The 1840s

1849

The May Uprising in Dresden begins: The last of the German revolutions of 1848–49

The May Uprising took place in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony in 1849; it was one of the last of the series of events known as the Revolutions of 1848.

The May Uprising in Dresden begins: The last of the German revolutions of 1848–49

1849

Future U

The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government an…

Future U

1849

Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey declared the Territory of Minnesota officially established

Alexander Ramsey was an American politician, who became the first Minnesota Territorial governor and later became a U.S. Senator. He served as a Whig and Republican over a variety …

Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey declared the Territory of Minnesota officially established

1849

William R

William Rufus Day was an American diplomat and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1903 to 1922. Prior to his service on the Su…

William R

1849

The Governor General of Canada, Lord Elgin, signs the Rebellion Losses Bill, outraging Montreal's English population and

The governor general of Canada is the federal representative of the Canadian monarch, currently King Charles III. The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 ot…

The Governor General of Canada, Lord Elgin, signs the Rebellion Losses Bill, outraging Montreal's English population and

1849

Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors E

The Astor Place Riot occurred on May 10, 1849, at the now-demolished Astor Opera House in Manhattan and left between 22 and 31 rioters dead, and more than 120 people injured. It wa…

Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors E

1849

The Sicilian revolution of 1848 is finally extinguished

The Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848 was the first of the numerous Revolutions of 1848 which swept across Europe. It was a popular rebellion against the rule of Ferdinan…

The Sicilian revolution of 1848 is finally extinguished

1849

Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy by the signing of a new constitution

Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unit…

Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy by the signing of a new constitution

1849

Felix Klein, German mathematician and academic (died 1925)

Felix Christian Klein was a German mathematician, mathematics educator and historian of mathematics, known for his work in group theory, complex analysis, non-Euclidean geometry, a…

Felix Klein, German mathematician and academic (died 1925)

1849

Jacob Riis, Danish-American journalist and photographer (died 1914)

Jacob August Riis was a Danish-American social reformer, "muck-raking" journalist, and social documentary photographer. He contributed significantly to the cause of urban reform in…

Jacob Riis, Danish-American journalist and photographer (died 1914)

1849

Édouard-Henri Avril, French painter (died 1928)

Édouard-Henri Avril was a French painter and commercial artist. Under the pseudonym Paul Avril, he was an illustrator of erotic literature. Avril was a soldier before starting his …

Édouard-Henri Avril, French painter (died 1928)

1849

Aston Webb, English architect and academic (died 1930)

Sir Aston Webb, was a British architect who designed the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other major works arou…

Aston Webb, English architect and academic (died 1930)

1849

Michael Ancher, Danish painter and academic (died 1927)

Michael Peter Ancher was a Danish realist artist, widely known for his paintings of fishermen, the Skagerrak and the North Sea, and other scenes from the Danish fishing community i…

Michael Ancher, Danish painter and academic (died 1927)

1849

Bernhard von Bülow, German soldier and politician, Chancellor of Germany (died 1929)

Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow was a German politician who served as the imperial chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia from 1900 to 190…

Bernhard von Bülow, German soldier and politician, Chancellor of Germany (died 1929)

1849

Juliette Récamier, French businesswoman (born 1777)

Jeanne Françoise Julie Adélaïde Récamier, known as Juliette, was a French socialite whose salon drew people from the leading literary and political circles of early 19th-century Pa…

Juliette Récamier, French businesswoman (born 1777)

1849

Hokusai, Japanese painter and illustrator (born 1760)

Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. His woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji includes the icon…

Hokusai, Japanese painter and illustrator (born 1760)

1849

Benjamin D'Urban, English general and politician, Governor of British Guiana (born 1777)

Lieutenant-General Sir Benjamin D'Urban was a British general and colonial administrator, who is best known for his frontier policy when he was the Governor in the Cape Colony. Dur…

Benjamin D'Urban, English general and politician, Governor of British Guiana (born 1777)

1849

Anne Brontë, English novelist and poet (born 1820)

Anne Brontë was an English novelist and poet. A member of the Brontë literary family, she was the younger sister of Charlotte, Emily, and Branwell. Anne is known for her 1847 novel…

Anne Brontë, English novelist and poet (born 1820)

1849

Thomas Robert Bugeaud, French general and politician (born 1784)

Thomas Robert Bugeaud, marquis de la Piconnerie, duc d'Isly was a Marshal of France and Governor-General of Algeria during the French colonization. Born an aristocrat, he has a com…

Thomas Robert Bugeaud, French general and politician (born 1784)

1849

Robert Brown, Scottish botanist (born 1773)

Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and paleobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope. His contributions include o…

Robert Brown, Scottish botanist (born 1773)

1849

Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette, German theologian and scholar (born 1780)

Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette was a German Lutheran theologian and biblical scholar.

Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette, German theologian and scholar (born 1780)

1849

A personal dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Macready in New York City devolved into a riot that left at

Edwin Forrest was a nineteenth-century American Shakespearean actor. His feud with the British actor William Macready was the cause of the deadly Astor Place Riot of 1849.

A personal dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Macready in New York City devolved into a riot that left at

1849

James K

James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protégé of Andrew Jackson and a member of the Democratic Party, he was an advocate of Amer…

James K

1849

Abraham Lincoln was issued a patent for an invention to lift boats over obstacles in a river, making him the only U

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating t…

Abraham Lincoln was issued a patent for an invention to lift boats over obstacles in a river, making him the only U