The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university in Philadelphia and a member of the Ivy League. Its origins are traced to a charity school and a plan for a college promoted by Benjamin Franklin, who emphasized practical education as well as the classics. The university claims to be the oldest in the United States by its founding date, although this is disputed by other institutions. Penn established the first medical school in the American colonies and the first business school, the Wharton School. Its researchers developed ENIAC, among the first general-purpose electronic computers, in the 1940s, and the university today has a large campus in West Philadelphia.
Before and after
- 1740Rise of Hasidic Judaism
- from 1740 to 1763Silesian Wars
- 2 June 1740Birth of Marquis de Sade
- 20 October 1740Birth of Isabelle de Charrière
- 14 November 1740Founding of University of Pennsylvania
- from 29 November 1740 to 6 May 1757Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom
- from 16 December 1740 to 18 October 1748War of the Austrian Succession
- 1741Steller's sea cow is discovered and then hunted to extinction
- 28 July 1741Death of Antonio Vivaldi
More in Society, economy & sport
- 18 April 1521Martin Luther defies the Emperor at the Diet of Worms
- 1559Founding of University of Geneva
- from 1602 to 1799Founding of Dutch East India Company
- November 1660Founding of Royal Society of London
- 1668Founding of Sveriges Riksbank
- 1734Founding of University of Göttingen
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.