- Jan 16 Godert Alexander Gerard Philip, Baron van der Capellen, becomes Governor-General of Dutch East Indies
Historic Event
Jan 25 University of Virginia chartered by Commonwealth of Virginia, with Thomas Jefferson one of its founders
Historic Event
Jan 28 Sir Stamford Raffles lands in Singapore
- Feb 6 Stamford Raffles founds Singapore as a British trading port
Historic Discovery
Feb 19 British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands, and claims them in the name of King George III
Welcome Shoppers, But No Whistling Please
Mar 20 London’s famous Burlington Arcade opens, the world’s 1st shopping arcade
'Ship in Distress' Sails Into History Books
May 22 The SS Savannah sets sail from Savanah Harbor in Georgia on an historic journey to become the 1st steam propelled vessel to cross the Atlantic
- Jun 12 Dutch colonial troops driven out of Palembang, Sumatra
- Jun 19 HMS Kite chases the steamship SS Savannah on its historic voyage across the Atlantic for 3 hours off the coast of Ireland believing it to be on fire. Unable to catch the steamship HMS Kite fires warning shots forcing it to stop and be inspected to the amazement of the British.
- Jun 20 The SS Savannah reaches Cork in Ireland after a 29 day and 11 hour voyage from Savannah, Georgia to become the 1st steamship to cross the Atlantic or any other ocean
Historic Publication
Jun 23 First editions of "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." by Washington Irving released, featuring story "Rip Van Winkle"
- Jul 3 1st savings bank in US (Bank of Savings in NYC) opens its doors
Historic Event
Jul 4 William Herschel makes last telescopic observation of 1819 comet
Historic Event
Jul 16 Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen sets sail to explore Antarctica for Tsar Alexander I
- Aug 2 1st parachute jump in US by Frenchman Louis-Charles Guille over Jersey City
- Aug 6 Norwich University is founded in Vermont as the first private military school in the United States
- Aug 7 Battle of Boyacá; Bolívar defeats Spanish in Colombia
- Aug 16 Peterloo Massacre, Manchester, England: cavalry charges demonstrators, 15 people killed and 400–700 injured
- Aug 17 The Church Missionary Society establishes New Zealand's second mission station at Kerikeri
Historic Event
Aug 25 Paris Salon opens with Théodore Géricault’s painting "Raft of the Medusa" causing a sensation
- Sep 6 Thomas Blanchard patents lathe
- Sep 17 First whaling ship arrives in Hawaii
- Oct 23 1st ship sails through the Erie Canal from Rome, New York to Utica, New York
- Nov 4 Māori Chiefs Hongi Hika and Rewa sell 13,000 acres (5260 hectares) at Kerikeri to the Church Missionary Society for 48 felling axes, New Zealand
- Dec 14 Alabama admitted to Union as 22nd state
- Dec 17 Congress of Angostura establishes Colombia's independence from Spain