1790 – 1800s

Events in the 1790s 12

• 1602 – 1799 Rise and fall of the VOC Two centuries of empire Across nearly two centuries the VOC builds a trading empire from the Cape to Japan before collapsing under debt and corruption, dissolved in 1799.
• 1732 – 1799 George Washington 1st President — Founding Father of the United States George Washington (Feb 22, 1732 – Dec 14, 1799) was the first President of the United States, serving two terms 1789-1797. Commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention.
• 1756 – 1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Classical genius Austrian composer who showed prodigious talent from age 3. His 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, and operas Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute remain cornerstones of the repertoire.
• 1759 – 1796 Robert Burns Scottish poet Burns wrote lyrical poetry in Scots dialect and became Scotland’s national poet, influencing Romantic literature.
• 1789 – 1799 French Revolution End of the Bourbon monarchy The French Revolution overthrew the monarchy, reshaped French society, and spread revolutionary ideals across Europe.
• 1795 – 1821 John Keats English poet Keats wrote some of the most celebrated Romantic poetry focusing on beauty, mortality, and imagination.
• 1796 Jenner — smallpox vaccination The first vaccine — immunity without disease In 1796, Edward Jenner of Gloucestershire demonstrated that inoculation with cowpox material provided protection against the deadly smallpox. He called the procedure vaccination (from vacca, cow). This was the first deliberate use of a vaccine and directly led, 184 years later, to the global eradication of smallpox in 1980 — one of the greatest public health achievements in history.
• 1797 – 1828 Franz Schubert Romantic Lieder master Austrian composer who died at 31 yet left an extraordinary legacy: over 600 Lieder, 8 symphonies including the Unfinished, and sublime chamber music.
• 1797 – 1851 Mary Shelley English novelist Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, a foundational science fiction and Gothic novel exploring creation and responsibility.
• 1797 – 1848 Gaetano Donizetti Italian bel canto opera composer Italian composer of over 70 operas including Lucia di Lammermoor and L'elisir d'amore, a pillar of the bel canto tradition.
• 1798 – 1863 Eugène Delacroix Romanticism · France Eugène Delacroix (April 26, 1798 – August 13, 1863) was the leader of French Romanticism whose vibrant colour and dynamic compositions influenced the Impressionists. Liberty Leading the People is an enduring icon of revolution.
• 1799 Metric system established A rational, universal system of measurement In 1799, France formally established the metric system, defining the metre as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole, and the kilogram as the mass of a litre of water. For the first time, a coherent, decimal system of measurement was based on natural constants rather than arbitrary standards. The metric system is now used in science worldwide and by most of the world's population.