Editing 1743 (section)

=== January&ndash;March ===
* [[January 1]] &ndash; The [[Verendrye brothers' journey to the Rocky Mountains|Verendrye brothers]], probably [[Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye|Louis-Joseph]] and [[François de La Vérendrye]], become the first white people to see the [[Rocky Mountains]] from the eastern side <ref>Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh, ''Breaking the Wilderness: The Story of the Conquest of the Far West'' (G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1908) p139</ref>  (the Spanish conquistadors had seen the Rockies from the west side).
* [[January 8]] &ndash; King [[Augustus III of Poland]], acting in his capacity as Elector of Saxony, signs an agreement with [[Austria]], pledging help in war in return for part of [[Silesia]] to be conveyed to Saxony.<ref>Maureen Cassidy-Geiger, ''Fragile Diplomacy'' (Yale University Press, 2007) p38</ref>
* [[January 12]] 
** The Verendryes, and two members of the [[Mandan]] Indian tribe, reach the foot of the mountains, near the site of what is now [[Helena, Montana]].<ref>Olin Dunbar Wheeler, ''The Trail of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1904: A Story of the Great Exploration Across the Continent in 1804-6'' (G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1904) p213</ref> 
** An earthquake strikes the Philippines  <ref>D. R. M. Irving, ''Colonial Counterpoint: Music in Early Modern Manila'' (Oxford University Press, 2010)</ref>
* [[January 16]] &ndash; Cardinal [[André-Hercule de Fleury]] turns his effects over to King [[Louis XV of France]], 13 days before his death on January 29.<ref>Olivier Bernier, ''Louis XV'' (New Word City, 2018)</ref>
* [[January 23]] &ndash; With mediation by France, Sweden and Russia begin peace negotiations at [[Åbo]] (Turku) to end the [[Russo-Swedish War (1741–43)|Russo-Swedish War]].  By August 17, Sweden cedes all of its claims to southern Finland.<ref>''The Cambridge Modern History, Volume 6: The Eighteenth Century'', ed. by A. W. Ward, et al. (Macmillan, 1909) p314</ref>
* [[February 21]] &ndash; [[George Frideric Handel]]'s [[oratorio]], ''[[Samson (Handel)|Samson]]'', premieres in London.
* [[March 2]] &ndash; A British expeditionary fleet under [[Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet|Sir Charles Knowles]] is defeated by the Spanish in the [[Battle of La Guaira]].