The world in
What happened in 1844?
11 events across 5 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Unification of ItalyThe unification of Italy, also known as the Risorgimento, was the 19th-century political and social movement that consolidated various states of the Italian peninsula into the single Kingdom of Italy. On 17 March 1861 the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in Turin, and the process completed in 1871 with Rome as the capital, following its capture in 1870.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Sebastiano De Albertis / Public domain ↗
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Caucasian WarThe Caucasian War was a 19th-century conflict of conquest by the Russian Empire against various peoples of the North Caucasus, lasting from 1817 to 1864. Imam Shamil led fierce resistance, repeatedly repelling Russian attacks, until the fall of Gunib and his capture in 1859. The war ended with the final subjugation of the Circassians and the annexation of the region in 1864.
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Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian WarIn 1763, the Russian Empire invaded Circassia and occupied Mozdok, prompting the Circassian people to organize a resistance movement to preserve their independence, marking the beginning of the Russo-Circassian War. This conflict became the longest war in the history of the Caucasus and of Russia, ending in 1864 with the defeat of Circassian forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Heinrich Ambros Eckert / Public domain ↗
Foundation of the Church of the RedeemerIn 1844, the Church of the Redeemer was built in Potsdam, Germany. The design was based on sketches by King Frederick William IV of Prussia and realized by architect Ludwig Persius. It features Italian Romanesque Revival architecture with a separate campanile.
East Asia
- Signing of the Treaty of Wanghia
On July 3, 1844, the Qing dynasty and the United States signed the Treaty of Wanghia at the Kun Iam Temple in Macao. It was the first unequal treaty imposed by the U.S. on China, granting the U.S. the same privileges as Britain under the Treaty of Nanking, plus additional rights like preferential cabotage and expanded extraterritoriality. The treaty came into effect until replaced in 1943.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Opium WarsThe Opium Wars were two military conflicts between the Qing dynasty and Western powers in the mid-19th century, beginning in 1839. The first conflict was triggered by the opium prohibition, and the second is considered a continuation of the first.
Construction of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady, MacauThe Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady (also known as the Sé Cathedral), the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau, was constructed around the mid-19th century. Located in Largo da Sé, it forms part of the Historic Centre of Macau.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
North Africa
French conquest of AlgeriaBetween 1830 and 1904, France launched a military invasion and prolonged war of conquest in Algeria. In June 1830, French forces landed near Algiers, quickly seizing the capital and coastal areas. Over the following decades, despite internal political strife, France repeatedly reinforced its military presence to suppress resistance in the interior, gradually extending control southward into the Sahara, and finalizing its colonial borders by 1904.
Franco-Moroccan WarIn 1844, a war broke out between France and Morocco, primarily triggered by Morocco's harboring of Algerian resistance leader Abd al-Kader and its refusal to cease support for his struggle against French colonial rule. Under King Louis-Philippe, France dispatched a naval squadron to the Moroccan coast for military operations.
Central & South America
- Dominican War of Independence
The Dominican War of Independence began on February 27, 1844, when the Dominican Republic declared independence from Haiti, and ended in 1856. Prior to the war, the island of Hispaniola had been unified under Haitian rule for 22 years. The conflict resulted in a Dominican victory, securing the nation's independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
Founding of Grant ParkIn 1844, a park on the Lake Michigan shore in downtown Chicago was established as Lake Park. Covering about 1.29 km², it later became a major urban public space and was renamed Grant Park in 1901 in honor of President Ulysses S. Grant.
Around 1844
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Museum Island construction begins
- Completion of Dom Pedro V Theatre
- Establishment of Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage
- Construction of Hôtel Solvay begins
- Founding of Kulangsu as an International Settlement
- Construction of the Four Hydraulic Boat Lifts on the Canal du Centre begins
- Founding of Nelson's Dockyard