Explore 158 historical events from 1840–1849.
Félix Arnaudin was a French poet, photographer, and specialist in Haute-Lande folklore. In Gascony, M. Arnaudin created his collection of tales by attending gatherings, as well as …
Félix Arnaudin, French poet and photographer (died 1921)
Garret Augustus Hobart was the 24th vice president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his death in 1899, under President William McKinley. A member of the Republican Par…
Garret Hobart, American lawyer and politician, 24th Vice President of the United States (died 1899)
Baron Detlev von Liliencron born Friedrich Adolf Axel von Liliencron was a German poet and novelist from Kiel.
Detlev von Liliencron, German poet and author (died 1909)
Richard McCarty was an American politician from New York.
Richard McCarty, American lawyer and politician (born 1780)
Abbate Giuseppe Baini was an Italian priest, music critic, conductor, and composer of church music.
Giuseppe Baini, Italian priest and composer (born 1775)
Shiraz is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which is historically known by the exonym Persia proper. As of the 2016 national census, the popula…
In Shiraz, Iran, the Báb declared himself to be a messenger of God to Mullá Husayn, leading to the foundation of Bábism,
The Báb was an Iranian religious leader who founded Bábism, and is also one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. The Báb gradually and progressively revealed his claim in hi…
A merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement
The great auk, also known as the garefowl or penguin, is an extinct species of flightless alcid that first appeared around 400,000 years ago and was driven to extinction by human e…
The last known pair of great auks (one pictured), the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus of flightless birds, we
The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church o…
The Disruption in Edinburgh of the Free Church of Scotland from the Church of Scotland
Princess Alice was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine from 13 June 1877 until her death in 1878 as the wife of Grand Duke Louis IV. She was the third child and second daughter of …
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (died 1878)
Bianka Blume was a German soprano opera singer.
Bianka Blume, German opera singer (died 1896)
William George Beers was a Canadian dentist who founded Canada's first dental journal and served as the founding dean of the Dental College of the Province of Quebec. In addition, …
William George Beers, Canadian dentist and patriot (died 1900)
Grove Karl Gilbert, known by the abbreviated name G. K. Gilbert in academic literature, was an American geologist.
Grove Karl Gilbert, American geologist and academic (died 1918)
Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós was a Spanish realist novelist and politician. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him secon…
Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (died 1920)
Charles Albert Gobat was a Swiss lawyer, educational administrator, and politician who jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize with Élie Ducommun in 1902 for their leadership of the…
Charles Albert Gobat, Swiss lawyer and politician, and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1914)
Louis Renault was a French jurist and educator, and the co-winner in 1907 of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Louis Renault, French jurist, educator, and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1918)
Henry Faulds was a Scottish doctor, missionary and scientist who is noted for the development of fingerprinting.
Henry Faulds, Scottish physician and missionary, developed fingerprinting (died 1930)
Frederik VIII was King of Denmark from 29 January 1906 until his death in 1912.
Frederik VIII of Denmark (died 1912)
Samuel Morey was an American inventor, who worked on early internal combustion engines and was a pioneer in steamships who accumulated a total of 20 patents.
Samuel Morey, American engineer (born 1762)
Sylvestre François Lacroix was a French mathematician.
Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician and academic (born 1765)
Noah Webster was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the "Father of American S…
Noah Webster, American lexicographer (born 1758)
On 8 May 1842, a train crashed in the cutting between Meudon and Bellevue stations on the railway between Versailles and Paris, France. The train was travelling to Paris when it de…
A train derails and catches fire in Paris, killing between 52 and 200 people
The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was publish…
The first edition of The Illustrated London News, the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine, was published
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. Before the extensive use of military vehicles, baggage trains followed an army with supplies and ammunition.
The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail from Elm Grove, Missouri, wit