Historedia
Person

Colin Macfarquhar

Events
2
Episodes
3
Years
1768

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Colin Macfarquhar, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Launch of the Encyclopædia Britannica

    1768

    Role: Co-founder, manager, and publisher

    1. 1768 · Edinburgh, ScotlandWilliam Smellie hired to edit the first edition

      Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell hired the 28-year-old Scottish printer William Smellie to edit the first edition of the Britannica.

    2. December 1768 · Edinburgh, ScotlandFirst weekly numbers published in Edinburgh

      The first of 100 weekly instalments of the Encyclopædia Britannica appeared in Edinburgh beginning in December 1768, launching the serial publication.

  2. Sixth edition of Encyclopædia Britannica published

    undated

    Role: Founder

    1. First era (1768–1824) · Edinburgh, where the Britannica was first issuedSupplements issued to the fourth, fifth, and sixth editions

      Multi-volume supplements were issued to the fourth, fifth, and sixth editions as a group, within the Britannica's first era managed by its founders and Archibald Constable.

Sources

  1. Encyclopædia Britannica Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
  2. William Smellie (encyclopedist) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-08