June 18, 1812 – 1815★★★★★
War of 1812
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.
War· United States, United Kingdom, Canada
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Events this year
June 24, 1812 – December 1812★★★★★
French invasion of Russia
Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman into Russia and takes Moscow, but is forced into a winter retreat with catastrophic losses.
War· Russia, France, Lithuania, Belarus
September 7, 1812★★★★★
Battle of Borodino
The bloodiest battle of Napoleon's invasion of Russia is fought near Moscow; the Russians withdraw, allowing the French to enter Moscow a week later.
War· Russia, 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
1799 – 1849★★★★★
Ranjit Singh takes Lahore, founding the Sikh Empire
Ranjit Singh captures Lahore and unites the Sikh confederacies into an empire in the Punjab.
PoliticsDynasty· Pakistan, India