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March 12

March 12

March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). There are 294 days remaining.

Events

- 515 BC - Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem.
- 1664 - New Jersey becomes a colony of Britain.
- 1803 - Port Gibson, MS is chartered
- 1868 - Henry James O'Farrell attempts to assassinate Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
- 1894 - Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time
- 1912 - The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts in the US) are founded in the US.
- 1913 - Canberra becomes the capital of Australia.
- 1928 - In California, the St. Francis Dam fails, killing 400 people.
- 1930 - Mahatma Gandhi leads a 200-mile march known as Dandi March to the sea in defiance of British opposition, to protest the British monopoly on salt.
- 1933 - Great Depression: Franklin Delano Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This was also the first of his "Fireside Chats."
- 1938 - Anschluss: German troops occupy Austria; annexation declared the following day.
- 1940 - Winter War: Finland signs a harsh peace treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and remaining population are immediately evacuated.
- 1947 - The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.
- 1951 - The Dennis the Menace comic strip appears in newspapers across the USA for the first time.
- 1956 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 500 for the first time (500.24)
- 1958 - In Hilversum, Netherlands, André Claveau wins the third Eurovision Song Contest for France singing "Dors, mon amour" (Sleep, my love).
- 1960 - A fire at a chemical plant in Pusan, Korea kills 68.
- 1967 - Suharto takes over from Sukarno to become President of Indonesia.
- 1968 - Mauritius achieves independence.
- 1987 - Les Misérables opens on Broadway.
- 1992 - Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the British Commonwealth.
- 1992 - 13 are killed and several injured when a tram-car crashes into a crowd of people at the tram-station at Vasaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden.
- 1993 - Several bombs explode in Bombay (Mumbai), India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more.
- 1993 - North Korea nuclear weapons program: North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites.
- 1994 - A photo by Marmaduke Wetherell, previously touted as 'proof' of the Loch Ness monster, is confirmed to be a hoax.
- 1994 - The Church of England ordains its first female priests.
- 1997 - Mikail Markhasev is arrested in Los Angeles, California and charged with shooting Bill Cosby's 27-year-old son, Ennis Cosby.
- 1999 - Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
- 2002 - In Texas, Andrea Yates is found guilty of drowning her five children on June 20, 2001. She is later sentenced to life in prison.
- 2003 - Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, assassinated in Belgrade.
- 2004 - Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea is impeached by its national assembly for the first time in the nation's history.
- 2005 - Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government.

Births

- 1270 - Charles of Valois, son of Philip III of France (d. 1325)
- 1386 - Ashikaga Yoshimochi, Japanese shogun (d. 1428)
- 1478 - Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1516)
- 1607 - Paul Gerhardt, German hymnist (d. 1676)
- 1613 - André Le Nôtre, French landscape architect (d. 1700)
- 1620 - Johann Heinrich Hottinger, Swiss philologist and theologian (d. 1667)
- 1626 - John Aubrey, English antiquary and writer (d. 1697)
- 1637 - Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (d. 1671)
- 1647 - Victor-Maurice, comte de Broglie, French general (d. 1727)
- 1685 - George Berkeley, Irish theologian (d. 1753)
- 1718 - Joseph Damer, English politician (d. 1798)
- 1806 - Jane Pierce, First Lady of the United States (d. 1863)
- 1831 - Clement Studebaker, American automobile pioneer (d. 1901)
- 1824 - Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (d. 1887)
- 1863 - Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italian writer, war hero, and politician (d. 1938)
- 1863 - Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (d. 1945)
- 1888 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish-born ballet dancer (d. 1950)
- 1895 - William C. Lee, U.S. Army general (d. 1948)
- 1896 - Sir John Abbott, third Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1893)
- 1908 - Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (d. 1970)
- 1912 - Irving Layton, Canadian poet
- 1918 - Elaine de Kooning, American artist (d. 1989)
- 1921 - Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (d. 2003)
- 1921 - Gordon MacRae, American singer and actor (d. 1986)
- 1922 - Jack Kerouac, American writer (d. 1969)
- 1922 - Lane Kirkland, American labor leader (d. 1999)
- 1923 - Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater
- 1923 - Wally Schirra, astronaut
- 1923 - Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (d. 2005)
- 1925 - Leo Esaki, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1925 - Harry Harrison, American author
- 1928 - Edward Albee, American dramatist
- 1932 - Barbara Feldon, American actress
- 1932 - Andrew Young, American civil rights activist, politician, and ambassador to the United Nations
- 1940 - Al Jarreau, American singer
- 1941 - Barbara Feldon, American actress and model
- 1942 - Ratko Mladić, Republika Srpska leader
- 1945 - Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, American gangster
- 1946 - Liza Minnelli, American singer and actress
- 1947 - Kalervo Palsa, Finnish artist (d. 1987)
- 1948 - James Taylor, American musician
- 1953 - Carl Hiaasen, American journalist and author
- 1953 - Ron Jeremy, American actor
- 1957 - Steve Harris, English musician (Iron Maiden)
- 1957 - Marlon Jackson, American singer (The Jackson 5)
- 1962 - Darryl Strawberry, baseball player
- 1963 - Joaquim Cruz, Brazilian runner
- 1965 - Steve Finley, baseball player
- 1968 - Aaron Eckhart, American Actor (Erin Brockavich)
- 1969 - Graham Coxon, English musician
- 1970 - Roy Khan, Norwegian singer (Kamelot)
- 1976 - Simon Young, music journalist
- 1985 - Bradley Wright-Phillips, English footballer
- 1986 - Danny Jones, British singer (McFly)

Deaths

- 604 - Pope Gregory I
- 1289 - King Demetre II of Georgia (b. 1259)
- 1374 - Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan (b. 1336)
- 1447 - Shah Rukh, ruler of Persia and Transoxonia (b. 1377)
- 1507 - Cesare Borgia, Italian general and statesman (b. 1475)
- 1608 - Koriki Kiyonaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1530)
- 1628 - John Bull, English composer
- 1648 - Tirso de Molina, Spanish writer
- 1681 - Frans van Mieris, Sr., Dutch painter (b. 1635)
- 1699 - Peder Griffenfeld, Danish statesman (b. 1635)
- 1790 - Andreas Hadik, Austro-Hungarian general (b. 1710)
- 1872 - Zeng Guofan, Chinese politician and general (b. 1811)
- 1889 - Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia
- 1898 - Zacharias Topelius, Finnish-Swedish writer (b. 1818)
- 1925 - Sun Yat Sen, Chinese revolutionary, politician (b. 1866)
- 1937 - Charles-Marie Widor, French organist and composer (b. 1844)
- 1943 - Gustav Vigeland, Norwegian sculptor (b. 1869)
- 1944 - Artur Gavazzi, Croatian geographer (b. 1861)
- 1945 - Anne Frank, German-born diarist (b. 1929)
- 1947 - Winston Churchill, American novelist (b. 1871)
- 1955 - Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist (b. 1920)
- 1978 - John Cazale, American actor (b. 1935)
- 1979 - Pete Doherty, Musician- the libertines and babyshambles
- 1984 - Arnold Ridley, British playwright and actor (b. 1896)
- 1985 - Eugene Ormandy, Hungarian conductor (b. 1899)
- 1987 - Woody Hayes, American football coach (b. 1913)
- 1989 - Maurice Evans, British actor (b. 1901)
- 1990 - Wallace Breem, British author (b. 1926)
- 1991 - Ragnar Granit, Finnish neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1900)
- 1995 - Juanin Clay, American actress (b. 1949)
- 1998 - Beatrice Wood, American artist and ceramist (b. 1893)
- 1999 - Sir Yehudi Menuhin, American-born violinist (b. 1916)
- 2001 - Morton Downey, Jr., American television talk show host (b. 1933)
- 2001 - Robert Ludlum, author (b. 1927)
- 2002 - Spyros Kyprianou, Cypriot politician (b. 1932)
- 2003 - Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia (b. 1952)
- 2003 - Howard Fast, American author (b. 1914)
- 2003 - Lynne Thigpen, American actress (b. 1948)
- 2005 - Bill Cameron, Canadian journalist (b. 1943)

Holidays and observances

- Roman Catholic Church - Feast day of St Theophanes
- Mauritius - National Day
- Sweden - Namesday of Crown Princess Victoria, an Official Flag Day
- Flag Day in Venezuela
- Ancient Latvia - Gregoru Diena observed

Fiction

- In Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the character Andy Dufresne escapes from Shawshank Prison on March 12, 1975.

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/12 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/3/12 Today in History: March 12] ---- March 11 - March 13 - February 12 - April 12 -- listing of all days ko:3월 12일 ja:3月12日 simple:March 12 th:12 มีนาคม

March 12

March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). There are 294 days remaining.

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

Fiction

- In Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the character Andy Dufresne escapes from Shawshank Prison on March 12, 1975.

External links

515 BC

Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC ----

Events and trends

- Establishment of the Roman Republic
- 519 BC - Zhou Jing Wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- March 12, 515 BC - Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem.
- 516 BC - Indian subcontinent - Occupation of Punjab is completed by the Persian King Gustasp
- 514 BC - King Helu of Wu establishes "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital in China.
- 513 BC - Darius the Great subdues the Getae and east Thrace in his war against the Scythians
- 510 BC - Hippias, son of Pisistratus and tyrant of Athens, is expelled by a popular revolt supported by Cleomenes I, King of Sparta and his forces.
- 510 BC - End of reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last king of the traditional seven Kings of Rome.
- 510 BC - Demaratus succeeds Ariston as king of Sparta. (approximate date)

Births

- 519 BC - Xerxes I of Persia (approximate date) Category:510s BC

1664

Events

- March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England.
- August 1 - The Ottoman Empire is defeated in the Battle of Saint Gotthard by an Austrian army led by Raimondo Montecuccoli, resulting in the Peace of Vasvár.
- September 24 - Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam to an English naval squadron commanded by Colonel Richard Nicolls.

Births

- January 4 - Lars Roberg, Swedish physician (d. 1742)
- January 20 - Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian writer and jurist (d. 1718)
- February 6 - Mustafa II, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1703)
- February 24 (baptized) - Thomas Newcomen, English inventor (d. 1729)
- April 6 - Arvid Horn, Swedish statesman (d. 1742)
- April 30 - François Louis, Prince of Conti, French general (d. 1709)
- May 21 - Giulio Alberoni, Italian cardinal and statesman (d. 1754)
- July 21 - Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat (d. 1721)
- November 9 - Henry Wharton, English writer (d. 1695) See also :Category:1664 births.

Deaths

- May 21 - Elizabeth Poole, Puritan/"foundress"/business woman
- July 16 - Andreas Gryphius, German writer (b. 1616)
- August 24 - Maria Cunitz, Silesian astronomer
- August 27 - Francisco Zurbarán, Spanish painter (b. 1598) See also :Category:1664 deaths. Category:1664 ko:1664년 simple:1664

Kingdom of Great Britain

:This article is about the historical state called the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1800). For information about its modern successor state, see the main article: United Kingdom. :For other meanings of the terms "United Kingdom" and "UK" , see United Kingdom (disambiguation) and UK (disambiguation). :For an explanation of terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology). The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a state located in Western Europe, from 1707 to 1800. It was created by the merging of the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707 to create a single kingdom encompassing the whole of the island of Great Britain. A new, single parliament and government, based in Westminster in London, controlled the new kingdom. The two former kingdoms had shared the same monarch since King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603. From 1707 onward, a joint "British" throne replaced the English and Scottish thrones and a joint Parliament of Great Britain replaced the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. Scotland and England were given seats in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords of the new parliament. Although Scotland's representation in both houses was smaller than its population indicated it should have been, representation in parliament was at that time based not on population but on taxation, and Scotland was given a greater number of MPs than its share of taxation warranted. Under the terms of the union, Scotland elected forty-five members to the Commons and sent sixteen representative peers to the Lords. The Kingdom of Great Britain was superseded by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 when the Kingdom of Ireland was absorbed with the enactment of the Act of Union following the suppression of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
Monarchs of Great Britain

- Anne (1707–1714), previously Queen of England, Queen of Scotland, and Queen of Ireland since 1702.
- George I (1714–1727)
- George II (1727–1760)
- George III (1760–1801), continued as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until 1820.
See also

- Union Jack
- UK topics
- Style of the British Sovereign
Great Britain, United Kingdom of Great Britain, United Kingdom of Category:History of Great Britain British Isles (terminology) ja:グレートブリテン王国

1803

1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar).

Events

- January 4 - William Symington demostrates his Charlotte Dundas, the "first practical steamboat".
- January 30 - Monroe and Livingston sail for Paris to discuss, and possibly buy, New Orleans. They end completing the Louisiana Purchase.
- February 21 - Edward Despard and six others are hanged, drawn and quartered for plotting to assassinate king George III and to destroy the Bank of England
- February 24 - The Supreme Court of the United States, in Marbury v. Madison, establishes the principle of judicial review.
- March 1 - Ohio is admitted as the 17th U.S. state, retroactive from August 7, 1953.
- April 30 - Louisiana Purchase made by the United States from France.
- March 12 - Port Gibson, MS is chartered
- May 18 - The United Kingdom redeclares war on France after France refused to withdraw from Dutch territory.
- July 4 - The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people.
- July 5 - The convention of Artlenburg leads to the French occupation of Hanover (which had been ruled by the British king).
- July 23 - Robert Emmet's uprising in Ireland begins
- July 26 - The wagonway between Wandsworth and Croydon is opened, being the first public railway line of the world.
- August 3 – British begin Second Anglo-Maratha War against Sindhia of Gwalior
- September 20 - Irish rebel Robert Emmet is executed
- September 23 - The Battle of Assaye in India – British-lead troops defeat Maratha forces
- October 20 - Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, doubling the size of the United States.
- November 30 - At the Cabildo building in New Orleans, Spanish representatives Governor Manuel de Salcedo and the Marqués de Casa Calvo, officially transfer Louisiana Territory to French representative Prefect Pierre Clément de Laussat (just 20 days later, France had transferred the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase).
- Aargau, Graubünden, St. Gallen, Thurgau, the Ticino, Vaud become Swiss cantons.
- France - the Livre Tournois (Tours Pound) is replaced by the Franc.
- William Osgoode, Chief Justice of Lower Canada, rules that slavery is inconsistent with British Law.

Ongoing events

- Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815)

Births

- February 2 - Albert Sidney Johnston, American Confederate general (d. 1862)
- February 15 - John Sutter, American pioneer (d. 1880)
- April 7 - Flora Tristan, French feminist (d. 1844)
- May 12 - Justus von Liebig, German chemist (d. 1873)
- May 24 - Charles Lucien Bonaparte, French naturalist and ornithologist (d. 1857)
- May 25 - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer (d. 1882)
- May 25 - Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, English novelist and playwright (d. 1873)
- June 24 - George James Webb, English-born composer (d. 1887)
- July 24 - Adolphe Charles Adam, French composer (d. 1856)
- July 31 - John Ericsson, Swedish inventor and engineer (d. 1889)
- September 4 - Sarah Childress Polk, First Lady of the United States (d. 1891)
- September 27 - Samuel Francis du Pont, American admiral (d. 1865)
- September 28 - Prosper Mérimée, French writer (d. 1870)
- November 14 - Jacob Abbott, American writer (d. 1879)
- November 29 - Christian Doppler, Austrian mathematician (d. 1853)
- December 11 - Hector Berlioz, French composer (d. 1869)

Deaths

- January 23 - Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer (b. 1725)
- February 9 - Jean François de Saint-Lambert, French poet (b. 1716)
- February 18 - Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet (b. 1719)
- February 20 - Marie Dumesnil, French actress (b. 1713)
- March 14 - Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, German poet (b. 1724)
- April 2 - Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet, Scottish politician and judge (b. 1721)
- April 7 - Toussaint L'Ouverture, Haitian revolutionary (b. 1743)
- June 24 - Matthew Thornton, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1714)
- September 5 - Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, French general and author (b. 1741)
- September 15 - Gian Francesco Albani, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1719)
- October 2 - Samuel Adams, American revolutionary leader (b. 1722)
- October 26 - Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, English politician (b. 1721)
- November 23 - Roger Newdigate, English politician (b. 1719)
- December 18 - Johann Gottfried Herder, German philosopher and writer (b. 1744)
- December 30 - Francis Lewis, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1713)
- Jacques-Donatien Le Ray, French "Father of the American Revolution" (b. 1726) Category:1803 ko:1803년 ms:1803

1868

1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar).

Events

- January 3 - Meiji Emperor declares "Meiji Restoration", his own restoration to full power, against the supporters of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
- January 6 - Asa Mercer and number of new "Mercer Girls" sail from Massachusetts for West Coast - they arrive in Seattle in May 23
- January 10 - Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu declares emperor's declaration "illegal" and attacks Kyoto. Pro-Emperor forces drive his troops away. Shogun surrenders in May.
- February 13 - The War Office sanctions the formation of what will become the Army Post Office Corps
- February 16 - In New York City the Jolly Corks organization is renamed the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE).
- February 24 - The first parade to have floats occurs at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- February 24 - After Andrew Johnson tried to dismiss United States Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, he becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. Johnson would later be acquitted by the United States Senate.
- March 5 - A court of impeachment is organized in the United States Senate to hear charges against President Andrew Johnson.
- March 23 - The University of California is founded in Oakland, California when the Organic Act is signed into California law.
- April 1 - Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute is established in Hampton, Virginia
- March 24 - Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is formed.
- May 16 - President Andrew Johnson is acquitted during his impeachment trial, by one vote in the United States Senate.
- May 30 - Memorial Day is observed in the United States for the first time (it was proclaimed on May 5 by General John Logan).
- May 31 - Thomas Spence declares himself president of the Republic of Manitoba. He soon alienates the locals
- July 5 - Preacher William Booth establishes the Christian Mission, predecessor of the Salvation Army, in the East End of London
- July 25 - Wyoming becomes a United States territory.
- July 28 - The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is adopted guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.
- late September - Queen Isabella II of Spain effectively deposed and goes into exile; she will formally abdicate June 25, 1870.
- September 23 - Rebels in the town of Lares declare Puerto Rico independent. Local militia defeats them a week later.
- October 28 - Thomas Edison applied for his first patent, the electric vote recorder.
- November - Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horatio Seymour in the U.S. presidential election.
- November 2 - New Zealand officially adopts nationally observed standard time, and was perhaps the first country to do so.
- December 25 - US President Andrew Johnson grants unconditional pardon to all Civil War rebels.
- November 27 - Indian Wars: Battle of Washita River - In the early morning, United States Army Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer leads an attack on a band of peaceful Cheyenne living on reservation land with Chief Black Kettle, killing 103 Cheyenne (later regarded as the first substantial US victory in the war).
- Thomas Henry Huxley discovers what he thinks is a primordial matter and names it bathybius haecklii (he admits his mistake in 1871)
- German ophthalmologist August Rothmund defines Rothmund-Thompson's syndrome.
- First edition of the World Almanac published.
- Académie Julian - a major art school in Paris, France that admitted women.

Births

- January 9 - S.P.L. Sørensen, Danish chemist (d. 1939)
- January 31 - Theodore William Richards, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
- February 10 - William Allen White, American journalist (d. 1944)
- February 23 - W.E.B. DuBois, American civil rights leader (d. 1963)
- March 22 - Robert Millikan, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1953)
- March 25 - William Lockwood, English cricketer (d. 1932)
- March 28 - Maxim Gorky, Russian author (d. 1936)
- April 10 - George Arliss, English actor (d. 1946)
- May 6 - Nicholas II of Russia (d. 1918)
- May 6 - Gaston Leroux, French writer (d. 1927)
- May 29 - Abdul Mejid II, last Caliph of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1944)
- June 7 - Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish architect (d. 1928)
- June 14 - Karl Landsteiner, Austrian biologist and physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1943)
- June 18 - Georges Lacombe, French artist (d. 1916)
- July 12 - Stefan George, German poet (d. 1933)
- July 14 - Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist, writer, spy, and administrator (d. 1926)
- August 26 - Charles Stewart, Premier of Alberta (d. 1946)
- September 1 - Henri Bourassa, Canadian politician and publisher (d. 1952).
- October 18 - Ernst Didring, Swedish writer (d. 1931)
- November 8 - Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician (d. 1942)
- November 9 - Marie Dressler, Canadian actress (d. 1934)
- November 24 - Scott Joplin, American musician and composer (d. 1917)
- December 9 - Fritz Haber, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1934)

Deaths

- February 11 - Léon Foucault, French astronomer (b. 1819)
- February 29 - King Ludwig I of Bavaria (b. 1786)
- March 4 - Jesse Chisholm, American pioneer (b. 1805)
- March 28 - James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, British military leader (b. 1797)
- April - Isami Kondo, Japanese fighter (b. 1834)
- April 3 - Franz Berwald, Swedish composer (b. 1796)
- April 7 - Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist, politician and Canadian father of confederation (assassinated) (b. 1825)
- May 7 - Henry Peter Brougham, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1778)
- May 23 - Kit Carson, American trapper, scout, and Indian agent (b. 1809)
- June 1 - James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States (b. 1791)
- June 22 - Heber C. Kimball, Mormon church leader (b. 1801)
- September 26 - August Ferdinand Möbius, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1790)
- October 17 - Laura Secord, Canadian patriot (b. 1775)
- November 13 - Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (b. 1792)
- November 15 - James Mayer Rothschild, German-born banker (b. 1792)
- December 6 - August Schleicher, German linguist (b. 1821)
- Charles Thomas Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1794)
- August Ferdinand Möbius, German mathematician and theoretical astronomer (b. 1790) Category:1868 ko:1868년 ms:1868 simple:1868 th:พ.ศ. 2411

Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Ernest Albert) (born 6 August 1844 and died 30 July 1900), was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha between 1893 and 1901. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent and Earl of Ulster in the peerage of the United Kingdom on 24 May 1866. He succeeded his paternal uncle Ernst as the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Empire on 23 August 1893.

Early Life

Alfred was born at Windsor Castle. His mother was the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria, the only daughter of Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. His father was Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the second son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As a son of the monarch, he was styled His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred at birth, and was second in the line of succession behind his elder brother, Prince Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. he was known to his family as Alfie. Alfred was christened by William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle on 6 September 1844. His sponsors were his maternal great-uncle, the Duke of Cambridge (represented by his son, Prince George of Cambridge); his paternal aunt, Alexandrine, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (represented by his maternal grandmother, the Duchess of Kent); and Queen Victoria's half-brother, Prince Carl of Leiningen (represented by the Duke of Wellington).

Entering the Royal Navy

In 1856 it was decided that Prince Alfred, in accordance with his own wishes, should enter the Royal Navy. A separate establishment was accordingly assigned to him, with Lieutenant Sowell, R. E., as governor. He passed the examination for midshipman in August 1858, and was appointed to the HMS Euryalus. In July 1860, while on this ship, he paid an official visit to the Cape, and made a very favourable impression both on the colonials and on the native chiefs. On the abdication of King Otto of Greece, in 1862, Prince Alfred was chosen to succeed him, but political conventions of long standing rendered it impossible for the British government to accede to their wishes. Prince Alfred, therefore remained in the navy, and was promoted lieutenant on 24 February 1863 and captain on 23 February 1866, being then appointed to the command of the frigate HMS Galatea.

Titles and Honours

In the Queen's Birthday Honours in May 1866, the prince was created Duke of Edinburgh and Earl of Ulster and of Kent, with an annuity of £15,000 granted by Parliament. He took his seat in the House of Lords on 8 June. Having created him a Knight of the Garter on 24 May 1863, the Queen also conferred upon the Dukedom of Edinburgh the Knighthoods of the Thistle (Scotland) and St. Patrick(Ireland), as well as Grand Crosses of the Orders of the Bath, the Star of India, St. Michael and St. George, the Indian Empire, and the Royal Victorian Order. In addition, he held the principal foreign orders of chivalry including: the Order of the Black Eagle of Prussia, the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain, the Annunziata of Italy, the Legion of Honour of France, St. Stephen of Austria, St. Andrew of Russia, and the Ostmanieh of the Ottoman Empire.

Command Assignments

While still in command of the Galatea, the Duke of Edinburgh started from Plymouth on January 24, 1867 for his voyage round the world. On 7 June 1867, he left Gibraltar and reached the Cape on 24 July, and landed at Glenelg, South Australia, on October 31. Being the first English prince to visit Australia, the Duke was received with great enthusiasm. During his stay of nearly five months he visited Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Tasmania. On March 12 1868, on his second visit to Sydney whilst picnicking in the beachfront suburb of Clontarf, he was wounded in the back by a revolver fired by Henry James O'Farrell. The Prince was shot in the just to the right of his spine, and was tended for the next two weeks by six Florence Nightingale trained nurses led by Matron Lucy Osburn who were newly arrived in Australia (February 1868). On the evening of 23 March 1868, the most influential people of Sydney voted for a memorial building to be erected, “to raise a permanent and substantial monument in testimony of the heartfelt gratitude of the community at the recovery of HRH”. This led to a public conscription which paid for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital's construction. Prince Alfred soon recovered from his minor injury and was able to resume command of his ship and return home in early April 1868. Henry James O'Farrell was arrested at the scene, quickly tried, convicted and hanged on 21 April 1868. Prince Alfred reached Spithead on 26 June 1868, after an absence of seventeen months. He was also the first member of the Royal Family to visit New Zealand, arriving in 1869 on HMS Galatea. The Duke's next voyage was to India, where he arrived in December 1869. Both there and at Hong Kong, which he visited on the way, he was the first British prince to set foot in the country. The native rulers of India vied with one another in the magnificence of their entertainments during the Duke's stay of three months.

Marriage and Family Life

On 23 January 1874, the Duke of Edinburgh married Her Imperial Highness The Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, the only daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and his wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Wilhelmine of Baden, at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh made their public entry into London on 12 March. The marriage, however, was not a happy one, and the bride was thought haughty by London society. The Duke and Duchess had six children:
- Prince Alfred ("Young Affie") (15 October 1874-6 February 1899), Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 22 August 1893.
- Princess Marie (29 October 1875-18 July 1938; married 10 January 1893 King Ferdinand I of Romania (1865-1927); and had issue.
- Princess Victoria Melita ("Ducky") (25 November 1876 - 2 March 1936; married (1) 19 April 1894 (divored 21 December 1901) her paternal first cousin Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1868-1937), and had issue; (2) 8 October 1905 her maternal first cousin the Grand Duke Cyril of Russia (1876-1938), and had issue.
- Princess Alexandra (1 September 1878 - 16 April 1942; married 20 April 1896 Prince Ernst of Hohenloe-Langenburg (1863-1950), and had issue.
- An unnamed son (13 October 1879, stillborn).
- Princess Beatrice (20 April 1884 - 13 July 1966; married 15 July 1909, Don Alfonso, Infante of Spain, 3rd Duke of Galliera (1886-1975), and had issue.

Attainment of Flag Rank

The Duke of Edinburgh devoted himself to his profession, showing complete mastery of his duties and unusual skill in naval tactics. He was stationed in Malta for several years and his third child, Victoria Melita, was born there in 1876. He was promoted rear-admiral on 30 December 1878; vice-admiral, 10 November 1882; admiral, 18 October 1887; and received his baton as Admiral of the Fleet, 3 June 1893. He commanded the Channel fleet, 1883-1884; the Mediterranean fleet, 1886-1889; and was commander-in-chief at Devonport, Plymouth, 1890-1893. He always paid the greatest attention to his official duties and was most efficient as an admiral.

Accession to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

On the death of his uncle, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on August 22 1893, the vacant duchy fell to the Duke of Edinburgh, since the Prince of Wales had renounced his right to the succession. At first regarded with some coldness as a "foreigner," he gradually gained popularity, and by the time of his death in 1900 he had generally won the good opinion of his subjects. The Duke was exceedingly fond of music and an excellent violinist, and took a prominent part in establishing the Royal College of Music. He was also a keen collector of glass and ceramic ware, and his collection, valued at half a million marks, was presented by his widow to the Veste Coburg, a big fortress near Coburg. When he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg he surrendered his British allowance of £15,000 a year and his seats in the House of Lords and the Privy Council, but retained the £10,000 granted on his marriage in order to maintain Clarence House as his London residence.

Last Years

The Duke's only son, the Hereditary Prince Alfred, became involved in a scandal involving his mistress and shot himself in January 1899, in the midst of his parents' twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebrations. He survived, but his embarrassed parents sent him off to Meran to recover, where he died two weeks later, on 6 February. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg died of throat cancer on 30 July 1900 at Schloss Rosenau at Coburg. He was buried at the ducal family's cemetery outside Coburg. He was succeeded as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by his nephew, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, the posthumous son of his youngest brother, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. (Alfred's next brother, the Duke of Connaught and his son,