Answer
18 March 1781 marked the passing of Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, a prominent French economist and statesman. Turgot's tenure as Comptroller-General of Finances under King Louis XVI was marked by his efforts to implement liberal economic reforms, including the abolition of the guilds and the grain trade. Despite his progressive ideas, Turgot's policies faced resistance from the aristocracy and the court, leading to his dismissal in 1776.