January 1 William Lloyd Garrison publishes 1st issue of abolitionist journal January 2 Liberator, abolitionist newspaper, begins publishing in Boston January 3 1st U.S. building and loan association organized, Frankford, Penn January 15 1st U.S. railroad honeymoon trip, Mr. and Mrs. Pierson, Charleston, SC 1st US-built locomotive to pull a passenger train makes 1st run January 22 Charles Darwin takes his Bachelors of Art exam February 5 Jan van Speijk blows up his gunboat in Antwerp, killing about 30 February 7 Belgium adopts it's Constitution February 19 1st practical U.S. coal-burning locomotive makes 1st trial run, Pennsylvania February 20 Polish revolutionaries defeat Russians in battle of Growchow March 2 John Frazee becomes 1st U.S. sculptor to receive a federal commission March 6 Bellini's opera "La Sonnambula," premieres in Milan Edgar Allen Poe removed from West Point military academy Vincenzo Bellini's opera "La Sonnambula," premieres in Milan March 19 1st U.S. bank robbery (City Bank, New York/$245,000) March 31 Mainzer Rijnvaart Convention ends Quebec and Montreal incorporated April 7 Dom Pedro abdicates to son, Dom Pedro II crowned emperor of Brazil April 9 Robert Jenkins loses an ear, starts war between Britain and Spain June 4 National Congress selects Leopold von Saksen-Coburg as King of Belgium June 6 2nd national black convention, Philadelphia July 1 Admiral James C Ross reaches magnetic North Pole July 21 Belgium gains independence from Netherlands, Leopold I made king August 1 London Bridge opens to traffic August 2 Ten day campaign begins, Dutch army occupies Belgium August 8 Battle of Hasselt - Dutch army drives out Belgian Army August 9 1st U.S. steam engine train run (Albany to Schenectady, New York) August 10 Former slave Nat Turner leads uprising against slavery Hurricane hits Barbados; about 1,500 die August 12 Dutch troops conquer Leuven Netherlands and Belgium sign peace treaty August 13 Nat Turner leads uprising of slaves in Virginia August 24 John Henslow asks Charles Darwin to travel with him on HMS Beagle August 29 Michael Faraday demonstrates 1st electric transformer August 30 Charles Darwin refuses to travel with HMS Beagle September 1 Charles Darwin travels aboard HMS Beagle September 11 Charles Darwin meets with Captain Fitzroy at Plymouth September 26 Robert Montgomery Bird's "Gladiator," premieres in New York City October 17 Felix Mendelssohn's 1st Piano concert in G, premieres November 7 State Gran Colombia disbands November 22 Opera "Robert Le Diable" is produced (Paris) December 1 Erie Canal closes for entire month due to cold weather December 5 Former President John Quincy Adams takes his seat as member of House of Representatives December 10 "Spirit of the Times" begins publishing (weekly horse racing sheet) December 25 Louisiana and Arkansas are 1st states to observe Christmas as holiday December 26 Vincenzo Bellini's opera "Norma," premieres in Milan December 27 Darwin begins his voyage on board HMS Beagle HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin depart England for South America
