Koželuh, Bohemian composer ( d. 1814 )

* 1789 – Nicholas Van Dyke, American lawyer and President of Delaware ( b. 1738 )

* 1684 – Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor ( d. 1738 )

By John Singleton Copley ( 1738 – 1815 )

Karl Friedrich ruled Baden 1738 – 1811 Baden sported perhaps the best government of the smaller states.

Karl Friedrich ruled well for 73 years ( 1738 – 1811 ) and was an enthusiast for The Enlightenment ; he abolished serfdom in 1783.

* 1738 – Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye reaches the western shore of Lake Michigan.

* 1820 – King George III of the United Kingdom ( b. 1738 )

* 1738 – Isaac de Beausobre, French pastor ( b. 1659 )

* 1663 – Franz Xaver Murschhauser, German composer and theorist ( d. 1738 )

* 1738 – John Singleton Copley, American painter ( d. 1815 )

* 1738 – Jacques Delille, French poet and translator ( d. 1813 )

* 1738 – Mary Katharine Goddard, American printer and publisher ( d. 1816 )

* 1738 – Ethan Allen, American military leader ( d. 1789 )

* John Brown ( North Carolina ) ( 1738 – 1812 ), pioneer and statesman

It was continued by various writers and grew to twenty-one volumes ( 1633 – 1738 ), including illustrations by the beautiful copperplate engravings of Matthäus Merian ( 1593 – 1650 ).

Leopold received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy in 1738.

* March 17 – Leopold Hofmann, composer ( b. 1738 )

* Leopold Hofmann ( 1738 – 1793 ), Austrian classical composer

Prince Eugene's Italian manuscript had been presented to him in 1713 by John Frederick Cramer ; and was transferred to the Austrian National Library in Vienna in 1738 with the rest of his library.

* 1656 – Georg Reutter, Austrian organist, theorbo player and composer ( d. 1738 )

The Treaty of Vienna concluded it in 1738 ; the Austrian candidate ascended the throne, however, Charles was obliged to surrender the Kingdom of Naples to Don Carlos of Spain, in exchange for the minuscule Duchy of Parma.

As a major Bavarian settlement, the town played an outstanding role in the Bavarian uprising against the Austrian occupation during the War of the Spanish Succession, when it hosted the Braunau Parliament, a provisional Bavarian Parliament in 1705 headed by Georg Sebastian Plinganser ( born 1680 in Pfarrkirchen ; died 7 May 1738 in Augsburg ).

After his father's death in 1733, he inherited Saxony and was elected King of Poland, with the support of Russian and Austrian military forces in the War of the Polish Succession ( 1733 – 1738 ).

Severin was under Ottoman rule until 1829 except Wallachian occupiation between 1594 and 1599 and Austrian one between 1718 and 1738.

In 1699 the island came under Turkish control, from 1716 to 1718 it was Austrian, after a four month siege in 1738 it was Turkish again, followed by the Austrians reconquering it in 1789, only to have to yield it to the Turks in the following peace treaty.

During the period of short Austrian rule ( 1718 – 1738 ) the fortress was largely rebuilt and modernized.

* Johann Melchior Birkenstock ( 1738 – 1809 ), Austrian politician and school reformer

Also during the War of the Polish Succession ( 1733 – 1738 )), the War of the Austrian Succession ( 1740 – 1748 ) and the Seven Years ' War ( 1756 – 1763 ) the troops marched through St. Wendel so requisitions had to be paid.

Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS ( Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel ; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822 ) was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer.

* February – Tommaso Giordani, composer ( b. c. 1738 )

** Thomas Ebdon, composer and organist ( b. 1738 )

* February 3 – Jan Antonín Koželuh, composer ( b. 1738 )

* Sir William Herschel ( 1738 – 1822 ), astronomer and composer, discoverer of Uranus

Turlough O ' Carolan, also known as Turlough Carolan, (; ) ( 167025 March 1738 ) was a blind early Irish harper, composer and singer whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition.

* March 22 – Carlo Besozzi, oboist and composer ( b. 1738 )

* March 19-Philip Hayes, organist, singer, conductor and composer ( born 1738 )

* Georg Riedel ( 1676 – 1738 ), composer

* probable – Richard Charke, violinist, composer, operatic baritone, and playwright ( died c. 1738 )

Jean-Joseph MouretJean-Joseph Mouret ( April 11, 1682, Avignon-December 22, 1738, Charenton-le-Pont ) was a French composer whose dramatic works made him one of the leading exponents of Baroque music in his country.

* William Selby ( 1738 – 1798 ), early American composer, organist and choirmaster

Jonathan Battishill ( May 1738 – 10 December 1801 ) was an English composer, keyboard player, and concert tenor.

Alessandro Severo was not a success at its premiere under the direction of the composer on 25 February 1738 at the King's Theatre, London.