TIMELINE Some historical events, chosen at random: DATE EVENT ==== ====================================================================== 30KBC (or earlier) Probable crossing of Bering Straits by Indian ancestors 61 Spinden date for the Leyden Plate, a carved jade plaque in Mexico 68 Spinden date for oldest stone monument or stela, in Mexico 217 Year of oldest Pueblo roofbeam that can be carbon-14 dated 400 Heyday of the Moundbuilders in Mississippi and Ohio valleys 725 Casa Grande, an Indian fort and large irrigation works built - Arizona 850 Norsemen defeat Irishmen, eject them from Iceland 985 Eric the Red colonizes Greenland 1000 Leif, Eric's son, builds dwelling on NE coast of Newfoundland 1000 Tiahuanaco civilization in Peru, widespread planting of potatoes, corn 1056 Beginning of the democratic Pataria movement in Milan 1100 Mayan civilization reaches it's height in Central America 1215 King John seals Magna Carta at Runnymede. But not made law until 1297 1225 Magna Carta reissued for third time in definitive form 1254 Birth of Marco Polo, explorer who will bring pasta to Italy from China 1265 First English Parliament, January 20 1297 Magna Carta confirmed by Edward I, enters English statute rolls as law 1325 Toltec empire defeated by Aztecs in Mexico 1327 Aztecs establish Mexico City 1332 Parliament divides into two houses 1347 Bubonic plague in Europe; originated in India, 1332. 75 million deaths 1350 The League of Nations established at Onondaga, NY. 1st true democracy 1364 Aztecs build their capital at Tenochtitlan, Mexico 1438 Inca rule begins in Peru 1441 Portugese sailors enter slave trade with African Negroes at Cape Blanc 1451 Birth of Cristoforo Columbo; dies 1506 1454 Birth of Amerigo Vespucci; dies 1512 1492 Columbus departs Palos, Spain, in Santa Maria. Hopes to find gold/Indies 1494 Spain and Portugal divide New World in Treaty of Tordesillas 1497 John Cabot makes landfall in Newfoundland, claims it for England 1498 Cabots explore as far south as Hatteras; claim continent for England 1499 Ojeda explores Venezuelan coastline 1500 Fernandes explores Labrador 1500 Pedro Alvarez Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal 1501 Gaspar Corte-Real kidnaps 57 Indians in Newfoundland 1501 Rodrigo de Bastidas explores Central American coast & Caribbean 1507 Lands of the New World named for Amerigo Vespucci by Waldseemuller 1510 Spain begins settlements in Jamaica; two years later in Cuba 1512 Juan Ponce de Leon names discovery after Easter Sunday; Pascua Florida 1513 Vasco Nunez de Balboa names large body of water as "Pacific" 1519 Hernando Cortes begins assault on Mexico, defeats the Aztecs 1519 Cortes brings Arabian horses to Americas from Spain 1519 Domenico de Pineda explores Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Vera Cruz 1520 Magellan navigates through the straits from Atlantic to Pacific 1521 Martin Luther excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, Jan 3 1521 Guam, where America's day begins, explored by Magellan 1524 Giovanni da Verrazano explores Hudson River and New York harbor waters 1526 Spanish attempt colonization of Cape Fear; it lasts only a few months 1528 Panfilo de Narvaez invades Florida from Cuba, wars with Indians 1531 Spain invades Peru; end of Inca civilization 1534 Jacques Cartier explores coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland 1535 Jacques Cartier explores St. Lawrence River, trades with Huron Indians 1536 Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aries 1536 Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca reaches Culiacan after roaming all over south 1538 Bogota settled by Quesada 1539 Hernando de Soto leaves Havana to find Seven Cities; finds Indian war 1539 First printing press set up in the New World - at Mexico City 1540 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado treks north from Mexico to Zuni territory 1540 Coronado's troops discover the Grand Canyon 1541 Hernando de Soto explores Mississipi River valley and Gulf Coast 1542 Juan Rodriguez Cabrilho explores in area of San Diego for Spain 1544 Sebastian Cabot publishes map of the world with remarkable detail 1555 First tobacco taken from America to Spain 1555 Rio de Janeiro colony established by the French 1558 Reign of Elizabeth I begins; ends in 1603 1562 French establish trading post in South Carolina, erect monument in FL 1562 John Hawkins begins slave trade between Guinea and West Indies 1564 French Huguenots try to start colony at Jacksonville; are killed by Spain 1564 French found Fort Caroline, FL. First European colony on the mainland 1565 Spanish attack Fort Caroline, and find St. Augustine in the process 1572 Francis Drake attacks Spanish harbors in the Americas 1576 Martin Frobisher puts his name on Frobisher's Bay, Canada 1577 Sir Francis Drake begins explorations on west coast of North America 1581 Franciscan friars begin missionary work in "New Mexico" 1584 Walter Raleigh knighted by Virgin Queen for naming new colony for her 1585 English attempt colony at Roanoke Island, NC, but have Indian trouble 1586 Potatoes from Columbia introduced to England by Herriot 1587 New colony established at Pamlico Sound. It disappeared within 2 yrs 1587 Virginia Dare was first child born in the colonies; fate unknown 1588 English defeat Spanish armada of King Philip II 1590 Galileo describes the law of falling bodies 1592 Alleged date of Juan de Fuca discovery of inland passage 1598 Colonists landed on Sable Island 1598 Henry IV issues Edict of Nantes to quiet religious wars 1598 Don Juan de Onate claims all of New Mexico for Spain 1601 Colony of Tadoussac founded 1602 Cape Cod named by Bartholemew Gosnold, English navigator who found it 1602 Vizcaino explores west coast from Gosnold to Buzzards Bay 1603 Martin Pring explores New England coast 1605 French trading post established at Port Royal, Nova Scotia 1605 Weymouth explores New England coast 1606 First charter granted to the Virginia Company, named after Virgin Queen 1607 Captain John Smith first encounters Iroquois in Chesapeake Bay 1607 Jamestown founded. First permanent English colony in New World 1607 English colony begun at Fort St. George, on Kennebec River, Maine 1608 Samuel de Champlain founds village of Quebec 1609 Champlain makes war against the Iroquois, 1st use of guns on Indians 1609 Hendrik "Henry" Hudson explores river valley named for him 1609 East Anglia Puritans leave England for Leiden, Holland for 10 year stay 1609 Dutch establish Fort Orange, now known as Albany, NY, as fur trading post 1609 Henry Hudson explores east coast of North America for Netherlands 1609 Santa Fe, New Mexico settled 1609 Kepler describes planetary motions and laws 1610 Henry Hudson discovers Hudson's Bay 1610 Thomas West, 3rd Lord de la Warr rescues Jamestown colony from starvation 1612 England colonizes Bermuda 1612 French explorers discover Lake Huron 1613 John Rolfe, husband of Pocahontas, cross-breeds tobacco successfully 1614 Thomas Hunt kidnaps 24 Indians from Cape Cod area, sells them as slaves 1615 French under Champlain trade with local Indians on Georgian Bay 1616 Captain John Smith publishes "A Description of New England" 1616 Pocahontas visits England, poses for portrait; dies there 1616 White settlers introduce small pox to New England. Many Indians die 1619 Black slavery introduced at Jamestown by Dutch traders 1619 First legislative assembly in America, in Virginia, July 30 1620 Slide rule invented by Oughtred, in England 1620 Puritan Pilgrims write Mayflower Compact, land at Plymouth Colony 1621 Pilgrims have first contact with Indian, who greets them in English! 1621 The Indian, Squanto, learned English in England after fleeing Spain 1622 Maine granted to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason 1623 Champlain's expedition trades for furs with Indians on Lake Superior 1623 Settlements begin in New Hampshire 1624 Indians barter away Manhattan for about $24.00; Dutch begin settlements 1624 Virginia becomes a royal colony 1628 English Parliament enacts Petition of Right 1629 Charter of Freedoms and Exemptions for New Netherland granted 1629 Puritans settle Boston area, call themselves The Massachusetts-Bay Co. 1630 Puritans hang John Billington, a murderer; a first for the colony 1632 Mariland named for Queen Henrietta Maria by English King Charles I 1632 "Oyster War" begins between VA and MD; continues today 1634 Jean Nicolet explores Lake Michigan shore and Wisconsin 1635 Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts for espousing democracy 1635 First settlements in Connecticut include Hartford and Windsor 1636 First college in the colonies, later named after Rev. John Harvard 1636 Providence Plantations founded in Rhode Island by Roger Williams 1637 Pequot War in Connecticut and Rhode Island 1638 Swedish colony, near Wilmington, DE, introduces log-cabin building 1639 The Fundamental Orders unite three communities in "Connectecotte" 1639 Harvard College sets up first printing press in colonies 1640 First English book published in colonies is Bay Psalm Book; Cambridge 1641 "Body of Liberties" adopted in Massachusetts; precurses Bill of Rights 1642 Pascal invents an adding machine 1642 Massachusetts School Law requires schoolmaster in towns of 50 families 1642 French develop new trading post at Montreal 1643 Invention of the barometer 1643 New England Confederation founded. These are first 4 colonies to unite 1644 First bicameral legislature formed in Massachusetts 1644 Roger Williams publishes The Bloody Tenet of Persecution 1645 First ironworks, at Saugus, MA 1648 Iroquois defeat the Hurons, drive them into Canada, north of the Lakes 1649 Charles I executed; Oliver Cromwell establishes Commonwealth 1649 First Assembly in Maryland. Enacts Toleration Act, freeing religion 1651 Navigation Acts require English ships and crews for all imports 1653 Iroquois defeat the Erie Nation, extend influence into o-he-you. (Ohio) 1656 New Netherland Council passes ordinance restricting religion 1657 Rhode Island Assembly adopts freedom of religion; it doesn't last 1657 John Washington jumps ship in Virginia, buys land 1658 Birth of Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac; he dies in 1730 1661 William Penn deceives Delaware Indians, effectively steals Pennsylvania 1663 John Eliot translates Bible into an Indian tongue 1664 Dutch give up control of New Amsterdam 1665 Duke's Law established by Duke of York, who renames area for himself 1668 Sault Ste. Marie established by French missionaries 1669 Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle explores Ohio River valley 1669 Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina inaugurated 1670 Newton gives the world The Calculus 1670 Grant from Charles II leads to settlement of Charleston, SC 1670 Hudson's Bay Company founded to compete with French fur traders 1673 Iroquois drive Mosopelea Indians from Southwestern Ohio 1673 Marquette and Joliet explore northern parts of Mississippi valley 1675 Indian "King Phillip" begins retaliatory war against white invaders 1676 Bacon's Rebellion wages vigilante war in Virginia 1676 First formally declared "Day of Thanksgiving" June 20, Charlestown, MA 1679 Settlements in what is now New Hampshire proclaimed a royal colony 1679 Habeas Corpus Amendment Act in England 1680 Pueblo Indians get horses from Spanish; first Plains Indians to do so 1681 Province of Pennsylvania (Penn's Woodlands) chartered 1682 Philadelphia founded. Penn publishes Frame of Government 1682 LaSalle explores Mississippi River, claims river valley for France 1684 Charles II annuls 1629 charter of Massachusetts colony 1684 Cotton Mather coins the term "Americans" for colonists 1684 A patent is granted for the thimble 1685 Louis XIV cancels Edict of Nantes, thousands flee to the colonies 1688 First written protest against slavery, by Mennonites in Germantown, PA 1688 The Glorious Revolution establishes Parliamentary supremacy 1689 English Parliament enacts Bill of Rights, provides religious freedom 1689 Pensacola founded (again). (Spanish had tried there in 1559) 1690 First newspaper banned in the colonies is Publick Occurences, in Boston 1691 Plymouth becomes part of royal colony of Massachusetts 1692 Witch hunts in Salem, MA; 19 die 1693 William and Mary becomes second college in the colonies, Feb 6 1693 Champagne is invented by Dom Perignon, August 4 1695 Freedom of the press comes to England. Censorship abolished 1696 Habeas Corpus Act suspended in England 1696 Board of Trade takes over administration of the colonies 1697 Penn proposes a Plan of Union for the English Colonies in America 1699 Woolens Act. 1699 Cahokia and Biloxi founded 1701 Cadillac establishes new trading post; call it "Ponchartrain" on de Troit 1701 Elihu Yale donates 800 Pounds to the third college in the colonies 1701 Delaware gets government separate from Pennsylvania 1702 East Jersey and West Jersey unite to form royal province of New Jersey 1702 Queen Anne begins reign; dies 1714. Annapolis is named for her 1703 Benjamin Franklin born in Boston 1704 First organ built in the colonies, in Philadelphia 1707 Scotland and England join to become Great Britain 1709 First Copyright Act, in Britain 1711 War with Tuscarora Indians in Carolinas, they head north 1712 North Carolina gets own governor, separates from South Carolina 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; French Acadians (Cajuns) driven from Nova Scotia to LA 1714 Shawnee establish themselves in western Ohio, driven there from MD 1715 Tuscarora Indians join League of Five Nations, making it Six Nations 1716 First theater in the colonies is at Williamsburg 1717 Mother Goose appears in print, in Boston 1718 New Orleans founded by Le Page du Pratz, for Bienville 1720 Birth of Ottawa Indian war chief Pontiac, near Detroit 1720 First settlements in Vermont 1721 Dr. Zabdiel Boylston imports smallpox vaccine, in Boston 1723 Benjamin Franklin leaves Boston for Philadelphia 1727 First British fort on Great Lakes is Fort Oswego, NY 1728 Vitus J. Bering, a Dane, explores strait which now bears his name 1728 First American steel made in Hartford, CT 1732 Benjamin Franklin begins to publish Poor Richard's Almanac 1732 George Washington born in Virginia on February 22; dies in 1799 1732 Hat Act forbade manufacture in colonies of hats made with local fur 1732 First stagecoach route connects Burlington to Perth Amboy, NJ 1733 Sugar Act, aka Molasses Act, a revenue enhancement scheme for Britain 1733 Georgia becomes 13th colony; founded by James Oglethorpe 1734 Hamilton defends Zenger in freedom of the press landmark case 1735 John Adams, 2nd President, born October 30; dies July 4, 1826 1736 Patrick Henry born May 29 1736 Franklin begins Fire Department in Philadelphia 1737 John Hancock born January 23 1738 The Great Awakening in full swing reshaping religious policies everywhere 1738 British traders begin working shores of Lake Erie, compete with French 1738 Future King George III born. Declaration of Independence mentions him 1739 In North Carolina, there is large insurrection by blacks 1739 War of Jenkin's Ear begins 1740 English Parliament allows naturalization of colonists after 7 years 1740 Invention of the Franklin stove, his most famous invention 1740 Philadelphia is largest city in America. Population 13,000 1741 Vitus Bering claims Alaska for his (now) homeland Russia 1743 Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President, born April 13; dies July 4, 1826 1743 American Philosophical Society founded by Benjamin Franklin 1744 King George's War begins. France joins war effort against England 1746 College of New Jersey, now called Princeton Univ., founded 1747 New York State Bar Association is first in this continent 1748 "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" appears in New England Primer 1748 Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle ends King George's War 1749 England recognizes slavery and plantation system in the south 1749 George Washington becomes land surveyor at age 17, for an Ohio company 1749 Halifax, Nova Scotia founded 1750 Cumberland Gap discovered, named by Thomas Walker. Westward ho begins 1750 First American coal mine opens in Virginia 1750 Iron Act encourages colonial pig iron, forbids colonial steel tools 1751 James Madison, father of our Constitution & 4th President, born. d.1836 1751 Liberty Bell ordered from England. 50th anniversary Charter of Privs 1752 Benjamin Franklin goes out to "fly a kite". A shocking experience! 1752 Franklin invents the lightning rod based on his electrical experiments 1752 First general hospital opens in Philadelphia 1753 George Washington explores western Pa; delivers ultimatum to French 1754 Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union remarks on Iroquoian League 1754 French and Indian War begins; ends formally in 1763 in Treaty of Paris 1754 King's College, now Columbia University, founded 1754 Major Washington loses battle of Fort Necessity 1755 Braddock's defeat at Pittsburgh; Washington makes Lt Colonel 1755 Irish immigrant, Jackson, born at sea, will become 7th President 1757 Franklin goes to London for 17 year mission for the colonies 1757 D. P. Custis dies, leaves his "The White House" plantation to wife Martha 1758 James Monroe, 5th President, born in Virginia; dies in 1831 1759 George Washington weds Martha Custis, honeymoons at The White House 1759 General Wolfe v. Marquis de Montcalm on Plains of Abraham; both die 1760 Final subjugation of Canada by England 1760 George III becomes King of England. Colonial population 1.6 million 1761 Writs of Assistance case tried in Boston 1762 Benjamin Franklin re-designs the harmonica, makes it a musical instrument 1762 Spain acquires Louisiana from France 1763 Pontiac begins seige of Detroit, now a British fort; incites other wars 1763 French and Indian War ends with Treaty of Paris signed Sept 3 1763 Treaty of Paris important because borders of United States established 1763 Also in Treaty of Paris, England gains Canada and French land east of MS 1763 Vigilantes known as Paxton Boys massacre peaceful Conestoga village 1763 John Jacob Astor born in Waldorf, Germany 1764 Mozart writes his first symphony, at age eight 1764 Saint Louis founded 1764 Molasses Act modified to produce revenue, in concert with Revenue Act 1764 Revenue Act. Taxation without representation introduced in Boston 1764 Committee of Correspondence formed in Boston 1765 Britain tries to raise funds with The Stamp Act; Bostonians riot 1765 Stamp Act Congress meets in Albany, NY; first inter-colony Congress 1765 Quartering Act requires housing British troops in private homes 1765 Non-importation agreements arranged in principal colonies 1766 Stamp Act repealed by England in response to Colonial boycotts 1766 Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon draw the line at MD & PA border 1767 John Quincy Adams, 6th President, born July 11; dies 1848 1767 Daniel Boone crosses Appalachians, keeps heading west 1767 Townshend Duties pile it on higher and deeper, create Customs Office 1768 Colonies circulate letter complaining of taxation; Assemblies dissolved 1768 Birth of Tecumseh, near Dayton, OH 1768 New York Chamber of Commerce established 1768 British troops begin occupation of Boston 1769 David Rittenhouse begins astronomy studies 1769 Pontiac murdered by another Indian, near St. Louis 1770 Francisco de Ortega names discovery on west coast for his patron saint 1770 Ludwig van Beethoven born; dies in 1827 1770 Boston Massacre. Five dead, six wounded on March 5 1770 Townshend Acts repealed, except for that on tea 1771 Battle of Alamance fought in North Carolina 1772 Samuel Adams at Boston Town Hall Meeting publishes list of rights 1772 Customs schooner "Gaspee" burned off Namquit Point in Rhode Island 1772 John Sevier organizes independent republic of Watauga in Tennessee 1773 To save nearly bankrupt East India Company, Parliament tries a Tea Act 1773 Boston Tea Party. 342 chests of tea go into the drink December 16 1773 Wm. H. Harrison, 9th President, born Dec 5 in VA, moves to OH; d. 1841 1773 Perez at Nootka Sound, on Vancouver Island as we now know it 1774 Birth of John Chapman, to be known as Johnny Appleseed; dies 1845 1774 Intolerable Acts include the Coercive Acts 1774 British close the port of Boston in retaliation for tea party 1774 Virginia Conventions begin. Lead to First Continental Congress 1774 First Continental Congress convenes, in Philadelphia, Sept 5 1774 Declaration and Resolves of First Continental Congress Oct 14 1774 The Quebec Act nullifies all colonial rights west of Ohio River 1775 Of the 3,500 pysicians in the colonies, only 400 are MD by degree 1775 Patrick Henry says "Give me liberty or give me death!" 1775 Fights at Lexington and Concord follow "the 18th of April, in '75" 1775 Battle of Breed's Hill mistakenly named after nearby Bunker Hill 1775 Postal system created. Benjamin Franklin is first Director 1775 Second Continental Congress, again in Philadelphia 1775 Washington accepts promotion to General & Commander In Chief June 16 1775 Declaration on Taking Up of Arms issued by Continental Congress, July 6 1775 Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, declares Martial Law November 7 1775 Virginians defeat British at Great Bridge; British bombard Norfolk 1776 General Court of Massachusetts fires Governor, requests he leave 1776 Common Sense written by Thomas Paine 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights on June 12; written by George Mason 1776 Virginia State Constitution adopted June 29, will be model for all states 1776 Declaration of Independence drafted by Tom Jefferson, with John Adams 1776 Nathan Hale regrets having "but one life to lose", September 22 1776 Christmas present for Washington at Trenton: 918 German prisoners 1777 General Gates defeats General Burgoyne at Saratoga, NY 1777 Congress adopts the American flag with thirteen stars and stripes 1777 Washington's Continental Army winters at Valley Forge 1778 France declares war on England, becomes ally of America 1778 Englishman Capt. James Cook explores west coast of North America 1779 Captain Cook explores Sandwich Islands until Hawaiians murder him 1779 British surrender to Americans at Vincennes 1779 John Paul Jones, in Bon Homme Richard, defeats Pearson, in Serapis 1780 Death of John Logan, Cayuga Indian Chief. Who will mourn for Logan? 1780 Benedict Arnold attempts to betray West Point 1781 Articles of Confederation go into effect; were drafted in 1777 1781 Cornwallis surrenders to Washington and the allies at Yorktown, VA 1782 Ninety-six Moravian Christian Indians massacred at Gnaddenhutton, OH 1782 First U. S. President born in "The United States" is Van Buren, Dec 5 1783 First daily newspaper is Pennsylvania Evening Post 1784 Benjamin Franklin invents bifocals 1784 Treaty of Ft. Stanwix; Iroquois cede rights north and west of Ohio R. 1784 Taylor, 12th President, born; dies 1850 1786 Shays's Rebellion in Massachusetts forcibly closes court systems 1786 Annapolis Convention concludes September 14, suggests Phila convention 1787 Constitutional Convention opens May 25; concludes business Sept 17 1787 Northwest Ordinance adopted July 13 by Continental Congress 1787 United States Constitution framed, sent to Congress and states 1787 Federalist Papers begin publication in newspapers 1788 New Hampshire is 9th state to ratify Constitution. It is now the law 1788 First settlement in Ohio is Marietta, named for Marie Antoinette 1789 Mackenzie reaches Arctic Ocean via Mackenzie River in W. Canada 1789 French Revolution. Bastille falls Jul 14. Declaration of Rights Aug 26th 1789 George Washington & John Adams elected as first President & VP 1789 The Judiciary Act specifies numbers of Federal courts and judges 1789 Mutiny on the H.M.S. Bounty; survivors establish Pitcairn Is. colony 1790 Tyler, 10th President, born; dies 1862 1790 Death of Benjamin Franklin April 17 1790 First national census finds 3,929,214 persons eligible to be counted 1790 Supreme Court meets for the first time; John Jay is Chief Justice 1791 John Carroll of Baltimore made first Roman Catholic Bishop in U.S.A. 1791 Federal capital to be established in swamplands on the Potomac 1791 First ten Amendments are Bill of Rights that go into effect this year 1791 NWT Governor Arthur St. Clair soundly defeated by Indians near Ft. Wayne 1792 Captain Robert Gray names newly found river for his ship, Columbia 1792 Congress names the Dollar as our unit of currency; proposer: Jefferson 1792 Post Office established by Congress as a separate entity 1792 New York Stock Exchange organized 1792 Political parties formed; Republicans (to be Democrats) & Federalists 1793 Cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney 1793 General Anthony Wayne begins campaign against Indians in SW Ohio 1793 John Hancock dies October 8 1793 War between England and France. U.S.A. declares neutrality 1793 Mackenzie reaches Pacific via Fraser River in western Canada 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers, near Toledo, OH. General Wayne v. Indians 1794 Jay's Treaty requires withdrawal of British troops from U.S.A. 1794 Whiskey Rebellion over excise tax in western Pennsylvania 1795 11th Amendment limits some Federal Judicial power somewhat 1795 Pinckney's Treaty with Spain opens navigation on Mississippi River 1795 Treaty of Greenville, OH opens up much of Ohio to settlement by whites 1795 Washington poses for Stuart's portrait, which is now on our dollar bill 1795 Polk, 11th President, born; dies 1849 1796 Washington retires, gives Farewell Address to the nation 1796 John Adams President, Tom Jefferson Vice President, 71-68 vote margin 1796 Moses Cleaveland reaches mouth of Cuyahoga River on July 22 1796 E Pluribus Unum: "Out of Many, One"; added to American coins 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts. Soon to be repealed 1798 Department of the Navy established after 4 years of having a Navy 1798 Washington comes out of retirement to be Commander In Chief of Army 1798 XYZ Affair, so named after three anonymous French trouble makers 1799 French Revolution ends. Napolean becomes ruler of France 1799 Patrick Henry dies June 6 1799 George Washington dies in Mount Vernon December 14, from quinsy 1800 House elects President Jefferson after electoral college tie with Burr 1800 Spain returns Louisiana to France 1800 Congress establishes Library of Congress 1800 Fillmore, 13th President, born; dies 1874 1801 John Marshall appointed as Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court 1801 First stone building in Northwest Territory is Ohio capitol, Chillicothe 1801 Tripolitan War begins; ends in 1805 with USMC on the shores of Tripoli 1802 Treaty of Amiens, in March 1803 Louisiana Purchased April 30. Lewis & Clark to begin exploration 1803 Ohio enters the Union. Paperwork completed 1953 1803 Atomic theory first published 1804 Ohio University at Athens is first institute of higher learning in NWT 1804 12th Amendment changes Presidential election rules 1804 Osceola born in Tallassee village in Alabama; will lead 2nd Seminole War 1804 Vice President Aaron Burr kills Alexander Hamilton in duel July 11 1804 Pierce, 14th President, born; dies 1869 1805 Lewis & Clark discover mouth of Columbia River, just in time, on Nov 7 1807 Robert Fulton, in "Clermont", steams up Hudson River to Albany, Aug 17 1807 Congress outlaws importing slaves from Africa, March 2 1807 Treaty of Detroit; Wyandot Indians lose most of their real estate 1807 Embargo Act, Dec 22, forbids American ships to leave American waters 1808 Andrew Johnson, 17th President, born; dies 1875 1808 Slave importation outlawed. Yet, another 1/4 million brought in by 1860 1809 Abraham Lincoln, 16th President, born in Kentucky February 12; dies 1865 1809 Non-Intercourse Act, Mar 1, repeals the Embargo Act, which didn't work 1810 Census counts 7,239,881 persons in United States 1811 Madison allows 20-year charter of Bank of the United States to lapse 1811 Wm. H. Harrison fights Indians at Tippecanoe, near Indianapolis, Nov 7 1811 New Madrid, MO earthquake Dec 16; forecast months before by Tecumseh 1812 War declared on England June 18, days after England repealed the cause 1812 John O'Mic hanged on Cleveland Public Square for killing 2 fur trappers 1812 Russians build Fort Rossiia (Ross) 90 miles north of San Francisco 1813 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry "meets" British in Lake Erie Sept 10 1813 Tecumseh defeated in battle near Detroit, in Thames, Ontario 1814 City of Washington captured and burned by British, August 24 1814 Francis Scott Key observes flag over Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Sept 14 1814 Treaty of Ghent ends War of 1812 on December 24, but fighting goes on 1815 Andrew Jackson defeats British at New Orleans Jan 8, after war ends 1815 USS Constitution defeats two British ships off African coast 20 Feb 1815 Napolean meets his "Waterloo" on June 18 1815 Village of Cleaveland officially incorporated in Ohio 1816 Capitol of Ohio moves to Columbus 1816 Second Bank of the United States chartered, Apr 10 1817 Work begins on Erie Canal 1817 First American school for the deaf, Hartford, CT, Apr 14 1817 Secretary of State Rush and British Minister Bagot agree on Great Lakes 1818 Congress fixes stripes in flag at 13 to honor original colonies, Apr 4 1818 Anglo-American Convention fixes 49th parallel as border with Canada 1819 SS Savanah makes transatlantic crossing under steam propulsion, a first 1819 Florida ceded by Spain to the United States, Feb 22 1819 Treaty of Saginaw; Indians give up one sixth of Michigan 1820 Missouri Compromise forbids slavery above 36 degrees 30 minutes latitude 1820 Federalist Party dissolves; without opposition, Jefferson Dems disband 1822 Grant, 18th President, born in Ohio; dies 1885 1822 Hayes, 19th President, born in Ohio; dies 1893 1823 Monroe Doctrine given to Congress December 2 1824 House of Representatives elects John Q. Adams president 1825 Erie Canal completed 1826 Jefferson, then Adams, die on 50th anniversary of Declaration, July 4 1827 Ohio Canal opened for business 1828 Noah Webster publishes "American Dictionary of English Language", Apr 14 1828 George Worthington Co. founded in village of Cleaveland 1828 Baltimore & Ohio railroad, the first designed for passengers & freight 1829 Arthur, 21st President, born; dies 1886 1829 Estate of James Smithson funds Smithsonian Institution 1831 Samuel F. Smith writes "My Country, 'tis of Thee" 1831 Nat Turner leads slave revolt at Southhampton 1831 Garfield, 20th President (and 3rd in a row from Ohio), born; dies 1881 1832 Abe Lincoln enlists in Illinois militia to help fight Sauk & Fox Indians 1832 Jackson vetoes rechartering of 2nd Bank, causes birth of Whig Party 1832 Jackson supporters counter with rebirth of Jefferson Democratic Party 1833 Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President, born; dies 1901 1833 First tax-supported public library, at Peterborough, NH, Apr 9 1833 Oberlin College, in Ohio, is first coed college in U.S.A. 1833 City of Cleveland buys its first fire engine for $285 1834 Death of Lafayette, Revolutionary War hero on two continents 1834 Charles Babbage demonstrates "analytic engine", a computer 1835 U.S.A. becomes debt free (briefly) for only time in history 1836 The Alamo. 6000 Mexicans defeat 190 Americans in 12 days on March 6 1837 Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President, born; dies 1908 1837 Sitting Bull born, dies in 1890 1837 Concord Hymn, by Emerson, commemorates battle of Concord NH in 1775 1838 Osceola dies in prison after being tricked by false white flag 1838 Trail of Tears. Thousands of Indians forced from their homes & die 1838 Black Hawk, famous Sauk warrior, dies of old age 1839 Abner Doubleday invents baseball at Cooperstown, NY 1839 Railway Express Co. founded in Boston 1840 Chief Joseph born near Wallowa, OR. Becomes great chief of Nez Perce' 1841 Wm. H. Harrison catches cold at Inauguration, dies a month later 1841 Russia sells their Fort Ross in California to John Sutter 1842 Crazy Horse born in South Dakota 1842 Plain Dealer Publishing Co. founded in Cleveland 1842 Webster-Ashburton Treaty defines Canadian-U.S. frontier, Aug 9 1843 McKinley, 25th President (5th from Ohio), born; dies 1901 1844 Samuel F. B. Morse opens telegraphic link between Baltimore and D.C. 1845 U. S. Naval Academy opens at Annapolis, MD 1845 Texas is annexed; war with Mexico follows 1846 Large crack in Liberty Bell gets too bad to permit ringing any more 1846 Potato famine in Ireland. Many flee to America for survival 1847 Brigham Young leads his followers into Salt Lake City, UT area 1847 Thomas Alva Edison born in Milan, OH February 11; dies in 1931 1847 American troops fight their way into the Halls of Montezuma in Mexico 1848 Treaty of 1848 gets CA, NM, AZ, NV UT, parts of CO and WY for the Union 1848 Cornerstone laid for the Washington Monument 1849 There's G O L D in them thar hills! Invasion of California begins 1849 Eastern Michigan University founded. 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, Sept. 18 1851 Isaac Singer granted a patent for his sewing machine 1853 Gadsden Purchase brings some Mexican territory into U.S.A. 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry opens trade routes with Japan, July 14 1853 Cincinnati is first city to pay firefighters a salary 1854 War between Cleveland and Ohio City settled by annexation of latter 1854 Kansas - Nebraska Act. Provides springboard for Abe Lincoln 1854 Republican Party formed in Ripon, WI 28 February, under John Fremont 1854 George Boole writes on theories of logic and probabilities 1855 Soo Canal opens upper Great Lakes to commercial navigation 1855 Longfellow uses name of real Six Nation's hero Hiawatha in mythical poem 1856 Wilson, 28th President, born; dies 1924 1856 Western Union Telegraph Co. established in Cleveland 1856 Cocaine extracted from cocoa leaves, but has no legitimate use (ever!) 1857 Dred Scott decision handed down by Supreme Court, March 6 1857 Transatlantic cable begins; used briefly in 1858. Replaced in 1866 1857 Taft, 27th President (7th from Ohio), born; dies 1930 1858 Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President, born; dies 1919 1859 Abolitionist John Brown leads assault on armory at Harper's Ferry 1859 Colonel Robert E. Lee, U. S. Army, commands troops at Harpers Ferry 1859 Drake puts down first oil well in U.S.A., Titusville, PA 1860 Annie Oakley born in Darke County, Ohio, log cabin, August 13 1860 Pony Express riders leave Sacramento, CA and St. Joseph, MO on 1st ride 1860 Edwin C. Higbee opens store on Cleveland Public Square 1860 South Carolina becomes first state to secede from Union, December 20 1861 Confederate States adopt Provisional Constitution, February 8 1861 Civil War begins at Fort Sumter, Charleston, SC, April 12 1861 Ohioan Generals Grant, Sherman and Sheridan ride off to war 1861 Congress enacts first income tax August 2, on incomes more than $800 1861 U. S. Navy's first aircraft carrier launches hot air balloon Aug 3 1861 First Congressional Medals of Honor awarded, to Union Navymen 1861 First transcontinental telegraph kills need for Pony Express 1862 The Homestead Act, May 20, contributes to development in ND, SD, and OK 1862 Duel between Merrimac and Monitor March 8; CSS Merrimac withdrew 1862 Battle of Shiloh, Apr 6 1862 Ohioans LTC R. B. Hayes and Sgt Wm. McKinley saw action at Antietam 1863 The Emancipation Proclamation 1863 The Gettysburg Address dedicated to more than two score thousand dead 1864 Lincoln posed for photograph which appears on $5 bill, Feb 9 1864 "In God We Trust" put on American coins for the first time April 22 1864 Massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians at Sand Creek, CO, Nov 29 1864 Lincoln proclaims last Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day 1865 13th amendment abolishes slavery 1865 Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox on Palm Sunday, April 9 1865 Lincoln shot by Boothe April 14, dies next day 1865 Confederate Army surrenders at Shreveport, LA; Civil War ends May 26 1865 Last shot of Civil War fired by CSS Shenandoah in Bering Sea, June 22 1865 Harding, 29th President (8th from Ohio), born; dies in 1923 1866 Ohio briefly adopts state motto: "Imperium in Imperio" 1866 Congress recognizes the Metric system of measurements 1866 Alfred Nobel invents something that is "dynamite" 1866 ASPCA organized, Apr 10 1866 First roller rink in the world opens at Newport, RI 1867 British North American Act creates the Dominion of Canada 1867 US buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million 1868 14th amendment prohibits voting discrimination, among other things 1868 House impeaches President Johnson. Senate acquits him by one vote 1869 Transcontinental railroad completed; Ogden, UT wins the golden spike 1869 Cleveland's first professional baseball team is The Forest City's 1869 Suez Canal completed 1870 "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", in a nuclear submarine 1870 15th Amendment gives blacks the right to vote 1870 John D. Rockefeller founds Standard Oil Company, in Cleveland, OH 1870 Robert E. Lee dies, October 12 1871 Dr. B. F. Goodrich opens rubber factory in Akron, OH 1871 Mrs. O'Leary's cow blamed for Chicago fire, Oct 8-11 1872 Coolidge, 30th President, born; dies 1933 1872 Susan B. Anthony leads protest for women at polling place 1872 Yellowstone National Park created; our first of many (but too few) 1873 Bellevue Hospital in NYC starts first school of nursing 1874 Hoover, 31st President, born; dies 1964 1874 Guglielmo Marconi, radio pioneer, born April 25 1875 Gold discovered in the Sioux holy grounds, the Black Hills of SD 1875 First running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchhill Downs, May 17 1876 Custer makes his way into the history books at Little Big Horn in Montana 1876 Liberty statue presented by France, construction requires ten years 1876 Internal combustion engine invented by N. A. Otto (pronounced "auto") 1876 Does the name "Alexander Graham" ring a Bell? Telephone invented 1877 Crazy Horse dies in a Nebraska prison from stab wounds 1878 First electric street lighting anywhere is on Cleveland Public Square 1878 First commercial telephone exchange is at New Haven, CT, Jan 28 1879 John D. Rockefeller organizes the Standard Oil Trust 1879 Charles McGill is last felon publicly hanged on Cleveland Public Square 1880 Case School of Applied Science established in Cleveland 1881 Booker T. Washington opens Tuskegee Institute for blacks 1881 Garfield assassinated. Arthur moves into the presidency 1882 F. D. Roosevelt, 32nd President, born; dies 1945 1883 Indonesian volcano Krakatau blows it's top; 35,000 die 1883 Brooklyn Bridge completed May 24. No, it is not for sale! 1884 Truman, 33rd President, born; dies 1972 1884 First "World Series" played 1886 Geronimo surrenders all Apache nations, September 4 1887 Susan Salter, Argonia, KS, is first woman mayor in U.S.A., Apr 4 1888 Electric streetcars introduced, in Richmond, VA 1889 Indian Territory becomes Oklahoma Territory, thrown open to landrushers 1889 First American skyscraper soars into Chicago skies, 10 stories 1889 Jefferson Davis dies at age 81 on December 6 1890 Eisenhower, 34th President, born; dies 1969 1890 First skyscraper in New York City is the World Building, 26 stories 1890 Massacre at Wounded Knee, SD, December 29 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Act, July 2 1890 Leonidas Merritt discovers iron ore lode at Mesabi, MN 1892 First bridge to span the lower Mississippi river is at Memphis 1892 Rudolf Diesel invents internal combustion engine that runs on oil 1892 Pledge of Allegiance published. Changes made in 1954 1893 "America the Beautiful" written by Katherine Lee Bates 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson establishes hated "separate but equal" provision 1898 USS Maine blown up in harbor at Havana, Cuba, February 15 1898 Spanish - American War. Teddy Roosevelt rough-rides his way into Cuba 1898 Independent republic of Hawaii annexed 1900 Boxer Rebellion against foreigners in China begins 1901 McKinley assassinated, Theodore Roosevelt moves into presidency Sept 14 1902 State of Ohio authorizes a state flag on May 9 1902 First 4-H Club anywhere is in Springfield, OH 1903 Wright brothers prove they are right for aviation, Kitty Hawk, NC Dec 17 1903 Great automobile race from New York City to Pittsburgh takes eight days 1904 Chief Joseph dies in exile in Washington state, fighting no more, forever 1904 Ohio adopts Scarlet Carnation as state flower to honor McKinley 1906 Great San Francisco earthquake April 18 kills over 500 people 1908 First Model T rolls off the Ford assembly line 1908 U.S. Governors issue Declaration on Conservation, May 15 1908 L. B. Johnson, 36th President, born; dies 1973 1909 Great White Fleet of 16 battleships completes trip around the world 1909 Robert E. Peary (a white) & Matthew A. Henson (a black) reach North Pole 1909 NAACP founded by W. E. B. DuBois 1910 Boy Scouts of America founded, Feb 8 1911 First transcontinental flight takes 82 hours, over nearly 2 months 1911 Reagan, 40th President, born 1912 Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) founded March 12 1912 Garrett Morgan of Cleveland invents the gas mask 1912 Titanic hits iceberg, April 15. 1503 lives lost 1913 Harriet Tubman, heroine of underground railroad, dies; buried in Ohio 1913 Nixon, 37th President, born 1913 Ford, 38th President (1st non-elected), born 1913 16th Amendment establishes income tax 1913 17th Amendment changed election rules for Senators 1914 Panama Canal completed 1914 American Radio Relay League (ARRL) founded in Newington, CT by W1AW 1914 World War I begins in Europe; President Wilson declares neutrality 1915 SS Lusitania sunk May 7; 1100 lives lost 1916 General John "Blackjack" Pershing chases Pancho Villa deep into Mexico 1917 After scores of U-boat incidents over last 3 years, U. S. enters WW I 1917 Kennedy, 35th President, born; dies 1963 1917 Russian Revolution; they enjoy brief democracy for only time in history 1917 Father Edward Flanagan founds Boy's Town, December 1 1918 The American's Creed adopted April 3 1918 Armistice ends WW I on 11th hour of 11th day of 11th month 1919 18th Amendment introduces prohibition of intoxicating liquors 1920 19th Amendment brings women the vote, Aug 26 1921 Man O' War retires to 26 years at stud 1923 Garrett Morgan of Cleveland invents traffic signals 1923 Teapot Dome scandal involves illegal lease on Navy oil reserves 1924 Carter, 39th President, born 1924 Bush, 41st President, born 1924 Congress confers citizenship on (some) Native Americans, June 15 1925 First municipal airport in the world is Hopkins, at Cleveland, OH 1925 First female as a state governor is Nellie Taylor Ross, in Wyoming 1925 John T. Scopes convicted of teaching evolution in Dayton, TN, July 24 1926 Richard E. Byrd flies over North Pole May 9 1927 Lucky Lindy lands in Paris May 21 after non-stop flight from New York 1928 Richard E. Byrd flies over South Pole November 28 1929 St. Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago; rival bootleggers shoot it out 1929 Great Depression begins after bank and stock failures in October 1930 DuMont's television broadcast in NYC to private homes, August 20 1931 The National Anthem finally adopted by Congress March 3 1931 Empire State Building opens May 1 1932 20th Amendment established starting date for Presidency & Congress 1932 Welland Canal bypasses Niagara Falls for shipping 1933 First woman in Presidential Cabinet is Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins 1933 Emergency Banking Act, March 9 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps, March 31 1933 Federal Emergency Relief Act, Agriculture Adjustment Act, May 12 1933 Tennessee Valley Authority Act, May 18 1933 Farm Credit Act, June 16 1933 21st Amendment repeals prohibition amendment 1933 Ohio adopts the Cardinal as the "Official Bird" 1934 Securities and Exchange Commission created June 6 1935 Works Progress Administration approved by Congress, April 8 1935 Wagner-Connery Act establishes National Labor Relations Board, July 5 1935 Social Security Act, August 14 1937 Amelia Earhart Putnam disappears during attempt to fly around the world 1937 Adolph Hitler tells his generals of his plan to take over Europe, Nov 5 1939 Geological Surv. final report on cost of Louisiana Purchase $23.2 million 1939 After attacking other nations, Hitler starts WW II by attacking Poland 1939 Bill of Rights finally ratified by Massachusetts, Georgia & Connecticut 1941 Lend-Lease Act became law March 11 1941 Churchill & Roosvelt develop The Atlantic Charter, Aug 14 in Argentia 1941 December 7, the Day of Infamy, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, HI 1942 Executive Order 9066 imprisons many thousands of Nisei for three years 1942 Jimmy Doolittle bombs Tokyo, flying B-25's from USS Hornet, April 18 1942 The Battle of the Coral Sea, May 7-8 1942 The Battle of Midway, June 4 1942 The Battles of Guadalcanal: ashore, August 7; at sea, Nov 12-15 1942 First self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, by Fermi, December 2 1944 Landing at Anzio Beach by the Allies, January 22 1944 D-Day at Normandy! The Longest Day begins, June 6 1944 The Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 19 1945 Marines raise the flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, February 23 1945 First atomic bomb exploded anywhere is at Los Alamos, NM, July 16 1945 B-29 'Enola Gay' drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Aug 6 1945 Last atomic bomb then in existence dropped at Nagasaki, August 9 1945 World War II ends: first in Europe, May 7; then in Japan, Sept 2 1945 United Nations chartered in San Francisco; in 1950 moves to NYC 1946 Taft-Hartley Act outlaws certain practices of trade unions 1947 Truman Doctrine opposes Communism in Greece and elsewhere, Mar 12 1947 Marshall Plan helps rebuild Europe, June 5 1947 Transistor invented at Bell Labs, in New Jersey, Dec 23 1948 Foreign Assistance Act funds the Marshall Plan, April 3 1948 Organization of American States (OAS) formed, April 30 1948 United Nations creates Republic of Israel out of Palestine 1948 Berlin airlift begins nearly a year of relief to overcome blockade 1948 Native Americans allowed to vote (finally) in New Mexico and Arizona 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization born, April 4 1950 North Korea invades South Korea, June 25 1951 22nd Amendment limits president to two terms. 1st proposer: Jefferson 1953 Most "declared" hostilities end in Korea, 38th parallel becomes DMZ 1953 Ohio adopts the Buckeye as the "Official Tree" 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka overturns Plessy v. Ferguson 1954 Remington Rand sells a UNIVAC system to General Motors 1955 Dr. Jonas Salk proves his vaccine against polio virus is safe 1957 Sputnik 1959 Ohio adopts new Official Motto: "With God, All Things Are Possible" 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway opens the Great Lakes to foreign shipping, Apr 25 1960 23rd Amendment granted Electoral College representation to DC 1962 Ohioan John Glenn is first U. S. astronaut to orbit earth, Feb 20 1962 Military aid begins in South Vietnam 1963 Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. announces "I Have A Dream" on August 28 1963 John F. Kennedy assassinated, Johnson moves into presidency 1964 24th Amendment killed "poll taxes" 1964 Civil Rights Act put teeth in Federal enforcement of anti-discrimination 1964 Tonkin Gulf Resolution, Aug 24; repealed in 1970 1965 Ohio Flint adopted as the Official Gem Stone of the state 1967 25th Amendment allows President to step aside temporarily, then resume 1967 Thurgood Marshall is first black to become a justice on Supreme Court 1968 Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. murdered in Memphis 1969 Ohioan Neil Armstrong took one small step for a man, onto the moon 1971 26th amendment gives 18 year olds the vote 1972 Equal Rights Amendment proposed by Congress; never ratified by states 1973 Vice President Agnew forced to resign, Ford becomes 1st non-elected VP 1973 Roe et al v. Wade decision starts bitter abortion/anti-abortion debates 1974 Nixon resigns in disgrace, Ford moves into the presidency 1975 The fall of Saigon, South Vietnam 1980 Mount St. Helens volcano erupts 1981 First female Supreme Court Justice is Sandra Day O'Connor 1984 Geraldine Ferraro is first serious female Vice Presidential candidate 1986 First true community computer system goes online in Cleveland, Ohio 1986 Rutan and Yeager took a one-tank-trip around the world 1986 Shuttle "Challenger" exploded on takeoff, 7 astronauts perished 1987 Second Community computer goes online in Youngstown, Ohio 1989 Ohio adopts new words to official State Song 1989 Cleveland Free-Net II goes on line with 1.2 Gigabytes of storage Adds this Freedom Shrine to a long list of accomplishments 1990 More community computers in: Cincinnati, Peoria, Ill, and Medina Ohio 1990 Communist dominoes fall -- backwards! World rejoices! ---------------------------------------------------------- Prepared by Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300) Distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN). Permission is hereby granted to download, reprint, and/or otherwise redistribute this file, provided appropriate point of origin credit is given to the preparer(s) and the National Public Telecomputing Network. .