• Monarch – Christian VII^[1]
• Prime minister – Johann Friedrich Struensee (until 17 January), Ove Høegh-Guldberg

• 18 January – Queen Caroline Matilda, Johann Friedrich Struensee and Enevold Brandt were arrested and their rule ended in a palace coup.
• 28 April – Struensee and Brandt are executed by beheading at the Eastern Commons outside Copenhagen. Afterwards their bodies are drawn and quartered.
• 30 April – The Norwegian Society is founded in Copenhagen as a national venue for Norwegian students.
• 16 May – A treaty between Christian VII and the Bey of Algiers brings an end to the Danish-Algerian War.
• 14 October – Royal Danish Medical Society is founded.

Undated edit

• Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark is designated as regent of Denmark.
• Masquerades, horse races and foreign line dancers are prohibited.
• The military language for use in writing and commands is changed from German to Danish.

• 17 June – Hans Peter Holm, naval officer (died 1812)
• 19 August – Johan Frederik Bardenfleth, naval officer, court official and governor-general of the Danish West Indies (died 1833)

• April 28
  • Enevold Brandt, courtier (born 1738)
  • Johann Friedrich Struensee, physician, statesman, de facto regent of Denmark (born 1737)
• 8 June – Ulrik Fredrik de Cicignon, military officer (born 1698)
• 17 August – Christen Lindencrone, merchant and landowner (born 1703)
• Johanne Seizberg, illustrator and teacher (born 1732)

• A Royal Affair, 2012 film inspired by the events leading up to Struensee's death.