World History Timeline

Timeline

1026 events

19th century

  1. July 9, 1816★★★★★

    Argentine Declaration of Independence

    The Congress of Tucumán declares the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata independent from Spain.

    RevolutionPolitics· Argentina, Spain
  2. May 5, 1818★★★★★

    Birth of Karl Marx

    Karl Marx, the influential philosopher and economic and political theorist, is born in Trier, Prussia.

    Birth· Germany
  3. 1819★★★★★

    Founding of modern Singapore

    Stamford Raffles signs a treaty establishing a British East India Company trading post at Singapore, beginning the modern port city.

    PoliticsEconomy· Singapore, United Kingdom
  4. August 7, 1819★★★★★

    Battle of Boyacá

    Simón Bolívar's forces defeat the Spanish at Boyacá, securing the liberation of New Granada (present-day Colombia).

    WarRevolution· Colombia, Spain
  7. 1821 – 1829★★★★★

    Greek War of Independence

    Greeks rise against the Ottoman Empire; with intervention by Britain, France and Russia, Greece wins its independence.

    WarRevolution· Greece, Turkey
  9. September 27, 1821★★★★★

    Mexico achieves independence from Spain

    The Army of the Three Guarantees enters Mexico City, ending over a decade of war and three centuries of Spanish rule.

    RevolutionPolitics· Mexico, Spain
  11. September 7, 1822★★★★★

    Independence of Brazil

    Prince Regent Pedro declares Brazil's independence from Portugal by the Ipiranga brook and later becomes Emperor Pedro I.

    PoliticsRevolution· Brazil, Portugal
  12. December 2, 1823★★★★★

    Monroe Doctrine

    President James Monroe declares that the United States will oppose any further European colonization or intervention in the Americas.

    Politics· United States
  13. 1824★★★★★

    Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824

    Britain and the Netherlands divide their spheres in the Malay world, roughly creating today's Malaysia–Indonesia divide.

    Treaty· Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, United Kingdom, Netherlands
  14. 1824 – 1826★★★★★

    First Anglo-Burmese War

    Britain defeats Konbaung Burma, which cedes Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim under the Treaty of Yandabo.

    War· Myanmar, India, United Kingdom
  16. December 9, 1824★★★★★

    Battle of Ayacucho

    Independence forces under Antonio José de Sucre defeat the Spanish army in Peru, effectively ending Spanish rule in South America.

    WarRevolution· Peru, Spain
  17. 1825 – 1830★★★★★

    Java War

    Prince Diponegoro leads a major uprising against Dutch colonial rule in Central Java; the war ends with his capture.

    War· Indonesia, Netherlands
  20. September 1828★★★★★

    Assassination of Shaka

    The Zulu king Shaka was assassinated by his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana; Dingane succeeded him.

    DeathPolitics· South Africa
  21. May 28, 1830★★★★★

    Indian Removal Act

    President Andrew Jackson signs a law enabling the forced relocation of Native American nations west of the Mississippi, leading to the Trail of Tears.

    Politics· United States
  22. July 27, 1830 – July 29, 1830★★★★★

    July Revolution in France

    Three days of uprising in Paris overthrow King Charles X; Louis-Philippe takes the throne, beginning the July Monarchy.

    Revolution· France
  23. December 17, 1830★★★★★

    Death of Simón Bolívar

    Simón Bolívar, the "Liberator" of much of South America, dies in Santa Marta, Colombia.

    Death· Colombia, Venezuela
  24. 1831★★★★★

    Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction

    Michael Faraday discovers that a changing magnetic field induces an electric current, the principle behind generators and transformers.

    Science· United Kingdom
  26. 1833 – 1835★★★★★

    Lê Văn Khôi revolt

    Lê Văn Khôi seizes the citadel of Gia Định in revolt against Emperor Minh Mạng; the uprising is crushed in 1835.

    War· Vietnam
  27. March 6, 1836★★★★★

    Battle of the Alamo

    Mexican troops under General Santa Anna storm the Alamo in San Antonio, killing its Texan defenders; the battle becomes a symbol of the Texas Revolution.

    War· United States, Mexico
  28. June 20, 1837★★★★★

    Accession of Queen Victoria

    Victoria succeeds to the British throne; her reign of more than 63 years coincides with the height of the British Empire.

    DynastyPolitics· United Kingdom
  29. December 16, 1838★★★★★

    Battle of Blood River

    During the Great Trek, a party of Voortrekkers defeated the Zulu army of King Dingane at the Ncome River in Natal.

    War· South Africa
  30. 1839★★★★★

    The daguerreotype is announced

    Louis Daguerre's photographic process is made public in France, the first commercially successful form of photography.

    TechnologyArt· France
  31. 1839 – 1842★★★★★

    First Opium War

    Britain wars with Qing China after it cracks down on the opium trade; the defeat opens what China calls the 'century of humiliation'.

    WarEconomy· China, United Kingdom
  32. November 3, 1839 – 1876★★★★★

    Tanzimat reforms begin

    The Edict of Gülhane opens the Tanzimat, a series of reforms modernising Ottoman administration, law and the army.

    Politics· Turkey
  33. February 6, 1840★★★★★

    Treaty of Waitangi

    Representatives of the British Crown and many Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document; differences between its English and Māori texts remain debated.

    TreatyPolitics· New Zealand, United Kingdom
  34. August 29, 1842★★★★★

    Treaty of Nanking

    The Qing cede Hong Kong Island to Britain and open five treaty ports, the first of China's unequal treaties.

    Treaty· China, United Kingdom, Hong Kong
  36. 1845 – 1852★★★★★

    Great Famine in Ireland

    Potato blight triggers a famine that kills about a million people and drives more than a million to emigrate from Ireland.

    Disaster· Ireland, United Kingdom
  37. 1845 – 1872★★★★★

    The New Zealand Wars

    A series of armed conflicts between the colonial government and Māori iwi, chiefly over land and sovereignty, which led to large confiscations of Māori land.

    War· New Zealand, United Kingdom
  38. 1846 – 1848★★★★★

    Mexican–American War

    War between the United States and Mexico following the US annexation of Texas; Mexico is defeated and loses about half of its territory.

    War· United States, Mexico
  39. October 16, 1846★★★★★

    First public demonstration of ether anaesthesia

    At Massachusetts General Hospital, William Morton anaesthetises a surgical patient with ether in public, opening the era of surgical anaesthesia.

    Science· United States
  40. July 26, 1847★★★★★

    Liberia declares independence

    Liberia, settled by free and formerly enslaved Black Americans, declared independence, becoming Africa's oldest republic.

    Politics· Liberia
  41. 1848 – 1849★★★★★

    Revolutions of 1848

    A wave of revolutions sweeps Europe, from France to the German states, Austria, Italy and Hungary, demanding democratic reform and national self-determination.

    Revolution· France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Czechia
  42. January 24, 1848 – 1855★★★★★

    California Gold Rush

    The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill draws some 300,000 people to California from around the world, transforming the American West.

    Economy· United States
  43. February 1848★★★★★

    The Communist Manifesto is published

    Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish in London a pamphlet setting out the theory of class struggle, one of the most influential political texts ever written.

    PoliticsCulture· United Kingdom, Germany
  44. February 2, 1848★★★★★

    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

    The treaty ends the Mexican–American War, with Mexico ceding California and much of today's Southwest to the United States.

    Treaty· United States, Mexico
  45. July 19, 1848 – July 20, 1848★★★★★

    Seneca Falls Convention

    The first women's rights convention in the United States adopts the Declaration of Sentiments, including a demand for women's suffrage.

    Politics· United States
  46. 1850 – 1864★★★★★

    Taiping Rebellion

    Hong Xiuquan's movement founds the 'Taiping Heavenly Kingdom'; the ensuing civil war causes tens of millions of deaths.

    WarReligionRevolution· China
  47. 1851★★★★★

    Victorian gold rush begins

    Gold discoveries in the colony of Victoria drew hundreds of thousands of immigrants, transforming Australia's population and economy.

    Economy· Australia
  48. 1853 – 1856★★★★★

    Crimean War

    An alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France and Sardinia defeats Russia, with fighting centred on the siege of Sevastopol in Crimea.

    War· Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ukraine
  49. July 8, 1853★★★★★

    Perry Expedition arrives in Japan

    U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's 'Black Ships' enter Edo Bay, pressing Japan to end its isolation policy.

    PoliticsExploration· Japan, United States
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