Year '1808' ('
MDCCCVIII') was a
leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the
Gregorian calendar (or a
leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower
Julian calendar).
Events of 1808
January - March
★
January 1 - Importation of
slaves into the
United States is banned; this is also the earliest day under the
United States Constitution that an
amendment could be made restricting slavery.
★
26 January -
Rum Rebellion: On the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of the
colony of
New South Wales, disgruntled military officers of the
New South Wales Corps (the "Rum Corps") overthrow and imprison
Governor William Bligh and seize control of the colony.
★
February -
Russia issues an ultimatum to
Sweden, to join
France,
Denmark and Russia and attacks
Finland.
★
February 2 - French troops occupy
Papal States (Vatican).
★
February 6 - Ship ''
Topaz'' (from Boston
April 5,
1807 hunting seals) rediscovers
Pitcairn Islands: only one
HMS Bounty mutineer was still alive, Alexander Smith (
John Adams).
★
February 11 -
Anthracite coal first burned as fuel by
Jesse Fell in
Wilkes-Barre, PA. Discovery leads to use of coal as key fuel source of America's
industrial revolution.
★
February 21 -
Russian troops cross border to
Finland without
declaration of war - the
Finnish War begins
★
March 2 - Russian troops occupy
Helsinki and threaten
Sveaborg
★
March 11 - Russian troops occupy
Tampere
★
March 22 - Russian troops occupy
Turku
★
March 26 -
Charles IV of Spain abdicates in favor of his son,
Ferdinand VII
April - June
★
April 6 -
John Jacob Astor incorporates the
American Fur Company.
★
April 13-
Antonio Meucci is born
★
April 16 - Troops under colonel
Carl von Döbeln clash with Russian troops in
Pyhäjoki,
Finland
★
May 2 -
Peninsular War: The people of
Madrid uprise against the
French troops.
★
May 3:
★
★ The fortress of
Sveaborg is lost by
Sweden to
Russia, during the
Finnish War.
★
★ Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who uprose on May 2 are executed near
Príncipe Pío hill.
★
June 12 - Landing of Swedish troops to
Ala-Lemu fails
★
June 19 - Second landing of Swedish troops fails in Ala-Lemu
★
June 22 - French General Dupont surrenders to Spanish irregular forces following the
Battle of Bailén.
July - September
★
July 5 -
Battle of Buenos Aires - local Hispanic forces repel the British army.
★
July 14 - Troops under colonel
Adlercreutz force Russians to withdraw in
Lapua
★
August 10 - Troops under
Carl von Döbeln defeat Russian attack in
Kauhajoki
★
August 21 - British troops under
Duke of Wellington defeat French under General
Junot at the
Battle of Vimiero
★
September 29 - Truce between Swedish and Russian troops in Finland. It ended on
October 19 of the same year.
October - December
★
November 19 - New truce ends fighting in Finland
★
November 23 - French
Marshal Lannes defeats a Spanish army at the
Battle of Tudela
★
November -
Swedish troops evacuate
Finland.
Tsar Alexander I of Russia proclaims
Finland a part of
Russia.
★
November -
James Madison defeats
Charles C. Pinckney in
U.S. presidential election
★
December -
Napoleon invades
Spain
★
December 9 - At 20:34 UTC
Mercury occults Saturn. There are no observation records.
★
December 20 - The original
Covent Garden Theatre in
London is destroyed by a fire, along with most of the scenery, costumes and scripts.
★
December 22 -
Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the
Theater an der Wien,
Vienna, with the premiere of his
Fifth Symphony,
Sixth Symphony, and
Fourth Piano Concerto (performed by Beethoven himself).
Undated
★ British siege of
Mauritius begins.
★ Change of
emperor of the
Ottoman Empire from
Mustafa IV (
1807-1808) to
Mahmud II (1808-
1839)
★
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich founded
Ongoing events
★
Napoleonic Wars
★
Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812
Births
January - June
★
January 6 -
Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American naval officer (d.
1864)
★
January 19 -
Lysander Spooner, American philosopher (d.
1887)
★
January 27 -
David Strauss, German theologian (d.
1874)
★
February 5 -
Carl Spitzweg, German painter (d.
1885)
★
February 26 -
Honoré Daumier, French painter, illustrator, and sculptor (d.
1879)
★
April 20 -
Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (d.
1873)
★
May 22 -
Gérard de Nerval, French writer (d.
1855)
★
June 3 -
Jefferson Davis,
President of the Confederate States (d.
1889)
★
June 16 -
James Frederick Ferrier,
scottish metaphysical writer and
philosopher
★
June 17 -
Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian author (d.
1845)
★
June 20 -
Samson Raphael Hirsch, German rabbi (d.
1888)
July - December
★
July 9 -
Alexander William Doniphan, American lawyer and military leader (d.
1887)
★
September 13 -
Saverio Bettinelli, Italian writer (b.
1718)
★
September 29 -
Henry Bennett, American politician (d.
1868)
★
October 6 - King
Frederick VII of Denmark (d.
1863)
★
October 20 -
Karl Andree, German geographer (d.
1875)
★
November 1 -
John Taylor, American religious leader (d.
1887)
★
November 2 -
Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, French writer (d.
1889)
★
December 29 -
Andrew Johnson, 17th
President of the United States (d.
1875)
: ''See also .''
Deaths
January - June
★
February 14 -
John Dickinson, American lawyer and governor of Delaware and Pennsylvania (b.
1732)
★
March 13 - King
Christian VII of Denmark (b.
1749)
★
May 18 -
Elijah Craig, American minister and inventor
★
May 28 -
Richard Hurd, English bishop and writer (b.
1720)
★
April -
Omie Wise, Subject of a
Murder ballad (b.
1789)
July - December
★
September 3 -
John Montgomery, American delegate to the Continental Congress (b.
1722)
★
September 5 -
John Home, Scottish writer (b.
1722)
★
September 6 -
Louis-Pierre Anquetil, French historian (b.
1723)
★
September 17 -
Benjamin Bourne, American politician (b.
1755)
★
November 10 -
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, British soldier and governor of Quebec (b.
1724)
★
November 17 -
David Zeisberger, Moravian missionary (b.
1721)
★
Theophilus Lindsey, English theologian (b.
1723)
: ''See also .''
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