1785

Events in 1785 5

• 1785 – 1841 David Wilkie (1785-1841) Died 1 June 1841, aged 55 The Scottish painter Sir David Wilkie, celebrated for genre scenes such as 'The Village Festival' and later royal portraits, died at sea off Gibraltar on 1 June 1841 while returning from a trip to the Middle East. He had been a leading figure in British painting since the 1810s and served as King's Painter in Scotland. His realistic depictions of everyday life influenced a generation of genre painters.
• 1785 – 1851 John James Audubon (1785-1851) Died 27 January 1851, aged 65 John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist and painter best known for "The Birds of America," a landmark work documenting North American bird species in life-sized illustrations. The National Audubon Society was later named in his honor.
• 1785 – 1839 Mahmud II (1785-1839) Died 1 July 1839, aged 53 Mahmud II ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1808 and pursued sweeping military and administrative reforms, including the destruction of the Janissary corps in 1826. He died in Constantinople shortly after learning of his army's catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Nezib. His son Abdulmejid I succeeded him as sultan.
• 1785 – 1859 Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859) Died 8 December 1859, aged 74 Thomas De Quincey was an English essayist best known for "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater," an autobiographical account of his addiction that influenced later writers on drugs and altered states of mind. He worked prolifically as a journalist and critic throughout his life. He died in Edinburgh.
• 1785 – 1866 Thomas Love Peacock (1785-1866) Died 23 January 1866, aged 80 English novelist and poet known for satirical works such as Nightmare Abbey and Crotchet Castle. He was also a longtime official of the East India Company and a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley.