What Happened in May 1843

Historical Events

  • May 4 Great Britain annexes Natal
  • May 18 United Free Church of Scotland forms
  • May 22 1st wagon train with 700 - 1000 migrants, departs Independence, Missouri for Oregon

Famous Birthdays

  • May 2 Karl Michael Ziehrer, Austrian composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1922)
  • May 6 Grove Karl Gilbert, American geologist (investigated Lake Bonneville, Utah), born in Rochester, New York (d. 1918)
  • May 9 Isabella "Belle" Boyd, American actress and Confederate spy during US Civil War, born in Martinsburg, Virginia (d. 1900)
  • May 10 Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish novelist (Episodios Nacionales), born in Las Palmas, Spain (d. 1920)
  • May 10 Kaufmann Kohler, German-born American reform rabbi and theologian, born in Fürth (d. 1926)
  • May 13 Paul Smet de Naeyer, Belgian politician and count (Prime Minister of Belgium 1896-99, 1899-1907), born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1913)
  • May 20 Pedro Miguel Marques y Garcia, Spanish violinist and composer, born in Palma, Majorca, Spain (d. 1918)
  • May 21 Charles-Albert Gobat, Swiss politician, recipient of the 1902 Nobel Peace Prize, born in Tramelan, Switzerland (d. 1914)
  • May 21 Louis Renault, French lawyer, born in Autun, France (d. 1918)
  • May 29 Émile Pessard, French pianist, concert and comic opera composer, and teacher (Maurice Ravel, Jacques Ibert), born in Paris (d. 1917)

Famous Deaths

  • May 12 Charlotte von Kalb, German writer, dies at 81
  • May 12 Johann Georg Lickl, Austrian organist, kapellmeister, and composer, dies at 74
  • May 24 Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician, dies at 78

Noah Webster (1758-1843)

May 28 American lexicographer (Webster's Dictionary), dies at 84