January 30
January 30
Nathaniel Banks born
On this day in 1816, Union General Nathaniel Banks is born in Waltham, Massachusetts. Banks was a political general–he had few military skills, but as an anti‑slave Republican from Massachusetts,…
A Year In History: 1816
This Year in History:
1816
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
April 1
April 1
Jane Austen declines royal librarian’s writing advice
Jane Austen responds to a letter from Rev. James Stanier Clarke, librarian to England’s Prince Regent (the future King George IV), suggesting she write a historic romance, saying, “I could not sit…
April 21
April 21
Charlotte Brontë born
Charlotte Brontë, the only one of three novelist Brontë sisters to live past age 31, is born. Brontë, one of six siblings who grew up in a gloomy parsonage in…
May 5
May 5
The Examiner publishes John Keats’ first poem
The first published poem by 20‑year‑old John Keats appears in The Examiner on May 5, in 1816. Unlike many writers of his day, Keats came from a lower‑middle‑class background. His…
July 31
July 31
Union General George Thomas is born in Virginia
On this day, Union General George H. Thomas, who deserves a share of the credit for the Union success in the west, is born in Southhampton County, Virginia. Thomas exemplified…
October 7
October 7
First double‑decked steamboat, the Washington, arrives in New Orleans
On this day in 1816, a steamboat with a design that will soon prove ideal for western rivers arrives at the docks in New Orleans. The Washington was the work…
November 3
November 3
Jubal Early born
On this day in 1816, Confederate General Jubal Early is born in Franklin County, Virginia. Early had a distinguished career in the Confederate army, and in 1864 he waged a…
December 30
December 30
Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin wed
On this day, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin wed. The pair had run away together in July 1814, but because Shelley was already married they were unable to…
