January 1 London's Daily Universal Registrar becomes the Times January 1 Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipate their slaves January 2 Georgia is 4th state to ratify U.S. constitution January 9 Connecticut becomes 5th state January 18 English settlers arrive in Australia's Botany Bay to setup penal colony January 20 Pioneer African Baptist church organizes in Savannah, Ga January 26 Captain Arthur Phillip hoists English flag on Port Jackson, New South Wales January 28 Captain Arthur Phillip forms English colony at Sydney, Botany Bay NSW January 28 Lord Gordon found guilty of libel of queen of France January 29 Australia Day February 1 1st U.S. steamboat patent issued, by Georgia to Briggs and Longstreet February 6 Massachusetts becomes 6th state to ratify constitution February 9 Austria declares war on Russia March 21 Fire destroyed 856 buildings in New Orleans Louisiana March 21 Gustavus Vassa petitions Queen Charlotte, to free enslaved Africans April 7 1st settlement in Ohio, at Marietta April 15 England, Netherlands and Prussia sign peace treaty April 28 Maryland becomes 7th state to ratify constitution May 9 English parliament accepts abolishing of slave trade May 23 South Carolina becomes 8th state to ratify U.S. constitution June 7 Masses stone French government army at Grenoble June 11 1st British ship built on Pacific coast begun at Nootka Sound June 21 U.S. Constitution goes into effect as New Hampshire is 9th to ratify June 21 Vizille France population demands local parliament June 25 Virginia becomes 10th state to ratify U.S. constitution July 17 Russian fleet destroys Swedish July 26 New York becomes 11th state to ratify constitution July 26 Sydney, Australia settled by British colonists August 8 King Louis XVI calls French States and Generals together August 13 Prussia joins Anglo-Dutch alliance to form Triple Alliance to prevent spread of Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90 August 17 Losantville, OH (now Cincinnati) founded August 22 Sierra Leone, settled by British as a former haven for slaves August 27 Jacques Neeker names French minister of Finance September 13 New York City becomes 1st capital of US December 17 Russian army of Grigorij Potemkin occupies Ocharov December 19 Chinese troops occupy capital Thang Long Vietnam December 21 Hue Tay Son becomes emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam December 23 Maryland votes to cede a 10 mile area for District of Columbia
