Historical Events
- Jan 13 Vancouver Island granted to Hudson's Bay Company
- Jan 23 Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman in the US to earn a medical degree graduating from New York's Geneva Medical College
- Jan 23 US Patent granted for an envelope-making machine to Jesse K. Park and Cornelius S. Watson
- Jan 31 Corn Laws abolished in Britain
- Feb 4 University of Wisconsin begins in 1 room with 20 students
- Feb 8 New Roman Republic established in Italy
- Feb 9 Roman Republic declared in Rome replacing following flight of Pope Pius IX
- Feb 14 In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes first serving US President to have his photograph taken (by Matthew Brady).
- Feb 18 1st regular steamboat service to California starts (or 02/28)
- Feb 28 1st boat load of gold rush prospectors arrives in San Francisco from the east coast
- More Historical Events
Did You Know?
Did You Know?The first air raid in history; Austria launches pilotless balloons against the Italian city of Venice
On August 22, 1849
Luther Burbank
Emma Lazarus
Ivan Pavlov
James Knox Polk
Edgar Allan Poe
Frederic ChopinFamous People in 1849
Charles Dickens
Giuseppe VerdiWorld Leaders in 1849
John Russell
Zachary Taylor
Would You Believe?
The execution of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky by firing squad is called off at the last second
On December 22, 1849
Famous Weddings
- May 29 Bacteriologist Louis Pasteur (26) weds secretary Marie Laurent (23) in Strasbourg, France
- Jul 26 Prime Minister of Canada John Abbott (28) weds Mary Bethune at bride's parents home
Famous Divorces
- Mar 28 Dutch princess Marianne & Prince Albert of Prussia separate
Articles and Photos
Oldest Photo of a Serving US President
James K. Polk, in a restored 1849 daguerrotype that is the oldest image of a serving American presidentFebruary 14Chopin: The Day the Music Died
The brief life of Chopin, one of music’s earliest superstars, ended on this day when the sickly composer fell victim to tuberculosis. He was just 39.October 17Bowled Over by William and Harry
The royal princes are the latest celebrities to favour headgear that was introduced on this dayDecember 17
