January 5, 1769★★★★★
James Watt patents his steam engine
James Watt's patent for a separate condenser makes steam engines far more efficient, driving the Industrial Revolution.
TechnologyEconomy· United Kingdom
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Events this year
August 15, 1769★★★★★
Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte is born in Ajaccio, Corsica; he will later become Emperor of the French.
Birth· France
Ongoing
c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★
The transatlantic slave trade
From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.
Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
1639 – 1853★★★★★
Japan's sakoku isolation policy
The shogunate expels the Portuguese and severely restricts foreign contact, allowing only Dutch and Chinese trade at Nagasaki.
PoliticsEconomy· Japan