February 2
February 2
Russians establish Fort Ross in California
Staking a tenuous claim to the riches of the Far West, Russians establish Fort Ross on the coast north of San Francisco. As a growing empire with a long Pacific…
A Year In History: 1812
This Year in History:
1812
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
February 7
February 7
Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in Mississippi
On February 7, 1812, the most violent of a series of earthquakes near Missouri causes a so‑called fluvial tsunami in the Mississippi River, actually making the river run backward for…
May 11
May 11
British prime minister Spencer Perceval assassinated
In London, Spencer Perceval, prime minister of Britain since 1809, is shot to death by deranged businessman John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons. Bellingham, who was…
June 18
June 18
War of 1812 begins
June 18, 1812: The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signs the declaration into law—and the…
June 24
June 24
Napoleon’s Grande Armee invades Russia
Following the rejection of his Continental System by Czar Alexander I, French Emperor Napoleon orders his Grande Armee, the largest European military force ever assembled to that date, into Russia.…
August 16
August 16
U.S. surrenders Fort Detroit to the British
During the War of 1812, American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit and his army to the British without a fight. Hull, a 59‑year‑old veteran of the American Revolution, had…
August 19
August 19
Old Ironsides earns its name
During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeats the British frigate Guerrière in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British…
September 14
September 14
Napoleon enters Moscow
One week after winning a bloody victory over the Russian army at the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grande Armée enters the city of Moscow, only to find the population…
October 13
October 13
Sir Isaac Brock saves Canada from U.S. invasion
During the War of 1812, British and Indian forces under Sir Isaac Brock defeat Americans under General Stephen Van Rensselaer at the Battle of Queenstown Heights, on the Niagara frontier…
October 19
October 19
Napoleon retreats from Moscow
One month after Napoleon Bonaparte’s massive invading force entered a burning and deserted Moscow, the starving French army is forced to begin a hasty retreat out of Russia. Following the…
