1808
| Years: 1805 1806 1807 – 1808 – 1809 1810 1811 | |
| Decades: 1770s 1780s 1790s – 1800s – 1810s 1820s 1830s | |
| Centuries: 18th century – 19th century – 20th century 1808 in topic: Lists of leaders: | |
1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar).
Table of contents |
Events
- January 1 – Importation of slaves into the United States is banned
- February 11 – Anthracite coal first burned as fuel, experimentally.
- February – Russia issues an ultimatum to Sweden, to join France, Denmark and Russia and attacks Finland.
- March 26 – Charles IV of Spain abdicates in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII
- April 6 – John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company.
- 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 fired near Príncipe Pío hill.
- 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
- Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Mustafa IV (1807-1808) to Mahmud II (1808-1839)
- December – Napoleon invades Spain
- December 9 – At 20:34 UTC Mercury occulted Saturn. It was the pre-last occultation of a planet by an other planet until now. There are no observation records.
Ongoing events
Births
- January 19 – Lysander Spooner, American philospher (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)
- May 22 – Gérard de Nerval, French writer (d. 1855)
- June 3 – Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States (d. 1889)
- June 17 – Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian author (d. 1845)
- June 20 – Samson Raphael Hirsch, German rabbi (d. 1888)
- July 9 – Alexander William Doniphan, American lawyer and military leader (d. 1887)
- 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)
Deaths
- March 13 – King Christian VII of Denmark (b. 1749)
- May 18 – Elijah Craig, American minister and inventor
- September 17 – Benjamin Bourne, American politician (b. 1755)
Categories: 1808