- January 29
- Aleksandr Pushkin poet/novelist/dramatist (Golden Cockeral), killed in a duel. [1]
- February 8
- First Vice President chosen by the Senate, Richard Johnson (Van Buren administration). [1]
- February 10
- Alexander S Pushkin writer, dies at age 37. [1]
- February 11
- American Physiological Society organizes in Boston. [1]
- February 12
- Ludwig Börne writer, dies at age 50. [1]
- February 13
- Riot in New York over high price of flour. [1]
- February 19
- Georg Büchner German playwright (Leonce und Lena), dies at age 23. [1]
- February 25
- First US electric motor-powered printing press patented by Thomas Davenport of Rutlant, Vermont. [1] [55.55]
- March 3
- US Congress increases Supreme Court membership from 7 to 9. [1]
- US President Andrew Jackson and Congress recognizes Republic of Texas. [1]
- March 4
- City of Chicago incorporates. [1]
- Martin Van Buren is sworn into office as 8th US President. [1] [455.72]
- Weekly Advocate changes its name to the Colored American. [1]
- March 13
- Nikita P Panin Russian diplomat/minister of Foreign affairs, dies at age 66. [1]
- March 24
- Canada gives blacks the right to vote. [1]
- March 26
- Joseph Lincke composer, dies at age 53. [1]
- March 28
- Felix Mendelssohn marries Cécile Jeanrenaud. [1]
- March 29
- Maria Fitzherbert morganatic wife of King George IV, dies. [1]
- March 31
- John Constable English painter/water colors painter, dies at age 60. [1]
- April 17
- Edouard viscount de Walckiers very wealthy slave trader, dies. [1]
- April 19
- Cheyney University forms as the Institute for Colored Youth. [1]
- May 5
- Niccolo Antonio Zingarelli Italian composer/bandmaster, dies at age 85. [1]
- May 9
- "Sherrod" burns in Mississippi River below Natchez Mississippi; 175 dies. [1]
- May 10
- Panic of 1837 begins, as US banks in New York refuse to pay out gold and silver in exchange for deposit notes; beginning of economic depression. [404.44] [408.32] [455.73] [626.46]
- May 17
- Royal Decides installs the Weapon of Belgium firm(ly). [1]
- May 31
- Astor Hotel (most elaborate in US) opens in New York City, it later becomes the Waldorf-Astoria. [1]
- Joseph Grimaldi greatest clown (king of pantomime), dies at age 57. [1]
- June 13
- First Mormon missionaries to the British Isles leave Kirtland, Ohio. [1]
- June 17
- Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent. [1]
- June 20
- King William IV of England dies. [1]
- Queen Victoria at age 18 ascends British throne following death of William. [1] [309.85] [414.56]
- England issues its first stamp, one pence Queen Victoria. [1]
- July 4
- Grand Junction Railway - the world's first long-distance railway - opens between Birmingham and Liverpool, England. [5]
- July 25
- Between Euston and Camden Town in London, William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone successfully demonstrate the first commercial use of an electric telegraph. [5]
- August 5
- First ascent of Mount Marcy (5,344 feet) highest in Adirondack, New York. [1]
- October 1
- "Racer's" Hurricane (Gulf of Mexico). [1]
- Treaty with Winnebago Indians. [1]
- October 9
- Steamboat "Home" sinks off Okracoke North Carolina killing 100. [1]
- November 7
- Abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy murdered by mob at Alton, Illinois. [1]
- November 8
- Mount Holyoke Seminary in Massachusetts-first US college founded for women. [1]
- November 21
- Thomas Morris of Australia skips rope 22,806 times. [1]
- December 5
- Hector Berlioz' "Requiem" premieres. [1]
- Uprising under William Lyon Mackenzie in Canada. [1]
- December 25
- Battle of Okeechobee-US forces defeat Seminole Indians. [1]
- December 26
- Martinus van Marum chemist/physicist (giant salamander), dies at age 87. [1]
- December 29
- Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo. [1]
- Steam-powered threshing machine patented, Winthrop Maine. [1]
- December 31
- The Chamber of Deputies of France bans all games of chance. All gambling clubs in the country close. [187.91,105,185,192]
1838
- January 1
- First official horse race in South Australia-Adelaide. [1]
- January 6
- Samuel Morse's telegraph system is demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. [1] [129]
- January 8
- In New Jersey, Alfred Vail demonstrates a telegraph using dots and dashes (a forerunner of Morse code). [1] [5]
- Rebellion at Amherstburg, Ontario breaks out. [1]
- January 13
- Ferdinand Reis composer, dies at age 53. [1]
- January 16
- Aleksandr I Polezjajev Russian poet (Sasjka), dies at age 33. [1]
- January 20
- Pierre-Louis Hus-Desforges composer, dies at age 64. [1]
- January 23
- Arnold A Buyskes Dutch Vice-Admiral/colonial director, dies at age 67. [1]
- January 26
- Tennessee becomes first state to prohibit alcohol. [1]
- January 28
- Aleksandr I Polezjajev Russian poet (Sasjka), dies at age 33. [1]
- January 30
- Osceola chief of Seminole Indians, dies in jail. [1]
- February 1
- Abraham de Veer Dutch Governor-General of Suriname (1822-28), dies at age 71. [1]
- February 5
- Philippe Libon composer, dies at age 62. [1]
- February 16
- Kentucky passes law permitting women to attend school under conditions. [1]
- February 22
- Friedrich Johann Eck composer, dies at age 70. [1]
- February 25
- London pedestrian walks 20 miles backward then forward in 8 hours. [1]
- March 3
- Rebellion at Pelee Island, Ontario Canada. [1]
- March 6
- Franz Grillparzer's "Weh dem, der Lügt" premieres in Vienna. [1]
- March 8
- US mint in New Orleans begins operation (producing dimes). [1]
- March 16
- Nathaniel Bowditch astronomer and navigation expert, dies at age 64. [1]
- March 22
- Hendrik Fagel Dutch/English baron, dies at age 73. [1]
- March 24
- Thomas Attwood composer, dies at age 72. [1]
- April 3
- Francesco Antommarchi Napoleon's physician on Saint Helena, dies at age 57. [1]
- April 6
- José B de Andrada e Silva premier of Brazil (1822-23), dies at age 74. [1]
- April 8
- Steamship "Great Western" maiden voyage (Bristol England to New York City, New York). [1]
- April 9
- National Galley opens in London. [1]
- April 11
- Pieter L Uys South African pioneer (Great Pull), murdered at age 40. [1]
- April 17
- J Schopenhauer writer, dies at age 71. [1]
- April 18
- Wilkes' expedition to South Pole sails. [1]
- April 22
- English steamship "Sirius" docks in New York City after Atlantic crossing. [1]
- April 23
- English steamship "Great Western" crossing Atlantic docks in New York City, New York. [1]
- John W Janssens Governor-General of Cape Colony/Dutch-Indies, dies at age 75. [1]
- April 27
- Fire destroys half of Charleston. [1]
- April 30
- Nicaragua declares independence from Central American federation. [1]
- May 17
- Charles-Maurice duke of Talleyrand-Périgord French bishop, dies at age 84. [1]
- May 23
- John W Janssens Governor-General (Cape Colony), dies at age 75. [1]
- May 28
- Thomas Busby composer, dies. [1]
- June 12
- Hopkins Observatory, dedicated in Williamstown, Massachusetts [1]
- Territory of Iowa organized. [1]
- June 28
- Britain's Queen Victoria crowned in Westminster Abbey. [1]
- July 7
- Central American federation is dissolved. [1]
- August 1
- Emancipation of British slaves on Bahamas. [1]
- August 18
- First US marine expedition. [1]
- August 23
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (South Hadley, Mass) first graduating class. [1]
- September 1
- William Clark second lt of Lewis and Clark Expedition, dies at age 68. [1]
- September 24
- Anti-Corn-Law League forms to repeal English Corn Law. [1]
- November 5
- Honduras declares independence of Central American Federation. [1]
- November 27
- French Admiral Baudin with fleet off Veracruz, Mexico, open fire on fort of San Juan de Ulúa, killing 64, wounding 147. Mexican generals surrender the fort and Veracruz. French install 3000-man occupation force. [118.58]
- December 5
- 1500 French marines row ashore to Veracruz, Mexico, seize fort's bastions, pack fortress with gunpowder, and blow it up, retreating back to ships. Antonio López de Santa Anna is shot in the leg. Both sides lose about 8 dead and 60 wounded. [118.60]
- December 16
- Boers beat Zulu chieftain Dingaan in South Africa. [1]
1839
- January 2
- First photo of the Moon (French photographer Louis Daguerre). [1]
- January 6
- Two-day storm off Irish and English coast immortalized as "The Big Wind". [1]
- January 7
- Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre announces Daguerrotype photo process at French Academy of Science. [500.S8.2]
- January 9
- Thomas Henderson measures first stellar parallax (Alpha Centauri). [1]
- January 10
- Tea from India first arrives in United Kingdom. [1]
- January 11
- Earthquake at Martinique destroys half of Port Royal-700 die. [1]
- January 12
- Anthracite coal first used to smelt iron, Mauch Chunk Pennsylvania. [1]
- Joseph A Koch Austrian painter/cartoonist/etcher/illustrator, dies at age 70. [1]
- January 15
- Texas adopts the silver and gold coins of the USA as their official monetary standard. [400.94]
- January 19
- Aden conquered by British East India Company. [1]
- Death of Ludwig, military governor of Hess-Homburg, in Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. [187.206]
- Georg Abraham Schneider composer, dies at age 38. [1]
- January 24
- Charles Darwin elected member of Royal Society. [1]
- January 29
- Charles Darwin marries Emma Wedgwood. [1]
- February 1
- Giuseppe Valadier Italian architect/archaeologist, dies at age 76. [1]
- February 7
- Henry Clay declares in Senate "I had rather be right than president". [1]
- February 12
- Boundary dispute between Maine and New Brunswick leads to Aroostook. [1]
- February 18
- Detroit Boat Club forms (still exists today). [1]
- February 20
- US Congress prohibits dueling in District of Columbia. [1]
- February 24
- Steam shovel patented by William Otis, Philadelphia. [1]
- February 25
- Seminoles and black allies shipped from Tampa Bay Florida, to the West. [1]
- February 26
- Jem Mason on Lottery wins first Grand National Steeplechase (Britain). [1]
- March 4
- Ignace Antoine Ladurner pianist/composer, dies at age 72. [1]
- March 9
- Prussian government limits work week for children to 51 hours. [1]
- March 13
- Robert Gallenberg composer, dies at age 55. [1]
- March 20
- Antonio López de Santa Anna becomes President (5th time) of Mexico. [118.61]
- March 23
- The initials "O.K." are first published in The Boston Morning Post, as an abbreviation for "oll correct," a slang misspelling of "all correct". [1] [129]
- March 26
- First Henley Royal Regatta. [1]
- March 29
- Bernardus JC Dibbets Dutch baron/General-Major (Maastricht), dies at age 56. [1]
- April 11
- John Galt Scottish writer (Last of the Lairds), dies at age 59. [1]
- April 17
- Guatemala forms republic. [1]
- April 19
- Treaty of London constitutes Belgium an independent kingdom and Luxembourg a Grand Duchy. [1]
- April 20
- Giuseppe Rossini father of Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini, dies. [1]
- May 3
- Ferdinando Paer composer, dies at age 67. [1]
- May 4
- The Cunard Steamship Company Ltd forms San Bonifacio. [1]
- May 13
- Joseph Fesch French cardinal/war commission/earl/senator, dies. [1]
- May 18
- Carolina [Maria A] Bonaparte (countess Lipona) dies at age 57. [1]
- June 7
- Hawaiian Declaration of Rights is signed. [1]
- June 10
- Nathaniel Pryor sgt of Lewis and Clark Expedition, dies. [1]
- July 2
- 53 African slaves led by Joseph Cinque take over the slave ship Amistad. [5]
- July 3
- First state normal school in US opens, Lexington, Massachusetts, with three students. [1]
- July 10
- Antonio López de Santa Anna resigns (5th time) as President of Mexico. [118.61]
- July 30
- Slave rebels, take over slaver Amistad. [1]
- August 19
- Jacque Daguerre's new photographic process is presented to the French Academy of Sciences. [5]
- September 6
- Great fire in New York. [1]
- September 9
- John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph. [1]
- September 11
- First Canadian track and field meet held (Caer Howell Grounds). [1]
- November 3
- First opium war-2 British frigates engage several Chinese junks. [1]
- November 6
- Rabbi Hayim Rapoport of Ostrowiec author (Maxim Chayyim), dies. [1]
- November 13
- First US anti-slavery party, Liberty Party, convenes in New York. [1]
- November 27
- In Boston, Massachusetts, USA, the American Statistical Association is founded. [1] [5]
- December 3
- Frederik VI king of Denmark (1808-39)/Norway (1803-14), dies at age 71. [1]
- December 7
- Jan Matyas Nepomuk August Vitasek composer, dies at age 69. [1]
- December 15
- Matthijs I van Bree Flemish court-painter, dies at age 66. [1]
- December 18
- First celestial photograph (the moon) made in US, John Draper, New York City, New York. [1]
- Charles-Henri Plantade composer, dies at age 75. [1]
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