1789

Events in 1789 25

• 1712 – 1789 Charles-Michel de l'Epee (1712-1789) Died 23 December 1789, aged 77 Charles-Michel de l'Epee was a French Catholic cleric who founded the first free school for the deaf in Paris, developing a system of signed French that laid groundwork for modern sign language education. His methods spread across Europe and influenced deaf education worldwide. He is regarded as a founding figure of deaf pedagogy.
• 1737 – 1789 Silas Deane (1737-1789) Died 23 August 1789, aged 50 Silas Deane was an American merchant and diplomat who served as one of the first American envoys to France, helping secure early French support during the Revolutionary War. He was later accused of financial misconduct and died in disputed, possibly poisoned, circumstances in England. His reputation was posthumously restored by Congress in 1842.
• 1738 – 1789 Ethan Allen (1738-1789) Died 12 February 1789, aged 51 Ethan Allen was an American Revolutionary War officer who led the Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. He was a driving force behind the creation of the independent Vermont Republic. He died at his home near Burlington, Vermont.
• 1789 – 1846 Friedrich List (1789-1846) Died 30 November 1846, aged 57 List was a German economist who argued for a national system of protective tariffs and for railway building. His ideas influenced the Zollverein and industrial policy in Germany and the United States.
• 1789 – 1854 Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854) Died 6 July 1854, aged 65 Ohm was a German physicist best known for formulating Ohm's law, which relates voltage, current, and resistance in an electrical circuit. The SI unit of electrical resistance, the ohm, is named in his honor.
• 1789 – 1851 James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) Died 14 September 1851, aged 61 James Fenimore Cooper was an American novelist best known for "The Last of the Mohicans" and his other Leatherstocking Tales set on the American frontier. He was among the first American writers to achieve international renown.
• 1789 – 1925 Qajar dynasty Decline, territorial losses and foreign pressure The Qajar dynasty ruled Iran for over a century but presided over territorial losses to Russia and Britain and growing foreign interference. The 1906 Constitutional Revolution forced the creation of a parliament (Majlis), a landmark in Iran's political modernisation, before the dynasty fell to Reza Khan's coup.
• 1789 Battle of Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da Emperor Quang Trung routs the invading Qing army Vietnamese forces under Emperor Quang Trung (Nguyen Hue) launched a surprise offensive during the Lunar New Year and decisively defeated the occupying Qing Chinese army near Thang Long (Hanoi). The victory ended the Qing intervention in Vietnam and is celebrated annually as a symbol of national resistance. It secured Quang Trung's rule over Dai Viet.
• 1789 First United States Congress convenes New federal legislature meets for the first time under the Constitution The First Congress assembled in New York City under the newly ratified Constitution, though a quorum was not reached until early April. It went on to pass the Judiciary Act and draft the Bill of Rights. Its early sessions established many of the operating precedents of the federal government.
• 1789 Selim III becomes Ottoman Sultan New sultan begins reform-minded reign after Abdul Hamid I's death Selim III ascended to the Ottoman throne following the death of his uncle, Abdul Hamid I. He would go on to launch the Nizam-i Cedid reforms aimed at modernizing the empire's military and administration. His reign coincided with continued war against Russia and Austria.
• 1789 Mutiny on the Bounty Crew seizes HMS Bounty and casts Captain Bligh adrift Led by master's mate Fletcher Christian, part of the crew of HMS Bounty mutinied against Lieutenant William Bligh near Tonga, setting him and eighteen loyal crew members adrift in an open launch. Bligh navigated the small boat over 3,600 nautical miles to Timor, a celebrated feat of seamanship. Many of the mutineers later settled on Pitcairn Island.
• 1789 George Washington inaugurated as first U.S. President Ceremony held on the balcony of Federal Hall, New York George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States under the new Constitution, administered by Chancellor Robert Livingston. The ceremony took place at Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation's capital. His inauguration marked the start of the federal government under the Constitution.
• 1789 Estates-General convenes at Versailles First meeting of the French estates in 175 years Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General, representing the clergy, nobility, and commoners, to address France's fiscal crisis. It was the first time the body had met since 1614. Disputes over voting procedure between the estates quickly escalated into a constitutional crisis.
• 1789 Wilberforce delivers his first anti-slave-trade speech in Parliament Abolition campaign formally begins in the House of Commons William Wilberforce delivered a lengthy speech to the House of Commons detailing the cruelties of the transatlantic slave trade and calling for its abolition. Though his motion was deferred, the speech launched a parliamentary campaign that would continue for nearly two decades. It marked the beginning of organized abolitionist politics in Britain.
• 1789 Nootka Crisis begins Spanish seizure of British ships nearly triggers war Spanish naval forces seized British trading vessels at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island, asserting Spain's claim to exclusive sovereignty over the Pacific Northwest coast. The incident brought Britain and Spain to the brink of war before being resolved diplomatically. The resulting Nootka Conventions later opened the region to British trade and settlement.
• 1789 Third Estate declares the National Assembly Commoners' deputies claim sole legislative authority Deputies of the Third Estate, joined by some clergy, declared themselves the National Assembly, asserting that they alone represented the French nation. The move directly challenged the traditional division of power among the three estates. Louis XVI's attempt to dissolve the body was defied days later at the Tennis Court.
• 1789 Tennis Court Oath Assembly deputies vow not to disband until a constitution is written Locked out of their regular meeting hall, deputies of the newly formed National Assembly gathered on a nearby tennis court and swore not to separate until France had a written constitution. The oath was a direct act of defiance against Louis XVI. It cemented the Assembly's claim to sovereign authority.
• 1789 – 1799 French Revolution End of the Bourbon monarchy The French Revolution overthrew the monarchy, reshaped French society, and spread revolutionary ideals across Europe.
• 1789 Storming of the Bastille Parisian crowd seizes the royal fortress-prison On 14 July 1789, Parisian revolutionaries stormed the Bastille fortress in search of arms and gunpowder, killing the governor and freeing the handful of prisoners held inside. The event became the defining symbol of the uprising against royal authority and is now commemorated as France's national day. It marked the point at which the political crisis turned into open revolution.
• 1789 The Great Fear sweeps rural France Peasant panic and anti-feudal uprisings across the countryside Rumors of an aristocratic conspiracy and roaming bandit gangs triggered widespread panic in the French countryside. Peasants attacked manor houses and destroyed feudal records and dues documents. The unrest pressured the National Assembly toward abolishing feudal privileges.
• 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted National Assembly enshrines liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty The National Constituent Assembly adopted a founding statement of individual and collective rights, including liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. Influenced by Enlightenment thought and the American Declaration of Independence, it became a foundational document of modern human rights. It was later incorporated into the French Constitution.
• 1789 Judiciary Act of 1789 establishes federal courts Congress creates the U.S. federal court system and the Supreme Court The First Congress passed the Judiciary Act, establishing the Supreme Court with a chief justice and five associate justices, along with district and circuit courts. The act laid out the structure of the federal judiciary that remains largely intact today. It also created the office of Attorney General.
• 1789 Congress proposes the Bill of Rights Twelve constitutional amendments sent to the states for ratification The First Congress approved twelve amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these would be ratified in 1791 and become known as the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing fundamental civil liberties. James Madison was the principal author of the amendments.
• 1789 Women's March on Versailles Parisian market women force the royal family back to Paris Thousands of Parisian women, angered by bread shortages, marched to the Palace of Versailles and confronted the king. The crowd compelled Louis XVI and his family to relocate to Paris the following day, placing the monarchy under closer popular and revolutionary scrutiny. The march marked a turning point in the erosion of royal authority.
• 1789 Brabant Revolution begins Austrian Netherlands rises against Habsburg rule Rebel forces defeated an Austrian garrison at the Battle of Turnhout, opening a revolt against the reforms and rule of Emperor Joseph II in the Austrian Netherlands. The uprising led to the short-lived United Belgian States. Austrian troops reconquered the region the following year.