1808

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 - The importation of slaves into the United States is banned; this is also the earliest day under the United States Constitution that an amendment can be made restricting slavery.
* January 12 - The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
* January 22 - The Bragança Portuguese Royal Family arrives in Brazil, running away from the French army.
* 26 January - Rum Rebellion: On the 20th 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 attack Finland.
* February 2 - French troops occupy the Papal States (Vatican).
* February 6 - The ship "Topaz" (from Boston April 5, 1807 hunting seals) rediscovers the Pitcairn Islands; only one HMS Bounty mutineer is still alive, Alexander Smith (John Adams).
* February 11 - Anthracite coal is first burned as fuel by Jesse Fell in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; the discovery leads to the use of coal as the key fuel source of America's industrial revolution.
* February 21 - Finnish War: Russian troops cross the border into Finland without a declaration of war.
* March 2 - Russian troops occupy Helsinki and threaten Sveaborg.
* March 8 - Empire of Brazil: With the arrival of the Portuguese royal family in Brazil (1808), the colony is called New Portugal.
* March 11 - Russian troops occupy Tampere.
* March 2 - The inaugural meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
* 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 16 - Troops under colonel Carl von Döbeln clash with Russian troops in Pyhäjoki, Finland.
* May 2 - Peninsular War: The people of Madrid rise up against the French troops.
* May 3
** Finnish War: The fortress of Sveaborg is lost by Sweden to Russia.
** Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose on May 2 are executed near Príncipe Pío Hill (Francisco Goya paints the fight and the execution in 1814).
* June 12 - Finnish War: A landing of Swedish troops at Ala-Lemu, near Turku, fails.
* June 19 - Finnish War: A second landing of Swedish troops at Ala-Lemu fails.

July - September

* July 14 - Troops under Colonel Adlercreutz force the Russians to withdraw in Lapua.
* July 22 - French General Dupont surrenders to Spanish irregular forces following the Battle of Bailén.
* August 10 - Troops under Carl von Döbeln defeat a Russian attack in Kauhajoki.
* August 21 - Battle of Vimiero: British troops under Duke of Wellington defeat the French under General Junot.
* September 27 - The Congress of Erfurt between the emperors Napoleon I of France and Alexander I of Russia starts.
* September 29 - A truce is declared between Swedish and Russian troops in Finland; it ends on October 19.

October - December

* November 15 - Mahmud II (1808-1839) succeeds Mustafa IV (1807-1808) as sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
* November 19 - A new truce ends fighting in Finland.
* November 23 - Battle of Tudela: French Marshal Lannes defeats a Spanish army at the
* November - Swedish troops evacuate Finland. Tsar Alexander I of Russia proclaims Finland a part of Russia.
* November - James Madison defeats Charles C. Pinckney in the U.S. presidential election.
* December - Napoleon joins his army in 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

* The British siege of Mauritius begins.
* The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich is founded.
* Goethe publishes "Faust", part I.
* Earliest preparation of magnesium metal by Sir Humphry Davy.
* 1808 - 1865 - 500,000 African slaves arrive in Cuba.

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 13- Antonio Meucci, Italian-born inventor (d.1889)
* 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 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)

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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 13 - Saverio Bettinelli, Italian writer (b. 1718)
* 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)

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