Timeline May 1840

Events in May 1840 4

• 1774 – 1840 Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) Died 7 May 1840, aged 65 Caspar David Friedrich was a German Romantic painter celebrated for his allegorical landscapes featuring solitary figures confronting vast natural scenes. His work, including Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, became a defining image of Romanticism. He died in relative obscurity in Dresden on 7 May 1840.
• 1840 Transportation of convicts to New South Wales ends British penal transportation policy shifts In 1840, the British government ended the transportation of convicts to New South Wales following decades of settler opposition to the practice. Transportation continued to other Australian colonies, including Van Diemen's Land and later Western Australia. The change marked a turning point in the colony's shift away from a penal economy.
• 1840 Penny Black postage stamp enters use First adhesive postage stamp in the world The Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, went on sale on 1 May 1840 and became valid for use on 6 May 1840 across the United Kingdom. It featured a profile of Queen Victoria and was part of postal reforms led by Rowland Hill. The stamp established the prepaid postage model still used worldwide.
• 1840 – 1893 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Russian Romantic composer Russian composer whose Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty ballets and 1812 Overture are among the most beloved works in classical music.