Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States who led the country through the Civil War, is born in Kentucky.
The United States declares war on Britain; fighting in North America and at sea ends with the Treaty of Ghent and no change in borders.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark lead an expedition across the American West to the Pacific coast and back.
The United States buys the vast Louisiana territory from France, roughly doubling the size of the country.
Former President George Washington dies at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia.
President James Monroe declares that the United States will oppose any further European colonization or intervention in the Americas.
George Washington is sworn in as the first President of the United States in New York City.