January 1 Dutch Trade Company NHM gets opium monopoly on Java January 17 Duke of Wellington appointed British supreme commander January 21 Freedom Journal, 1st Black paper, begins publishing February 7 Ballet (Deserter) introduced to U.S. at Bowery Theater (New York City) February 27 1st Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans February 28 1st commercial railroad in U.S., Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) chartered March 15 Freedom's Journal, 1st Black newspaper, publishes March 15 University of Toronto is chartered March 16 1st U.S. black newspaper, "Freedom's Journal" (New York City), begins publishing March 29 20,000 attend Ludwig von Beethovens burial in Vienna April 2 Joseph Dixon begins manufacturing lead pencils April 7 English chemist John Walker invents wooden matches June 5 Turks capture Acropolis and takes Athens during Greek War of Independ July 4 Slavery abolished in NY July 23 1st U.S. swim school opens (Boston Mass) August 10 Race riots in Cincinnati (1,000 blacks leave for Canada) August 17 Dutch King Willem I/Pope Leo XII sign concord October 15 Charles Darwin reaches Christ's Counsel, Cambridge October 20 Battle at Navarino: Engl/Russian/French fleet beat Turk/Egyptian fleet November 15 Creek-indians lose all their property in US
