On This Day

December 1809 in History

Events in History

  • Dec 25 Physician Ephraim McDowell performs the first abdominal surgery in the U.S, an ovariotomy to remove a 22 lb ovarian tumor
  • Dec 26 British invasionary troop leaves Vlissingen
  • Dec 30 Wearing masks at balls forbidden in Boston

Birthdays in History

  • Dec 3 Thomas Alfred Davies, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Black Lake, New York (d. 1899)
  • Dec 6 Stephen Thomas, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Bethel, Vermont (d. 1903)
  • Dec 16 Peter P van Bosse, Dutch attorney/liberal minister of Finance
  • Dec 19 Pierre-Joseph van Beneden, Belg, paleont (life cycle of tapeworms)

Person of interestKit Carson

Dec 24 Kit Carson, American frontiersman, Indian fighter and army officer, born in Madison County, Kentucky (d. 1868)

Frontiersman Kit Carson
Frontiersman
Kit Carson
  • Dec 26 William Nelson Pendleton, American Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1883)
  • Dec 29 Albert Pike, US attorney, soldier, writer, and freemason (Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1891)

Person of interestWilliam Gladstone

Dec 29 William Ewart Gladstone, British statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Liberal: 1868-74, 1880-86, 1892-94), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1898)

British Prime Minister William Gladstone
British Prime Minister
William Gladstone

Divorces in History


Broken heartDivorce of Interest

Dec 16 Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Empress Joséphine by French Senate

French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte
French Emperor
Napoléon Bonaparte

Deaths in History

  • Dec 16 Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy, French chemist (b. 1755)
  • Dec 22 William Cooper, American judge and developer (founded Cooperstown, New York), dies at 55