Chronology: 1771-1775

1771
Month	Mozart's Life	Compositions	World Events
January	[14] Mozart and his father, Leopold, arrive in Turin, where they remain for a fortnight. [31] They return to Milan.		[22] Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain. Prince Henry of Prussia visits Russia and proposes partition of Poland. French Parlements are replaced by a simplified court system.
February	[11] Mozart and his father travel to Venice.
March	[4] Mozart receives a commission for a second Milan opera, to be performed in 1772. It will be Lucio Silla (K. 135). [13] Mozart receives commission for La Betulia liberata (K. 118). [28] They return to Salzburg by way of Verona and Innsbruck.		[27] Brass Crosby is taken into custody for breach of privilege over printing Parliamentary debates, the last attempt to prevent reporting of debates.
April
May		Regina Coeli in C (K. 108) Litaniae Lauretanae BVM in B flat (K. 109)
June		Offertory in G, "Inter natos mulierum" (K. 72)	Russia completes conquest of Crimea.
July		La Betulia liberata (K. 118) Symphony in G (K. 110)	[6] Austria and Turkey form an alliance with the intention of forcing Russia to restore her conquests.
August	[13] Mozart and his father depart Salzburg for a second Italian tour, which will last about four months. [21] They arrive in Milan. [29] Mozart receives the libretto to Ascanio in Alba and begins composing the music.	Il sogno di Scipione (K. 126)
September	Ascanio in Alba is rehearsed in Milan.	Ascanio in Alba (K. 111)
October	[17] Ascanio in Alba is performed to celebrate the wedding of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este of Modena.
November	[30] The Mozarts are received by Archduke Ferdinand.	[2] Symphony in F (K. 112) Divertimento in E flat (K. 113)
December	[15] Mozart and his father return to Salzburg. [16] Prince-Archbishop Sigismund, Count Schrattenbach, dies in Salzburg.	[30] Symphony in A (K. 114)

1772
Month	Mozart's Life	Compositions	World Events
January			[17] Ove Guldberg secures arrest of Struensee in Denmark.
February		[21] Symphony in G (K. 124)	[28] Boston assembly threatens secession from Britain unless rights of colonies are maintained.
March	[14] Hieronymous, Count Colloredo, is elected Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg.	Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B flat (K. 125)	[24] Parliament places all descendants of George II under the terms of the Royal Marriage Act.
April
May	Il sogno di Scipione is performed at the archiepiscopal residence in honor of Archbishop Colloredo.	Regina coeli in B flat (K. 127) Symphony in C (K. 128) Symphony in G (K. 129) Symphony in F (K. 130)
June		Divertimento in D (K. 131)	[10] Mob in Rhode Island burns revenue cutter Gaspée.
July		Symphony in E flat (K. 132) Symphony in D (K. 133)	Britain refuses French fleet entrance to the Baltic in support of Gustavus III against his Swedish subjects.
August	[9] Mozart is granted an annual salary of 150 florins as Konzertmeister.	Symphony in A (K. 134)	[5] Frederick the Great engineers first partition of Poland. [19] Gustavus III re-establishes monarchy in Sweden.
September
October	[24] Mozart and his father begin their third Italian tour. It will last nearly five months.
November	[4] Mozart and his father arrive in Milan.		[2] Committees of Correspondence are formed in Massachusetts under Samuel Adams.
December	[26] First performance of Lucio Silla, at the Teatro Regio Ducal. There will be 26 consecutive performances.	Lucio Silla (K. 135)

1773
Month	Mozart's Life	Compositions	World Events
January	[17] "Exsultate, jubilate" is sung by Venanzio Rauzzini at Theatine Church in Milan.	Motet in F for Soprano, "Exsultate, jubilate" (K. 165)
February			Renewal of France's alliance with Sweden.
March	[13] Mozart and his father return to Salzburg.	Divertimento in B flat (K. 186) [24] Divertimento in E flat (K. 166) [30] Symphony in E flat (K. 184)	[12] Virginia House of Burgesses appoints a provincial Committee of Correspondence for mutual action against the British.
April		[10] Symphony in G (K. 199) [19] Symphony in C (K. 162)
May		[19] Symphony in D (K. 181)
June		Missa in C, "Trinitatis" (K. 167)
July	[16] Mozart and Leopold arrive in Vienna; the purpose of this visit is not understood.	Divertimento in D (K. 205) Serenade in D, "Andretter" (K. 185)	Pope Clement XIV dissolves the Jesuits.
August	[5] Mozart and his father are received by the empress.	Six string quartets (K. 168-173)
September	[26] They return to Salzburg.
October		[3] Symphony in B flat (K. 182) [5] Symphony in G minor (K. 183)	[16] Denmark cedes the duchy of Oldenburg to Russia.
November
December		Quintet in B flat for Strings (K. 174) Concerto in D for Piano (K. 175)	[16] Boston Tea Party. France restores Avignon to Papacy.

1774
Month	Mozart's Life	Compositions	World Events
January			Abdul Hamid I becomes Sultan of Turkey.
February			Petition from Massachusetts asking for removal of governor-general Thomas Hutchinson is refused by the House of Commons.
March			[28] British Parliament passes Coercive Acts against Massachusetts.
April	[4] Thamos, König in Agypten (K. 345), with music by Mozart, is performed in Vienna.	Thamos, König in Agypten (K. 345), first version [4] Symphony in A (K. 201) Concerto in B flat for Violin (K. 207)	Quebec Act establishes Roman Catholicism and Roman law in Canada.
May		[5] Symphony in D (K. 202) Litaniae Lauretanae BVM in D (K. 195) [31] Concertone in C (K. 190)	[10] Louis XVI becomes King of France. [27] Virginia House of Burgesses adopts a resolution calling a continental congress.
June		[4] Concerto in B flat for Bassoon (K. 191) [24] Missa brevis in F (K. 192)	[1] Parliament closes the Port of Boston.
July		Dixit Dominus, Magnificat in C (K. 193)	Russians rout Turks at battle of Shumla. [21] Russia and Turkey sign peace of Kutchuk-Kainardji.
August		[8] Missa brevis in D (K. 194) Serenade in D, "Colloredo" (K. 203)	[12] Russia signs a secret alliance with Denmark. Louis XVI recalls the Parlements and appoints Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot controller-general of France. Suffolk Convention in America resolves that the Coercive Act of March 28 be disregarded.
September			[5] First Continental Congress meets at Philadelphia. [13] Turgot re-introduces free trade in corn in France. Austria occupies Bukovina.
October
November		[17] Symphony in C (K. 200)	John Wilkes becomes lord mayor of London.
December	[6] Mozart and Leopold depart for Munich for rehearsals of La finta giardiniera (K. 196).	La finta giardiniera (K. 196)	[1] By resolution of the Continental Congress non-importation of British goods comes into force in the American colonies.

1775
Month	Mozart's Life	Compositions	World Events
January	[1] Mozart's Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B flat (K. 125) is performed in Munich. Mozart's sister Maria Anna joins her father and brother at Munich. La finta giardiniera (K. 196) is performed at Munich.	Offertory in D minor, "Misericordias Domini" (K. 222)
February	A Mass by Mozart, probably the Missa brevis in F (K. 192), is performed in Munich. Another Mass, probably the Missa brevis in D (K. 194), also is performed.		[1] Parliament rejects a bill that would conciliate American colonists. Peasants in Bohemia revolt against servitude.
March	[7] The Mozarts return to Salzburg from Munich.		[19] Prusso-Polish commercial treaty is signed. Portuguese fleet is repulsed in attack on Monte Video.
April	[23] Il rè pastore (K. 208) is performed in honor of a visit to Salzburg by Archduke Maximilian Franz, youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa.	[14] Concerto in B flat for Violin (K. 207) Il rè pastore (K. 208)	[19] Battles of Lexington and Concord open the American War of Independence.
May			[7] Turkey cedes Bukovina to Austria. [10] Fort Ticonderoga falls to the Americans. [10] Second Continental Congress meets at Philadelphia. [12] Crown Point falls to the Americans. [31] Troops before Boston are formed into the Continental Army.
June		[14] Concerto in D for Violin (K. 211) Missa longa in C (K. 262)	[15] George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of American forces. [17] British victory at Bunker Hill.
July		Divertimento in F (K. 213)	[6] Declaration of Philadelphia Congress under John Hancock sets out war aims.
August		[5] Serenade in D (K. 204)
September		[12] Concerto in G for Violin, "Strassburg" (K. 216)
October		Concerto for Violin in D (K. 218)
November
December		[20] Concerto for Violin in A, "Turkish" (K. 219) Missa brevis in C, "Spaur" (K. 258) Missa brevis in C, "Organ Solo" (K. 259)	[31] Benedict Arnold's attack on Quebec fails.

References

Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography. Stanford, 1965.
Durant, Will and Ariel. Rousseau and Revolution. New York, 1967.
Williams, Neville. Chronology of the Modern World: 1763 to the Present Time. New York, 1967.
Zaslaw, Neal, and Cowdery, William, eds. The Compleat Mozart. New York, 1990.