Timeline May 1847

Events in May 1847 6

• 1847 Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847) Died 15 May 1847, aged 71 Irish political leader known as The Liberator, who won Catholic emancipation in 1829 and campaigned for repeal of the Union. He died in Genoa while travelling to Rome.
• 1847 Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847) Died 14 May 1847, aged 41 German composer and pianist, sister of Felix Mendelssohn, who wrote hundreds of works. She died of a stroke while rehearsing; her brother died six months later.
• 1847 Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) Died 31 May 1847, aged 67 Scottish minister, theologian and social reformer who led the Disruption of 1843 and founded the Free Church of Scotland.
• 1847 Ignaz Semmelweis introduces handwashing Chlorinated hand disinfection cuts deaths from childbed fever in Vienna Ignaz Semmelweis, working at the Vienna General Hospital, required doctors to wash their hands in chlorinated lime solution before examining patients. Mortality from puerperal fever in his clinic fell sharply. His findings were largely rejected by contemporaries.
• 1847 Smithsonian Institution building begun Construction starts on the Castle in Washington Construction of the Smithsonian Institution Building, known as the Castle, began on the National Mall. It was designed by James Renwick Jr. in Norman Revival style. The institution had been established by Congress in 1846 from James Smithson's bequest.
• 1847 Treaty of Erzurum between Persia and the Ottoman Empire Border settlement defines frontier in the Zagros The Second Treaty of Erzurum was signed between the Ottoman and Persian empires, settling territorial disputes after years of tension. It recognised Persian control of Muhammara but affirmed Ottoman sovereignty over Sulaymaniyah.