What Happened in January 1804

Historical Events

  • Jan 1 Haiti gains independence from France (National Day), making it the only state ever founded by former slaves and without slavery
  • Jan 5 Ohio legislature passes 1st laws restricting free blacks movement
  • Jan 30 Scottish explorer Mungo Park leaves England seeking source of Niger River

Bligh Reaches Curacao

Jan 31 British vice-admiral William Blighs fleet reaches Curacao


Famous Birthdays

George Childress (1804-1841)

Jan 8 American lawyer and statesman (author of Texas Declaration of Independence), born in Nashville, Tennessee

  • Jan 12 Hippolyte Monpou, French organist and opera composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1841)
  • Jan 13 John Pringle Nichol, Scottish astronomer and educator (University of Glasgow), born in Huntly Hill, Scotland (d. 1859)
  • Jan 13 Paul Gavarni, French caricaturist (d. 1866)
  • Jan 14 John Park, Scottish composer and minister, born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland (d. 1865)
  • Jan 16 Karl August Krebs, German conductor and composer, born in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1880)
  • Jan 20 Eugène Sue, French novelist (d. 1857)
  • Jan 21 Eliza Roxcy Snow, American poet (d. 1887)
  • Jan 31 Jozsef Bajza, Hungarian poet and critic, born in Szücsi (d. 1858)

Famous Deaths

  • Jan 4 Charlotte Lennox, English novelist (The Female Quixote), dies
  • Jan 15 Dru Drury, English entomologist (b. 1725)