Britain's King George III dies, and his son, King George IV, ascends to the throne.
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What Happened in January?
Tragic deaths, ravaged cities, and great acts of heroism. Discover what happened this month in history and the defining moments that shaped the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Mexican War of Independence concludes with the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba, recognizing Mexican independence from Spain.
Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from Mexico, initiating American colonization.
Peru defeats Spain in the Battle of Ayacucho, effectively securing South American independence.
The first freight train is introduced in the United States, operating in Quincy, Massachusetts.
The Treaty of Yandabo is signed, ending the First Anglo-Burmese War and ceding Assam, Manipur, and Arakan to Britain.
The London Metropolitan Police, led by Sir Robert Peel, begins operating at Scotland Yard.
1829, January 8 - Frenchman Louis Braille publishes his system of raised dots for blind readers.
The Great Fire of New Orleans destroys over 200 buildings in the city.
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William Lloyd Garrison publishes the first edition of the Boston abolitionist newspaper, "The Liberator." The weekly paper became a leading voice for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people; it was published until the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States in 1865.
The Kingdom of Poland adopts a constitution, granting limited freedoms.
The United States national debt is zero for the first and only time in its history.
Davy Crockett arrives in Texas, joining the fight for independence from Mexico.
Michigan becomes the 26th state of the United States.
Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail publicly demonstrate their telegraph system for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey, by sending a telegram across two miles of wire. Morse continued to improve the system as well as invented the Morse Code while trying to get financial backing.
The British East India Company captures Aden, establishing a strategic foothold in Yemen.
The United States Naval officer, Lt. Charles Wilkes, exploring expedition of the South Seas reaches the Antarctic continent. The six U.S. Navy vessels under Wilkes command had set out in 1838 on a great voyage of exploration with several hundred seamen and scientists to explore and map the Pacific, Antarctica, and the northwest coast of the United States.
Lt. Charles Wilkes' tremendous feat of navigation during his 4 year expedition helped broadened the knowledge of uncharted areas of the world and to expand American scientific knowledge, commerce, industry, and world standing. Wilkes is credited with proving the existence of Antarctica as a land continent, a vital contribution to world geography. More
The first group of European settlers arrive at Petone aboard the ship the Aurora, to found the settlement that would become Wellington, named after Named for the first Duke of Wellington. By July of 1840 there were over 1000 settlers in New Zeeland .On May 21 1840, Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over all of New Zealand even though copies of the treaty with the Māori were still circulating throughout the country for the Māori to sign.
China cedes the Island of Hong Kong to the British as a result of the First Opium War. The treaty was followed in 1898 by a 99-year lease in that allowed Britain to control even more land. The lease ended in 1997.
The Treaty of Nanking is signed, ending the First Opium War between Britain and China.