Events
January–March
*
January 4 –
Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt (; July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company (now Colt's Manufacturing Company) and made the mass production of ...
sells his first
revolver pistol to the U.S. government.
*
January 13 – The
Treaty of Cahuenga
The Treaty of Cahuenga ( es, Tratado de Cahuenga), also called the Capitulation of Cahuenga (''Capitulación de Cahuenga''), was an 1847 agreement that ended the Conquest of California, resulting in a ceasefire between Californios and Americans. ...
ends fighting in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
*
January 16 –
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...
is appointed Governor of the new
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
Territory.
*
January 17
Events Pre-1600
*38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey.
* 1362 – Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 people on ...
–
St. Anthony Hall fraternity is founded at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, New York City.
*
January 30 –
Yerba Buena, California
Yerba Buena was the original name of the settlement that later became San Francisco. Located near the northeastern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, between the Presidio of San Francisco and the Mission San Francisco de Asís, it was origina ...
, is renamed
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
*
February 5 – A rescue effort, called the First Relief, leaves Johnson's Ranch to save the ill-fated
Donner Party
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in th ...
(California-bound emigrants who became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada earlier this winter; some have resorted to survival by cannibalism).
*
February 22
Events Pre-1600
* 1076 – Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
* 1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferd ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
:
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...
– 5,000 American troops under General
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
use their superiority in
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
to drive off 15,000 Mexican troops under
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...
, defeating the Mexicans the next day.
*
February 25 –
State University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...
is founded in
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the tim ...
.
*
March
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...
– First known publication of the classic joke "
Why did the chicken cross the road?
"Why did the chicken cross the road?" is a common riddle joke with the answer being, "To get to the other side." It is commonly seen as an example of anti-humor, in that the curious setup of the joke leads the listener to expect a traditional p ...
", in ''
The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine''.
*
March 1
Events Pre-1600
*509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia.
* 293 – Emperor Diocletian ...
** The state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
formally abolishes the
death penalty.
**
Faustin Soulouque
Faustin-Élie Soulouque (15 August 1782 – 3 August 1867) was a Haitian politician and military commander who served as President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849 and Emperor of Haiti from 1849 to 1859.
Soulouque was a general in the Haitian Army w ...
is elected President of
Haiti.
*
March 4
Events Pre-1600
*AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title '' princeps iuventutis'' (head of the youth).
* 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia.
* 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a st ...
– The
30th United States Congress
The 30th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 ...
is sworn into office.
*
March 9
Events Pre-1600
* 141 BC – Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han dynasty of China.
* 1009 – First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
* 1226 &nda ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
: United States forces under General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
invade Mexico near
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
.
*
March 14 –
Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's opera ''
Macbeth'' premieres at the
Teatro della Pergola
The Teatro della Pergola is an historic opera house in Florence, Italy. It is located in the centre of the city on the Via della Pergola, from which the theatre takes its name. It was built in 1656 under the patronage of Cardinal Gian Carlo de' Med ...
, in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, Italy.
*
March 29
Events Pre-1600
* 845 – Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.
* 1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
: United States forces under General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
take
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
after a
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
.
April–June
*
April 5 – The world's first municipally-funded civic public
park,
Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park is a major public park located in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847. It is generally acknowledged as the first publicly funded civic park in the world. Th ...
in
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
on
Merseyside
Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wi ...
, England, is opened.
*
April 15
Events Pre-1600
* 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings.
* 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscar ...
–
The Lawrence School, Sanawar
The Lawrence School, Sanawar, is the oldest Co-Ed boarding school in the world near Solan city. Established in 1847, its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious and oldest schools in Asia.
It is located in the ...
is established in India.
*
April 16
Events Pre-1600
* 1457 BC – Battle of Megido - the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail.
* 69 – Defeated by Vitellius' troops at Bedriacum, Otho commits suicide.
* 73 – Masad ...
–
New Zealand Wars
The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the ...
: A minor
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
chief is accidentally shot by a junior
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer in
Whanganui
Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whang ...
on
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
's
North Island, triggering the
Wanganui Campaign
The Whanganui campaign was a brief round of hostilities in the North Island of New Zealand as indigenous Māori fought British settlers and military forces in 1847. The campaign, which included a siege of the fledgling Whanganui settlement (the ...
(which continues until
July 23
Events Pre-1600
* 811 – Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I plunders the Bulgarian capital of Pliska and captures Khan Krum's treasury.
*1319 – A Knights Hospitaller fleet scores a crushing victory over an Aydinid fleet off Chios. 1 ...
).
*
April 25
Events Pre-1600
*404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion.
* 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against the ...
– The , carrying Irish emigrants from
Derry bound for
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, is wrecked off
Islay, with only three survivors from more than 250 on board.
*
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
– The
Architectural Association School of Architecture is founded in London.
*
May 7
Events Pre-1600
* 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch.
* 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...
– In
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, the
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016.
The AMA's sta ...
(AMA) is founded.
*
May 8
** The
Nagano earthquake leaves more than 8,600 people dead in
Japan.
** Bahrain's ruler, Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, signs a treaty with the British to prevent and combat the slave trade in the Arabian Gulf.
*
May 31
Events Pre-1600
* 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome.
* 1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River: Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat K ...
– Second
Treaty of Erzurum
The Treaties of Erzurum were two treaties of 1823 and 1847 that settled boundary disputes between the Ottoman Empire and Persia.
First Treaty
Although the Treaty of Zuhab in 1639 had established the boundary between Ottoman Empire and Persia, t ...
: the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
cedes
Abadan Island
Abadan Island is an island in Iran. It is the site of the city of Abadan. The island hosted Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's Abadan Refinery
The Abadan refinery ( fa, پالایشگاه آبادان ''Pālāyeshgāh-e Ābādān'') is an oil refinery ...
to the
Persian Empire.
*
June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the second of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the third of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. June contains the summer solstice in ...
– E. H. Booth & Co. Ltd, which becomes the northern England supermarket chain
Booths
Booths is a chain of high-end supermarkets in Northern England. Most of its branches are in Lancashire, but there are also branches in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. It has been described as the "Wait ...
, is founded when tea dealer Edwin Henry Booth, 19, opens a shop called "The China House" in
Blackpool.
*
June 1
Events Pre-1600
*1215 – Zhongdu (now Beijing), then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Zhongdu.
* 1252 – Alfonso X is proclaimed k ...
– The first congress of the
Communist League is held in London.
*
June 9
Events Pre-1600
*411 BC – The Athenian coup succeeds, forming a short-lived oligarchy.
* 53 – The Roman emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia.
* 68 – Nero dies by suicide after quoting Vergil's ''Aeneid'', thus ending th ...
–
Radley College
Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, an ...
, an
English public school, is founded near Oxford as a High Anglican institution.
*
June 26
Events Pre-1600
* 4 – Augustus adopts Tiberius.
* 221 – Roman emperor Elagabalus adopts his cousin Alexander Severus as his heir and receives the title of Caesar.
* 363 – Roman emperor Julian is killed during the retreat fr ...
– The first passenger railway wholly within modern-day Denmark opens, from
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
to
Roskilde
Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
.
July–September
*
July 1 – The United States issues its first
postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...
s ''(pictured)''.
*
July 24
Events Pre-1600
*1132 – Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily.
* 1148 – Louis VII of France lays siege to Damascus during the Second Crusade.
*1304 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirl ...
– After 17 months of travel,
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...
leads 148
Mormon pioneers into
Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
.
*
July 26
Events Pre-1600
* 657 – First Fitna: In the Battle of Siffin, troops led by Ali ibn Abu Talib clash with those led by Muawiyah I.
* 811 – Battle of Pliska: Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I is killed and his heir Staurakios is se ...
–
Liberia gains independence.
*
July 29
Events Pre-1600
* 587 BC – The Neo-Babylonian Empire sacks Jerusalem and destroys the First Temple.
* 615 – Pakal ascends the throne of Palenque at the age of 12.
* 904 – Sack of Thessalonica: Saracen raiders under Leo ...
– The
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an American Bar Association, ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1847 at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee and is the 11th oldest law schoo ...
is founded at
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.
History
1842-1861
The university was founded by the Cumberlan ...
, in
Lebanon, Tennessee. At the end of this year, only 15 law schools exist in the United States.
*
August 12
Events Pre-1600
*1099 – First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid forces led by Al-Afdal Shahanshah. This is considered the last engagement of the First Crusade.
* 1121 – B ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
: U.S. troops of General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
begin to advance along the
aqueduct around Lakes
Chalco and
Xochimilco
Xochimilco (; nci, Xōchimīlco, ) is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') of Mexico City. The borough is centered on the formerly independent city of Xochimilco, which was established on what was the southern shore of Lake Xochimilco in th ...
in Mexico.
*
August 20
Events Pre-1600
* AD 14 – Agrippa Postumus, maternal grandson of the late Roman emperor Augustus, is mysteriously executed by his guards while in exile.
* 636 – Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take con ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
–
Battle of Churubusco: U.S. troops defeat Mexican forces.
*
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...
–
Yale Corporation
The Yale Corporation, officially The President and Fellows of Yale College, is the governing body of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Assembly of corporation
The Corporation comprises 19 members:
* Three ex officio
An ''ex officio'' m ...
establishes the first graduate school in the United States, as ''Department of Philosophy and the Arts'' (renamed ''Graduate School of Arts and Sciences'' in
1892
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States.
* February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado.
* February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies fo ...
).
*
September 14
Events Pre-1600
*AD 81 – Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
* 629 – Emperor Heraclius enters Constantinople in triumph after his victory over the Persian Empire.
* 786 – "Night ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
: U.S. general
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
Battle for Mexico City, enters Mexico City, marking the end of organized Mexican resistance.
* September 30 – The Vegetarian Society is formed in the United Kingdom (it remains the oldest in the world).
October–December
* October – The last volcanic eruption of Mount Guntur in West Java occurs.
* October 12 – German inventors and industrialists Werner von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske found Siemens & Halske to develop the electrical telegraph.
* October 19 – Charlotte Brontë publishes ''Jane Eyre'' under the pen name of Currer Bell in England.
* October 31 – Theta Delta Chi is founded as a social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity at Union College, Schenectady, New York.
* November 3–November 29, 29 – Sonderbund War: In Switzerland, General Guillaume-Henri Dufour's Federal Army defeats the ''Sonderbund'' (an alliance of seven Catholic Church, Catholic Cantons of Switzerland, cantons) in a civil war, with a total of only 86 deaths.
* November 4–November 8, 8 – James Young Simpson discovers the anesthetic properties of chloroform and first uses it, successfully, on a patient, in an obstetric case in Edinburgh.
* November 10 – The first brew of Carlsberg Group, Carlsberg beer is finished in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
.
* November 17 – The Battle of Um Swayya Spring takes place near a spring in Qatar, after a Bahraini force under Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Deputy Ruler of Bahrain defeats the Al Binali tribe. The chief of the Al Binali, Isa bin Tureef, is slain in battle with over 70 fatalities from his side.
* December 14 – Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë publish ''Wuthering Heights'' and ''Agnes Grey'', respectively, in a 3-volume set under the pen names of Ellis Bell and Acton Bell in England.
* December 20 – British Royal Navy steam frigate is wrecked on the Sorelle Rocks in the Mediterranean Sea with the loss of 246 lives and only eight survivors.
* December 21 – Emir Abdelkader surrenders to the French in Algeria.
Date unknown
* The Great Famine (Ireland), Great Famine continues in Ireland.
* The North Carolina General Assembly incorporates the railroad town of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Goldsborough, and the Wayne County, North Carolina, Wayne county seat is moved to the new town.
* Welfare in Sweden takes its first step with the introduction of the ''1847 års fattigvårdförordning''.
* Cartier (jeweler), Cartier, a Luxury goods, luxury brand in France, is founded.
Births
January
* January 5 – Oku Yasukata, Japanese field marshal, leading figure in the early Imperial Japanese Army (d. 1930)
* January 7 – Caspar F. Goodrich, American admiral (d. 1925)
* January 24 – Radomir Putnik, Serbian field marshal (d. 1917)
* January 28 – Dorus Rijkers, Dutch naval hero (d. 1928)
February
* February 3 – Warington Baden-Powell, British admiralty lawyer (d. 1921)
* February 4 – Remus von Woyrsch, German field marshal (d. 1920)
*
February 5 – João Maria Correia Ayres de Campos, 1st Count of Ameal, Portuguese politician and antiquarian (d. 1920)
* February 8 – Hugh Price Hughes, Methodist social reformer, first Superintendent of the West London Mission (d. 1902)
* February 11 – Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor (d. 1931)
* February 13 – Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet, Sir Robert McAlpine, Scottish builder (d. 1930)
* February 15 – Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer (d. 1927)
* February 16 – Philipp Scharwenka, Polish-German composer (d. 1917)
* February 17 – Otto Blehr, Norwegian attorney, Liberal Party politician, 7th Prime Minister of Norway (d. 1927)
March
*
March 1
Events Pre-1600
*509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia.
* 293 – Emperor Diocletian ...
– Thomas Brock, Sir Thomas Brock, English sculptor (d. 1922)
* March 2
** Isaac Barr, Anglican clergyman, promoter of British colonial settlement schemes (d. 1937)
** Cayetano Arellano, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines under the American Civil Government (d. 1920)
* March 3 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born Canadian inventor (d. 1922)
*
March 4
Events Pre-1600
*AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title '' princeps iuventutis'' (head of the youth).
* 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia.
* 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a st ...
– Carl Josef Bayer, Austrian chemist (d. 1904)
*
March 14 – Castro Alves, Brazilian poet (d. 1871)
* March 18 – William O'Connell Bradley, American politician from Kentucky (d. 1914)
* March 23 – Edmund Gurney, British psychologist (d. 1888)
* March 27
** Otto Wallach, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
** Garret Barry (piper), Garret Barry, Irish musician (d. 1899)
April
* April 2 – Charles Frederic Moberly Bell, British journalist, editor (d. 1911)
* April 10 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-born journalist, newspaper publisher (d. 1911)
*
April 15
Events Pre-1600
* 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings.
* 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscar ...
– Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, Polish Hasidic rabbi (d. 1905)
* April 27 – Emma Irene Åström, Finnish teacher, Finland's first female university graduate (d. 1934)
May
*
May 7
Events Pre-1600
* 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch.
* 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...
– Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1929)
* May 14 – Frederick William Borden, Sir Frederick William Borden, Canadian politician (d. 1917)
June
* June 8
** Oleksander Barvinsky, Ukrainian politician (d. 1926)
** Ida Saxton McKinley, First Lady of the United States (d. 1907)
* June 10 – Gina Krog, Norwegian suffragist (d. 1916)
* June 11 – Millicent Fawcett, Dame Milicent Fawcett, British suffragist (d. 1929)
* June 16 – Luella Dowd Smith, American educator, author, and reformer (d. 1941)
July
* July 2 – Marcel Alexandre Bertrand, French geologist (d. 1907)
* July 9 – Wong Fei-hung, Chinese healer, revolutionary (d. 1925)
* July 13 – Damian Sawczak, Ukrainian judge (d. 1912)
* July 19 – Alexander Meyrick Broadley, British historian (d. 1916)
* July 20
** Lord William Beresford, Irish army officer, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1900)
** Max Liebermann, German painter, printmaker (d. 1935)
* July 25 – Paul Langerhans, German pathologist, biologist (d. 1888)
August
* August 3 – John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, Canadian politician, Governor General (d. 1934)
* August 5 – Andrey Selivanov, Russian general and politician (d. 1917)
* August 21 – Hale Johnson, American temperance movement leader (d. 1902)
September
* September 3 – Charles Stillman Sperry, American admiral (d. 1911)
* September 5
** Jesse James, American outlaw (d. 1882)
** Joseph Bucklin Bishop, American journalist, publisher (d. 1928)
* September 17 – John I. Beggs, American businessman (d. 1925)
* September 22 – Enrique Almaraz y Santos, Spanish Catholic cardinal (d. 1922)
* September 23 – Anandamohan Bose, Indian politician, academic and social reformer (d. 1906)
* September 30 – Wilhelmina Drucker, Dutch feminist (d. 1925)
October
* October 1 – Annie Besant, English women's rights activist, writer and orator (d. 1933)
* October 2 – Paul von Hindenburg, German field marshal, President of Germany (d. 1934)
* October 13
** Sir Arthur Dyke Acland, 13th Baronet, British politician (d. 1926)
** Maurice Bailloud, French general (d. 1921)
* October 14 – Wilgelm Vitgeft, Russian admiral (d. 1904)
* October 15 – Ralph Albert Blakelock, American romanticist painter (d. 1919)
* October 16 – Maria Pia of Savoy, Queen consort of Portugal (d. 1911)
* October 17 – Chiquinha Gonzaga, Brazilian composer (d. 1935)
* October 19 – Aurilla Furber, American author, editor, and activist (d. 1898)
* October 20 – Mifflin E. Bell, American architect (d. 1904)
* October 22 – Koos de la Rey, Boer general (d. 1914)
* October 30
** Charlie Bassett, American sheriff (d. 1896)
** Thomas F. Porter, American politician, 32nd Mayor of Lynn, Massachusetts (d. 1927)
November
* November 1 – Emma Albani, Dame Emma Albani, Canadian operatic soprano (d. 1930)
* November 2 – Georges Sorel, French socialist philosopher (d. 1922)
* November 6 – Ugo Balzani, Italian historian (d. 1916)
* November 7 – Lotta Crabtree, American stage actress (d. 1924)
* November 8
** Jean Casimir-Perier, 6th President of France (d. 1907)
** Bram Stoker, Irish author of the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Dracula'' (d. 1912)
* November 26 – Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark), Dagmar of Denmark, empress of Tsar Alexander III of Russia (d. 1928)
* November 30 – Afonso Pena, Brazilian president (d. 1909)
December
* December 1 – Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, Norwegian pianist, composer (d. 1907)
* December 9 – George Grossmith, English comic writer and performer (d. 1912)
* December 17
** Émile Faguet, French writer, critic (d. 1916)
** Michel-Joseph Maunoury, French general during World War I (d. 1923)
* December 18 – Augusta Holmès, French composer (d. 1903)
* December 21 - John Chard, British Officer (d. 1897)
*December 29 – Alexis-Xyste Bernard, Canadian Catholic bishop (d. 1923)
* December 30 – John Peter Altgeld, American politician, 20th Governor of Illinois (d. 1902)
Deaths
January–June
* January 19 – Charles Bent, first Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1799) (assassinated)
* February 3 – Marie Duplessis, French courtesan (b. 1824)
*
February 5 – Luis José de Orbegoso, Peruvian general and politician, 11th and 12th President of Peru (b. 1795)
*
March 9
Events Pre-1600
* 141 BC – Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han dynasty of China.
* 1009 – First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
* 1226 &nda ...
– Mary Anning, British paleontologist (b. 1799)
* March 3 – Charles Hatchett, English chemist (b. 1765)
* April 21 – Barbara Spooner Wilberforce, wife of British abolitionist William Wilberforce (b. 1777)
* April 30 – Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen, Archduke Charles of Austria, Austrian general (b. 1771)
* May 14 – Fanny Mendelssohn, German composer, pianist (b. 1805)
* May 15 – Daniel O'Connell, Irish politician who promoted the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 (b. 1775)
* May 16 – Vicente Rocafuerte, 2nd President of Ecuador (b. 1783)
* May 29 – Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy, French marshal (b. 1766)
*
May 31
Events Pre-1600
* 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome.
* 1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River: Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat K ...
– Abbasgulu Bakikhanov, Azerbaijani writer (b. 1794)
* June 11 – John Franklin, Sir John Franklin, British explorer (b. 1786)
July–December
* July 7 – Thomas Carpenter (glassmaker), Thomas Carpenter, American glassmaker (b. 1752)
* July 16 – Karl Friedrich Burdach, German physiologist (b. 1776)
* September 4 – František Vladislav Hek, Czech patriot (b. 1769)
* September 13 – Nicolas Oudinot, French marshal (b. 1767)
* October 22
** Henriette Herz, German salonnière (b. 1764)
** Negus Sahle Selassie of Shewa (b. c. 1795)
* November 4 – Felix Mendelssohn, German composer (b. 1809)
* November 18 - Zebulon Crocker, American congregationalist pastor (b. 1802)
* December 14
** Dorothy Ann Thrupp, British psalmist (b. 1779)
** Manuel José Arce, Central American politician (b. 1787)
** Barbarita Nieves, Venezuelan mistress of José Antonio Páez (b. 1803)
* Unknown: Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse, French balloonist and parachutist (b. 1775)
References
Historic Letters of 1847* Turtle Bunbury, ''1847 – A Chronicle of Genius, Generosity & Savagery'', Gill, 2016.
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