King Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793 during the French Revolution after a near unanimously vote for an immediate execution following being found guilty of high treason on January 15, 1793. For the first time in a thousand years, the French people were not ruled by a monarch. More
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What Happened in January?
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The Batavian Republic, a French client state, is established in the Netherlands on January 19, 1795, following the French invasion that overthrew the Dutch Republic as a French client state; . until its transformation into the Kingdom of Holland in 1806.under Napoleon's brother Louis.
The first top hat is claimed to have been worn in public on January 15, 1797 by John Hetherington in London, England causing quite a commotion. The story although widely spread is believed to be of doubtful authenticity.
The income tax is introduced in Britain to finance the Napoleonic Wars.
The Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland comes into effect on January 1, 1801, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The act had been passed by both Legislative branches on March 2, 1800.
The Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland comes into force on January 1,1801, merging the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into a single state. The merged Parliament of the United Kingdom had its first meeting on 22 January 1801.
John Marshall is nominated as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States, on January 20, 1801 by President John Adams and confirmed by the Senate on January 27, 1801. He officially took office on February 4, 1801 serving for 34 years until his death in 1835.
Thomas Jefferson secretly commissions Meriwether Lewis on January 18, 1803, to lead the Corps of Discovery and explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory.
Thomas Jefferson tasked them to finding a water route to the Pacific, mapping the land, studying its resources, and establishing trade with Native American tribes. The expedition was later joined by William Clark and became a pivotal exploration in support of American expansion and scientific understanding of the West.
Haiti's independence from France, is proclaimed by Jean-Jacques Dessalines on January 1, 1804, becoming the first independent black-led nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean, with an estimated population of 11.5 million. The capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.
A British expeditionary force defeats the Dutch forces at the Battle of Blaauwberg on January 8, 1806 and captures the Cape of Good Hope during the Napoleonic Wars. It went on to get a full capitulation on January 18, 1806. The territory was formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands in the 1814 Convention of London following the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
The Rum Rebellion in Australia sees Governor William Bligh deposed by the New South Wales Corps.
Edgar Allan Poe, American author and poet, is born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden on January 14, 1814 following the Treaty of Kiel between Sweden and Denmark-Norway. The measure was as punishment for siding with Napoleonic France in the Napoleonic Wars.
Major General Andrew Jackson leads a small, poorly-equipped army to victory at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, against eight thousand British troops during the "War of 1812".
The battle's military significance was minimal but the American victory was a big morale boost for the young nation and made Jackson a national hero. The battle took place after the signing but before ratification of the Treaty of Ghent which ended the war between the U.S. and Great Britain, and before news of the Treaty reached the respective armies in the field.
Argentine General José de San Martín begins his legendary Crossing of the Andes on January 17, 1817 during the South American Wars of Independence. The successful crossing led to the decisive Battle of Chacabuco on February 12, 1817, and the entry into Santiago on February 14, establishing San Martín's reputation and securing Chile's path to independence.
The British explorer and navigator John Ross reaches the North Magnetic Pole.
Simon Bolivar, the South American revolutionary, proclaims the Republic of Colombia.
Britain's King George III dies at age 81, on January 29, 1820 and his eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, ascends to the throne as King George IV. George III had suffered years of mental illness and his son had already ruled as Prince Regent since 1811 due to his father's incapacity.
George IV reigned for ten years until his own death in 1830. He was succeeded by his younger brother, William IV, since George had no legitimate surviving children.
The Mexican War of Independence concludes as Spain recognizes Mexican independence with the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba.