January 8
January 8
The Battle of New Orleans
Just two weeks after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, U.S. General Andrew Jackson achieves the greatest American victory of the War of 1812 at the Battle of New…
A Year In History: 1815
This Year in History:
1815
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 8
January 8
Jackson leads troops to victory at New Orleans
On this day in 1815, General Andrew Jackson and his troops win the decisive Battle of New Orleans in the waning moments of the War of 1812. Although the war…
March 5
March 5
Innovator of hypnotism dies
Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician who pioneered the medical field of hypnotic therapy, dies in obscurity in Meersburg, Swabia (now Germany). Born in 1734, Mesmer studied religion, philosophy, law,…
April 10
April 10
Indonesian volcano erupts, killing more than 100,000
On April 10, the most powerful volcanic eruption in human history begins in earnest when Indonesia’s Tambora volcano sends ash 20 miles into the atmosphere and boiling liquified rock starts…
June 2
June 2
Union General Philip Kearny is born
Philip Kearny, one of the most promising generals in the Union army, is born in New York City. Raised in a wealthy family, Kearny attended Columbia University and became a…
June 18
June 18
Napoleon defeated at Waterloo
At Waterloo in Belgium on June 18, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte suffers defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history.…
December 11
December 11
Madison presents trade agreement to Congress
On this day in 1815, President James Madison (1809‑1817) presents to Congress a trade agreement with Great Britain that would regulate commerce between the two countries. The agreement came just…
