History

ICONS: John Jacob Astor, War of 1812, Steamship USS Savannah

• On June 23, 1810, John Jacob Astor founds the Pacific Fur Company. The success of this trading company would make him the United States' first multi-millionaire and even when adjusted for inflation, one of the richest men in American history.
• Steam-powered ferry service between New York City and Hoboken, NJ, begins on October 11, 1811.
• On November 6, 1811, American troops led by William Henry Harrison defeat the American Indian chief Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
• A magnitude 8.3 earthquake (the strongest ever recorded in the continental United States) strikes near New Madrid, MO, temporarily reversing the course of the Mississippi River on February 2, 1812.
• On September 23, 1815, the "Great September Gail of 1815" begins in New England, marking the first hurricane (a category 3) to strike the region since 1635.
• Construction begins on the Erie Canal in Rome, NY, on July 4, 1817.
• British soldiers burn the White House and other government buildings on August 24, 1814.
• Francis Scott Key writes "The Star Spangled Banner" while witnessing the September 13-14, 1814, bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.
• The thirteen stars and stripes configuration of the U.S. flag is officially adopted by Congress on April 4, 1818.
• The American steamship "Savannah" crosses the Atlantic Ocean in 29 days.
• Thomas Jefferson founds the University of Virginia on January 25, 1819.
• The first installment of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle appears in the May 1819 edition of The Sketch Book.