1841 Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	18th century – 19th century – 20th century
Decades:	1810s 1820s 1830s – 1840s – 1850s 1860s 1870s
Years:	1838 1839 1840 – 1841 – 1842 1843 1844

The year 1841 was a time of important changes and events around the world. In the United States, there were big political shifts, including a new president and a historic Supreme Court decision. Across the ocean, the United Kingdom was expanding its influence, and new ideas were emerging in science and art. This year also saw the birth of many people who would later become famous artists, scientists, and leaders.

Key Events of 1841
Famous People Born in 1841
Notable Deaths in 1841
Arts and Entertainment
Images for kids
See also

Key Events of 1841

Changes in Government and Land

January 26 – The United Kingdom took control of Hong Kong. Later that year, the first count of people on the island showed about 7,500 residents.
March 4 – William Henry Harrison became the new President of the United States, taking over from Martin Van Buren.
April 4 – Just one month after becoming president, William Henry Harrison sadly died from a lung illness called pneumonia. He was the first US President to die while in office. His Vice President, John Tyler, then became president.
August 16 – US President John Tyler said "no" (this is called a veto) to a plan to bring back a national bank. Members of the Whig Party, a political group, were so angry that they protested outside the White House. This was one of the biggest and most intense protests there in US history.
September 24 – The United Kingdom officially took over Sarawak (a region in Borneo) from Brunei. A British explorer named James Brooke was made its ruler, known as a rajah.
The two areas known as the Canadas in North America joined together to form the Province of Canada.

Important Court Decisions

March 9 – The highest court in the United States, the Supreme Court of the United States, made a big decision in the Amistad case. They ruled that the Africans who took control of the ship had been illegally forced into slavery. This meant they should be free.

New Discoveries and Ideas

November 13 – James Braid saw a demonstration of something called 'animal magnetism'. This led him to study the topic, and he later gave it the name hypnosis, which is a state of focused attention.

Founding of Universities

Queen's University was started in Kingston, Canada. It was founded by Rev. Thomas Liddell, who had a special document from Queen Victoria.
Fordham University was founded in The Bronx, New York, by a group called the Society of Jesus. It was first named St. John's College.

Industrial Progress

In Germany, a man named August Borsig built the first German locomotives (train engines). He managed this by secretly learning how other countries built theirs.

Famous People Born in 1841

Many people who would become very well-known were born in 1841:

January 7 – Bernadette Soubirous, a young woman from Lourdes, France, who had visions.
January 14 – Berthe Morisot, a famous French painter.
January 25 – Jackie Fisher, an important British admiral.
January 28 – Henry Morton Stanley, a Welsh explorer and journalist.
February 4 – Clément Ader, a French engineer and inventor who helped pioneer airplanes.
February 25 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a celebrated French painter.
March 8 – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., who became a US Supreme Court Justice.
July 29 – Gerhard Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian doctor and scientist.
August 25 – Emil Kocher, a Swiss medical researcher who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work.
September 8 – Antonín Dvořák, a famous Czech composer.
September 28 – Georges Clemenceau, an important French political leader.
November 9 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, who would later rule Great Britain.
November 20 – Wilfrid Laurier, who became the seventh Prime Minister of Canada.