What Happened in January 1815

Historical Events

  • Jan 3 France, the United Kingdom, and Austria form an alliance against Russia and Prussia
  • Jan 8 Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812); the war had ended on 24th December 1814 but none of the combatants knew
  • Jan 15 War of 1812: the USS President, an American frigate, is captured by four British frigates

Library of Congress

Jan 30 Burned US Library of Congress re-established with Thomas Jefferson's 6,500 volumes


1815 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Jan 1 Charles Renouvier, French philosopher, born in Montpellier, France (d. 1903)
  • Jan 8 George Webb Morell, American Major General (Union Army), born in Cooperstown, New York (d. 1883)
  • Jan 8 Lawrence Pike Graham, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Amelia County, Virginia (d. 1905)
  • Jan 9 William Jackson of Masham, English composer and organist, born in Masham, Yorkshire (d. 1866)
  • Jan 10 Alexander Brydie Dyer, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1874)
  • Jan 10 Thomas Williams, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Albany, New York (d. 1862)

John A. Macdonald (1815-1891)

Jan 11 Canadian politician and businessman (1st Prime Minister of Canada 1867-73, 1878-91), born in Glasgow, Scotland [1]

  • Jan 13 William Henry French, American Major General (Union Army), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1881)
  • Jan 15 Henry Morris Naglee, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1886)
  • Jan 16 Adolph Trube, German organist, teacher and composer, born in Waldenburg, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1857)
  • Jan 16 Henry Wagner "Old Brains" Halleck, American expert in military studies and Major General (Union Army), born in Oneida County, New York (d. 1872)
  • Jan 18 Constantin von Tischendorf, German biblical scholar (d. 1874)
  • Jan 18 James Chesnut Jr, American politician and Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Camden, South Carolina (d. 1885)
  • Jan 18 Richard Yates, American Governor of Illinois (1861-65) and Senator who supported the Union, born in Warsaw, Kentucky (d. 1873)
  • Jan 21 Horace Wells, American dentist (pioneered use of medical anesthesia), born in Hartford, Vermont (d. 1848)
  • Jan 21 John Bingham, American lawyer, politician (US Representative from Ohio (R), 1865-73), and diplomat (US Ambassador to Japan, 1873-85), born in Mercer, Pennsylvania (d. 1900)
  • Jan 22 Ferdinand Christian Wilhelm Praeger, Dutch-British pianist, composer, composer, and writer (Wagner As I Knew Him), born in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1891)
  • Jan 28 Andrew Jackson Hamilton, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Huntsville, Alabama (d. 1875)
Born in 1815

Famous Weddings

Lord Byron

Jan 2 Leading Romantic poet Lord Byron (27) marries Anne Isabella Milbanke (22) by special licence, at Seaham Hall in County Durham

Famous Deaths

  • Jan 8 Edward Pakenham, Engl general (Battle of New Orleans), dies in battle
  • Jan 15 Emma, Lady Hamilton, English mistress of Lord Nelson, dies of liver failure at 49
  • Jan 21 Matthias Claudius, German poet (Death and the Maiden), and journalist (Der Wandsbecker Bote), dies at 74
  • Jan 31 José Félix Ribas, Venezuelan independentist leader (b. 1775)