* 1664 – Arvid Horn, Swedish statesman ( d. 1742 )

* 1742 – Nathanael Greene, American general ( d. 1786 )

* 1742 – George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah makes its world-premiere in Dublin, Ireland.

* 1720 – 1742 Edmond Halley

* Principality of Anhalt-Dornburg: 1667 – 1742

* 1673 – Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick, Holy Roman Empire Empress ( d. 1742 )

* Pope Pius VII ( 1742 – 1823, r. 1800 – 23 )

* 1742 – Gebhard Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt, German Field Marshal ( d. 1819 )

* 1709 – Louise Élisabeth d ' Orléans, queen consort of Spain ( d. 1742 )

* 1660 – Friedrich Hoffmann, German physician and chemist ( d. 1742 )

* 1742 – Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, becomes British Prime Minister.

La Fontaine's model was subsequently emulated by England's John Gay ( 1685 – 1732 ); Poland's Ignacy Krasicki ( 1735 – 1801 ); Italy's Lorenzo Pignotti ( 1739 – 1812 ) and Giovanni Gherardo de Rossi ( 1754 – 1827 ); Serbia's Dositej Obradović ( 1742 – 1811 ); Spain's Félix María de Samaniego ( 1745 – 1801 ) and Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa ( 1750 – 1791 ); France's Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian ( 1755 – 94 ); and Russia's Ivan Krylov ( 1769 – 1844 ).

* Dositej Obradović ( Serbian, 1742 – 1811 )

Henry Dundas ( 1742 – 1811 ) dominated political affairs in the latter part of the century.

Middleton's son, Arthur ( 1742 – 1787 ) would also get involved in politics, succeeding his father as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1776, after his resignation, and, later on, sign the Declaration of Independence.

Cook married Elizabeth Batts ( 1742 – 1835 ), the daughter of Samuel Batts, keeper of the Bell Inn, Wapping and one of his mentors, on 21 December 1762 at St. Margaret's Church in Barking, Essex.

* John Browne ( academic ) ( died 1764 ), Master of University College, Oxford ( 1742 – 1762 )

* August 21 – James Wilson, American politician ( b. 1742 )

After Ann Lee and James Whittaker died, Joseph Meacham ( 1742 – 1796 ) became the leader of the Shakers in 1787.

* James Lawrence House-located at 459 High Street and constructed in 1742, it was the home of the hero of the War of 1812, whose dying command has been paraphrased as " Don't give up the ship!

* James Douglas ( physician ) ( 1675 – 1742 ), Scottish physician and anatomist

General James Inglis Hamilton, ( before 1742 – 27 July 1803 ) was a Scottish soldier.

* James Douglas ( physician ) ( 1675 – 1742 ), Scottish anatomist and physician

* James Graham, 4th Marquess of Montrose ( 1682 – 1742 ) became Duke of Montrose in 1707

* James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose ( 1682 – 1742 ), only son of the 3rd Marquess

* 1742 / 43 James Huthwaite Jnr.

The Brewer family has been prominent in Massachusetts for 200 years, including James Brewer ( 1742 – 1806 ), an early American patriot leader and businessman, Gen. Wilmon Blackmar, a Civil War medal of honor winner, and Wilmon Brewer, a poet, biographer, and philanthropist.

* James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose ( 1682 – 1742 ), Scottish aristocratic statesman ( was 4th Marquess )

* Robert James Petre, 8th Baron Petre ( 1713 – 1742 )

* James Waldegrave, 2nd Baron Waldegrave ( 1684 – 1742 ) ( created Earl Waldegrave in 1729 )

* Sir James Macdonald, 8th Baronet ( c. 1742 – 1766 )

James Wilson ( 1742 – 1798 ) was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Major James Rennell, FRS ( 3 December 1742 – 29 March 1830 ) was an English geographer, historian and a pioneer of oceanography.

Following its foundation as an early monastic settlement, the town has a long tradition of radical protestantism and was the scene of major revivals under the leadership of James Robe in 1742 and William Chalmers Burns in 1839, part of the Second Great Awakening.

After 1742, however, Ibrahim Muteferrika's printing activities were discontinued and an attempt by the British diplomat James Mario Matra, motivated by the exorbitant prices for manuscript books, to reestablish a press in Istanbul was aborted in 1779.

Rennell Island may have been named for the oceanographer James Rennell, FRS ( 1742 – 1830 ).

* James Rennell ( 1742 – 1830 ), British geographer and pioneer oceanographer

Sir James Vashon ( 9 August 1742 – 27 October 1827 ) was a British officer of the Royal Navy.

James Vashon was born on 9 August 1742 in the village of Eye, near Ludlow, Shropshire.

* Sir James Quaile Somerville, 3rd Baronet ( c. 1742 – c.

James Robertson ( June 28, 1742 – September 1, 1814 ) was an explorer and pioneer active primarily in what is now the State of Tennessee during the second half of the 18th century.