What Happened in 1804

Mykola Markevych Is Born

Mykola Markevych (Ukrainian: Микола Маркевич) (1804-1860) was a Ukrainian musician, composer, historian, ethnographer, and poet. Mykola... Read more

Jean Jacques Dessalines Declares Haiti's Independence with Himself as Emperor

On January 1, 1804 Dessalines then declared independence, reclaiming the indigenous Taíno name of Haiti ("Land of Mountains") for the new nation.... Read more

Elizabeth Palmer Peabody is Born

Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, the educator who opened the first English-language kindergarten in the United States, was born on May 16, 1804, in... Read more

The Twelfth Amendment is ratified

The Twelfth Amendment (Amendment XII) to the United States Constitution provides the procedure by which the President and Vice President are... Read more

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Duel

On July 11, 1804, two of the most famous men in America stood in a clearing at Weehawken, New Jersey, facing each other with loaded dueling... Read more

A Formal Ceremony Transfers The Louisiana Territory From France To The United States

Effective on October 1, 1804, the purchased territory was organized into the Territory of Orleans (most of which became the state of Louisiana) and... Read more

Franklin Pierce Is Born

Franklin Pierce, 14th president of the United States, was born on November 23, 1804 in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. Like his predecessor James K.... Read more