What Happened in March 1799

Historical Events

  • Mar 2 Congress standardizes US weights & measures

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Mar 6 Napoleon Bonaparte captures city of Jaffa, Palestine, after a 5 day siege, defeating the Ottoman Empire

French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte
French Emperor
Napoléon Bonaparte
  • Mar 7 The Royal Institution of Great Britain founded; dedicated to scientific research and education.
  • Mar 12 Austria declares war on France
  • Mar 19 Joseph Haydn's "Die Schopfung" premieres in Vienna
  • Mar 26 Napoleon captures Jaffa, Palestine
  • Mar 28 New York State abolishes slavery
  • Mar 29 New York passes a law aimed at gradually abolishing slavery in the state

Famous Birthdays

  • Mar 1 Alexey Nikolayevich Verstovsky, composer
  • Mar 7 Frantisek L Celakovsky, Czech poet (national anthem, folk song)
  • Mar 8 Simon Cameron, U.S. Senator and Secretary of War (Union), born in Maytown, Pennsylvania (d. 1889)

Person of interestAnna Atkins

Mar 16 Anna Atkins, English botanist, photographer and the 1st person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images, born in Tonbridge, England (d. 1871)

Botanist and Photographer Anna Atkins
Botanist and Photographer
Anna Atkins
  • Mar 20 Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet (d. 1839)
  • Mar 22 F W A Argelander, Memel E Prussia, cataloguer of 324,188 stars
  • Mar 28 Karl Adolph von Basedow, German artist (Ziekte van Basedow), born in Dessau, Germany (d. 1854)

Person of interestEdward Smith-Stanley

Mar 29 Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, British Prime Minister (Conservative: 1852, 1858-59, 1866-68), born in Knowsley, England (d. 1869)

British Prime Minister Edward Smith-Stanley
British Prime Minister
Edward Smith-Stanley

Famous Deaths

  • Mar 18 John Randall, British composer, dies at 82
  • Mar 25 Constantin Reindl, German composer, dies at 60
  • Mar 28 Etta L J "baronne" Palm-Aelders, Dutch adventurer/spy, dies at 55