Year by year · 18th century

1788

1788 in world history: 10 events, 8 births, 10 deaths, 3 states founded and 1 that came to an end. 1,289 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. 1 January

    The Daily Universal Register becomes The Times

    John Walter's three-year-old London paper published its first issue under the title The Times. It went on to become Britain's newspaper of record and one of the most influential journals in the world.

    London

  2. 2 January

    Georgia ratifies the US Constitution

    Georgia's convention voted unanimously to ratify the new federal Constitution, making it the fourth state to do so. A frontier state facing conflict with the Creek, Georgia valued the protection of a stronger union.

    Georgia

  3. 9 January

    Connecticut ratifies the US Constitution

    Connecticut's convention approved the Constitution by 128 votes to 40, making it the fifth state to ratify. Nine states were needed for the new frame of government to take effect.

  4. 26 January

    First Fleet raises the British flag at Sydney Cove

    Captain Arthur Phillip established a penal colony at Sydney Cove with some 1,300 convicts, marines and officials. The date is marked as Australia Day, and by many Indigenous Australians as a day of mourning.

    Australia

  5. 21 March

    Great fire destroys much of New Orleans

    A Good Friday fire burned 856 buildings in the Spanish colonial city. With a second fire in 1794, it led to the rebuilding of the French Quarter in brick and tile.

  6. 23 May

    South Carolina ratifies the US Constitution

    South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify. New Hampshire's ratification a month later made nine, the number needed for the Constitution to take effect.

  7. 21 June

    New Hampshire's ratification puts the US Constitution into effect

    New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, the number required for the Constitution to take effect. The new federal government began work in 1789.

  8. 25 June

    Virginia ratifies the US Constitution

    Despite Patrick Henry's opposition, Virginia narrowly ratified, the tenth state to do so. Without the largest state, the new union could hardly have worked.

    Virginia
ProfileState1104 states with a known seat in 1788Open the atlas at 1788 →

In the profiles

  • Kingdom of TahitiWilliam Bligh’s HMS Bounty arrives at Matavai Bay to collect breadfruit plants

Wars and longer events

Born in 1788 8

Died in 1788 10

States founded 3

States that came to an end 1

All years → The 18th century →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1788. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1788
MLA
“1788.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1788. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “1788.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1788.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1788’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1788 (Accessed: ).