BIOGRAPHIC DETAILS: ENGLAND 1752-1760

1752
26 February: First performance of the oratorio "Jephtha" in Covent Garden Theatre. Repeats: 28 February and 4 March 1752. Further performances: London: 16 and 21 March 1753, 2 April 1756 and 1 March 1758.
3 November: Cataract operation by W. Bromfield.

1753
January: After a short improvement Handel's eyesight gets considerably worse. All the indications imply that Handel was not fully blind. (cf. inter alia. W. C. Smith IV as well as Deutsch)
Handel subscribes to "The works of the late Aaron Hill" 1753, published in 4 volumes.
Handel is made governor of Lock Hospital.
1 May: A performance of the "Messiah" in the Foundling Hospital is the last one under Handel's direction.

1754
6 April: Last performance of "Admeto", it is, at the same time, the last staged performance of a stage work of Handel until the 20 century.
20 September: Letter to George Philipp Telemann.  Handel appears to be pleased that the reports of Telemann's death proved false; he will arrange for the purchase of the exotic plants requested by Telemann that Telemann would have liked as his present.

1755
Start of the colonial wars between France and England over the ownership of India and Canada and naval supremacy, soon to be part of the seven years war (1756-1763) Ended with the victory of England and Prussian allies.

1756
6 August: First codicil to Handel's will.
Handel subscribes to the "Collection of songs with Symphonies and a Thorough Bass, With Six Lessons for the Harpsichord" by Elizabeth Turner.

1757
11 March: First performance of the oratorio "The Triumph of Time and Truth" (HWV 71) in Covent Garden Theatre. Repeats: 16, 18 and 23 March 1757. Further performances: London: 10 and 15 February 1758.
22 March: Second codicil to Handel's will.
4 August: Third codicil to Handel's will.

1758
August: Trip to Tunbridge Wells, probably for treatment by John Taylor.

1759
12 January: Death of Princess Anne, widow of Prince William of Orange. She was Handel's favourite pupil and patron.
6 April: End of Handel's last oratorio season with a performance of the "Messiah" in Covent Garden Theatre. Handel's last public appearance.
On 7 April it was announced that a performance of the "Messiah" under Handel's direction would take place in the chapel of the Foundling Hospital on 3 May, but in the event it was under the direction of John Christopher Smith the younger.
11 April: Fourth and last codicil to Handel's will.
14 April: Handel dies on the morning of 4 April.
20 April: Handel's burial in Westminster Abbey.

1760
John Mainwaring writes the first biography of Handel. It is also the very first biography of any composer. It appeared anonymously under the title Memoirs of the life of the Late George Frideric Handel
25 October: Death of King George II 1762
15 July: Unveiling of Roubiliac's memorial to Handel in Westminster Abbey.