15th April » 'Serse', an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel receives its premiere performance in London, England.
18th April » 'Real Academia de la Historia' ("Royal Academy of History") is founded in Madrid.
24th May » John Wesley is New Birth named converted, essentially launching the Methodism named Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day and a church service is generally held on the preceding Sunday.
20th July » Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye known as Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye reaches the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Famous Birthdays in 1738
21st January » Ethan Allen, American general (d. 1789)
11th March » Benjamin Tupper, American general (d. 1792)
14th April » William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1809)
27th May » Nathaniel Gorham, American politician, 14th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1796)
28th May » Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician (d. 1814)
4th June » George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1820)
16th June » Mary Katherine Goddard, American publisher (d. 1816)
21st June » Gottlieb Christoph Harless, German linguist and scholar (d. 1815)
22nd June » Jacques Delille, French poet (d. 1813)
3rd July » John Singleton Copley, American-English painter (d. 1815)
1st August » Jacques François Dugommier, French general (d. 1794)
14th August » Leopold Hofmann, Austrian composer (d. 1793)
25th September » Nicholas Van Dyke (governor) known as Nicholas Van Dyke, American lawyer and politician, 7th Governor of Delaware (d. 1789)
6th October » Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1738–1789) known as Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (d. 1789)
11th October » Arthur Phillip, English admiral and politician, 1st Governor of New South Wales (d. 1814)
15th November » William Herschel, German-English astronomer and composer (d. 1822)
2nd December » Richard Montgomery, Irish-American general (d. 1775)
14th December » Jan Antonín Koželuh, Czech composer and educator (d. 1814)
31st December » Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, English general and politician, 3rd Governor-General of India (d. 1805)
Famous Deaths in History for 1738
17th January » Jean-François Dandrieu, French organist and composer (b. 1682)
15th February » Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (b. 1684)
16th March » George Bähr, German architect, designed the Dresden Frauenkirche (b. 1666)
1st May » Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, English politician (b. 1669)
5th June » Isaac de Beausobre, French pastor and theologian (b. 1659)
21st June » Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1674)
23rd September » Herman Boerhaave, Dutch botanist and physician (b. 1668)
22nd December » Constantia Jones, English prostitute (b. 1708)