January 9 1st hot-air balloon flight in the U.S. lifts off in Philadelphia January 9 Dutch Prince Willem V establishes 2 brigades Drive Artillery January 9 Jean Pierre Blanchard makes 1st balloon flight in North America January 19 French King Louis XVI sentenced to death January 21 Prussia and Russia sign partition treaty (Poland divided) January 23 2nd partition of Poland, between Prussia and Russia January 23 Humane Society of Philadelphia (1st aid society) organized February 1 France declares war on England and Netherlands February 1 Patent granted Ralph Hodgson, New York, for oiled silk and linen February 11 Prussian troops occupy Venlo, Netherlands February 12 1st U.S. fugitive slave law passed; requires return of escaped slaves February 24 French troops conquer Breda February 25 1st cabinet meeting at George Washington's home March 4 French troops conquer Geertruidenberg Netherlands March 4 Washington's 2nd inauguration, shortest speech (133 words) March 18 2nd Battle at Neerwinden: Austria army beats France March 26 Pro-royalist uprising in Vendee region of France April 1 Volcano Unsen on Japan erupts killing about 53,000 April 15 Bank of England hands out 1st 5 pound note April 17 Battle of Warsaw April 22 President Washington attends opening of Rickett's, 1st circus in U.S. April 29 Cornerstone laid for Groningen's new townhall May 19 Netherlands captures French island of St. Maarten (held until 1795) May 21 Curacao Island Council forbids criticism on House of Orange May 25 Father Stephen Theodore Badin is 1st U.S. Roman Catholic priest ordained May 30 Georges Couthon chosen member of French Committee the Salut Public June 10 1st public zoo opens in Paris June 10 Washington replaced Philadelphia as U.S. capital June 11 1st American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick June 20 Eli Whitney patents his cotton gin June 24 1st republican constitution in France adopted July 24 France passes 1st copyright law August 1 France becomes 1st country to use the metric system August 29 Slaves in French colony of St. Domingue (Haiti) freed September 5 In the French Revolution, the "Reign of Terror" begins September 18 President Washington lays cornerstone of Capitol building September 20 British troops under major-general Williamson lands on (French) Haiti September 29 Tennis is 1st mentioned in an English sporting magazine October 28 Eli Whitney applies for a patent on cotton gin October 31 Execution of Girondins at Paris, during Reign of Terror November 8 Louvre in Paris, opens November 10 France ends forced worship of God November 18 Louvre officially opens in Paris November 26 Republican calendar replaces Gregorian calendar in France December 9 Noah Webster establishes New York's 1st daily newspaper, American Minerva December 14 1st state road authorized, Frankfort, Kentucky to Cincinnati
