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

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

* 1720 – 1742 Edmond Halley

* 1742 – 1762 James Bradley

* 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.

George Richard Turberville, Jr. ( 1742 – 1792 ) and Martha Corbin ( 1742 ).

These views made him welcome to George II, who gladly accepted him as Secretary of State in 1742.

On June 16, 1742, His Majesty George II secured to John Byrom, M. A., the sole right of publishing for a certain term of years ( 21 ) the art and method of shorthand invented by him.

William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, PC ( 22 March 1684 – 7 July 1764 ) was an English politician, a Whig, created the first Earl of Bath in 1742 by King George II ; he is sometimes stated to have been Prime Minister, for the shortest term ever ( two days ), though most modern sources reckon that he cannot be considered to have held the office.

" The title was retained until 1742, when an order from King George II forbade its further use.

George Chalmers ( 1742 – May 31, 1825 ) was a Scottish antiquarian and political writer.

* George Henry Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield ( 1690 – 1742 )

They would be political partners for the next twenty years, and Newcastle would remain a loyalist until Walpole's fall in 1742. Newcastle vigorously sustained the Whigs at Queen Anne's death, and had much influence in making the Londoners accept King George I, even organising so-called ' Newcastle mobs ' to fight with rival Jacobites in the street.

In March 1742, the British who were based in Fort St George in Madras sent a modest hamper to Nizam ul-mulk in recognition of his leadership of the most important of the Mughal successor states.

For most of this period ( at first under the leadership of Sir William Wyndham ), the Tories retained party cohesion, with occasional hopes of regaining office, particularly at the accession of George II ( 1727 ) and the downfall of the ministry of Sir Robert Walpole in 1742.

It was created in 1730 for the politician Spencer Compton, 1st Baron Wilmington, who later served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1742 to 1743, during the reign of George II.

Captain George Shelvocke ( 1675 – 1742 ) was an English privateer who wrote a famous 1723 book based on his exploits, A Voyage Round the World By Way of The Great South Sea.

* George Chalmers ( 1742 – 1825 ) -- Antiquarian and political writer

* George Brudenell, 4th Earl of Cardigan, 19 February 1742 – 21 February 1752

His father was a prominent Tory politician who became the first major Tory to enter government since the succession of George I of Great Britain, joining the administration of John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville in 1742.

* David George ( Baptist ) ( 1740 or 1742 – 1810 ) African American, Baptist preacher, and a founding father of Sierra Leone

A charter was issued for the Company from the Penn proprietors, March 24, 1742, that included a plot of land, issued in their name by Governor George Thomas.

the angel of the Lord came upon them " from Part I of George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah ( 1742 ).

George Leonard ( November 1742 – April 1, 1826 ) was a Canadian farmer from New Brunswick who served as alderman and chamberlain of Saint John.

* George Leonard ( New Brunswick ) ( 1742 – 1826 ), Canadian farmer, New Brunswick politician

The Choir School, which had been founded in 1432, supplied many of its members to take part in the very first performance of Handel's Messiah in 1742.

She also joined the premiere performance of Handel's Messiah on 13 April 1742, singing the contralto solos.

Handel's oratorio Messiah ( 1742 ) includes three well-known da capo arias, " Rejoice Greatly " ( for soprano ), " He Was Despised " ( for alto voice ) and " The Trumpet Shall Sound " ( for bass ).

Fishamble Street in Temple Bar was the location of the first performance of Handel's Messiah on 13 April 1742.

Echoes of " Ti vo ' giusta " ( one of the few arias composed specifically for Agrippina ) can be found in the air " He was despised ", from Handel's Messiah ( 1742 ).

* 1742: Messiah, oratorio by Handel premiered in Dublin

Handel arrived in Dublin in 1742 to superintend the first performance of his famous oratorio.