Explore 158 historical events from 1840–1849.
Wilhelm Karl Joseph Killing was a German mathematician who made important contributions to the theories of Lie algebras, Lie groups, and non-Euclidean geometry.
Wilhelm Killing, German mathematician and academic (died 1923)
William James Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie was a leading British shipbuilder and businessman. He was chairman of Harland & Wolff, shipbuilders, between 1895 and 1924, and also serve…
William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Canadian-Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (died 1924)
Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Lawrence of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field marshal, the third son of Emperor Leopold II and Maria Luisa of Spain. He was also the…
Charles, Austrian commander and duke of Teschen (born 1771)
Fanny Cäcilie Hensel née Mendelssohn was a German composer and pianist of the early Romantic era, also known as Fanny Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Her compositions number over 450, and i…
Fanny Hensel, German pianist and composer (born 1805)
Emmanuel de Grouchy, marquis de Grouchy was a French military leader who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was the last Marshal of the Empire …
Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy, French general (born 1766)
Thomas Chalmers, was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland. H…
Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister and economist (born 1780)
The Thornton Affair was a battle in 1846 between the military forces of the United States and Mexico 20 miles (32 km) west upriver from Zachary Taylor's camp along the Rio Grande. …
Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the Second…
The few remaining Mormons left in Nauvoo, Illinois, formally dedicate the Nauvoo Temple
James C. Corrigan was a Canadian-American businessman active in the shipping, petroleum refining, iron ore mining and selling, and steel manufacturing industries. He made and lost …
James C
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz, also known by the pseudonym Litwos, was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as the Trilogy series and es…
Henryk Sienkiewicz, Polish journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1916)
Oscar Hammerstein I was a German-born businessman, theater impresario, and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled o…
Oscar Hammerstein I, American businessman and composer (died 1919)
Rita Cetina Gutiérrez was a 19th-century Mexican educator, writer, and feminist who promoted women's education in Mérida, Yucatán. She helped found a literary society, a periodical…
Rita Cetina Gutiérrez, Mexican poet, educator, and activist (died 1908)
The Cambridge Chronicle was a weekly newspaper that served Cambridge, Massachusetts. The newspaper was founded by Andrew Reid in May 1846. It ceased publication of its print editio…
The Cambridge Chronicle, America's oldest surviving weekly newspaper, is published for the first time in Cambridge, Mass
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, was an invasion of Mexico by the United Stat…
Mexican–American War: American forces led by Zachary Taylor defeat a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of m…
The Donner Party of pioneers departs Independence, Missouri for California, on what will become a year-long journey of h
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, was an invasion of Mexico by the United Stat…
Mexican–American War: The United States declares war on the Federal Republic of Mexico following a dispute over the Amer
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and p…
The Associated Press is formed in New York City as a non-profit news cooperative
Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri, was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, translator, and one of the most prominent figures of the Albanian National Awakening. R…
Naim Frashëri, Albanian-Turkish poet and translator (died 1900)
Peter Carl Gustavovich Fabergé was a Russian goldsmith and jeweller. He is best known for creating Fabergé eggs made in the style of genuine Easter eggs, but using precious metals …
Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweler (died 1920)
Philip Konrad Marheineke was a German Protestant theologian and church leader within the Evangelical Church in Prussia.
Philip Marheineke, German pastor and philosopher (born 1780)
Pope Gregory XVI was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in June 1846. He had adopted the name Mauro upon entering the reli…
Pope Gregory XVI (born 1765)
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, was an invasion of Mexico by the United Stat…
Mexican–American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States
Domenico Carlo Maria Dragonetti was an Italian double bass virtuoso and composer with a three string double bass. He stayed for thirty years in his hometown of Venice, Republic of …
Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (born 1763)
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of m…
The Donner Party, an American pioneer group which became known for resorting to cannibalism when they became trapped in