The first public railway to use steam locomotives opens in England, ushering in the railway age.
Britain and the Netherlands divide their spheres in the Malay world, roughly creating today's Malaysia–Indonesia divide.
Britain defeats Konbaung Burma, which cedes Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim under the Treaty of Yandabo.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with its choral finale on the Ode to Joy, premieres in Vienna.
The composer Ludwig van Beethoven dies in Vienna.
Using the Rosetta Stone, Jean-François Champollion announces his decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Greeks rise against the Ottoman Empire; with intervention by Britain, France and Russia, Greece wins its independence.