Year by year · 19th century
1839
1839 in world history: 20 events, 18 births, 14 deaths, 1 work, 5 states founded and 6 that came to an end. 1,086 recorded states existed that year.
Events
Lin Zexu begins destroying confiscated opium at Humen
The Chinese commissioner had over a thousand tonnes of British-traded opium mixed with lime and salt and flushed into the sea. Britain's response led to the First Opium War.
British and Chinese warships clash at Chuenpi
Royal Navy frigates fought Chinese war junks off Chuenpi near Canton, the first major clash of the First Opium War. The dispute followed Lin Zexu's destruction of British merchants' opium; China lost Hong Kong in 1842.
Battle
Battle of Yungay
The Battle of Yungay was fought on 20 January 1839 in the Peruvian Andes, where a Chilean army under General Manuel Bulnes, joined by Peruvian exiles, defeated the forces of Andrés de Santa Cruz.
Treaty
Treaty of London (1839)
The Treaty of London of 1839 was signed by the Netherlands, Belgium and the great powers.
Siege
Siege of Akhulgo
The siege of Akhulgo was a Russian siege of Imam Shamil's mountain fortress in Dagestan in the summer of 1839.
In the profiles
Ottoman EmpireThe Tanzimat reforms begin to modernise administration and law
Sikh EmpireRanjit Singh dies, leaving the Lahore court to rival factions
Republic of ChileVictory at Yungay ends the Peru–Bolivian Confederation
Grand Duchy of LuxembourgThe Treaty of London gives the western, French-speaking half to Belgium
Kingdom of BelgiumThe Treaty of London recognises Belgium and guarantees its neutrality
Kingdom of the NetherlandsWilliam I recognises Belgian independence in the Treaty of London
Nguyen dynastyMinh Mang renames the country Dai Nam
Cherokee NationAn Act of Union reunites the Cherokee, with Tahlequah as capital
Wars and longer events
Born in 1839 18
Pōmare V1839–1891
Matsuda Michiyuki1839–1882
Francis Garnier1839–1873
Machado de Assis1839–1908
Modest Mussorgsky1839–1881
Tôn Thất Thuyết1839–1913
Carol I of Romania1839–1914
Gregorio Luperón1839–1897
Takasugi Shinsaku1839–1867
Abdyl Frashëri1839–1892
Ahmed Muhtar Pasha1839–1919
Benjamin Kállay1839–1903
Floriano Peixoto1839–1895
George Armstrong Custer1839–1876
Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes1839–1900
Kuroda Nagatomo1839–1902
Nikolai Bobrikov1839–1904
Nicolás de Piérola1839–1913
Died in 1839 14
Ranjit Singh1780–1839
Mikhail Speransky1772–1839
Bhimsen Thapa1775–1839
Jean-François Allard1785–1839
Mahmud II1785–1839
Fulwar Skipwith1765–1839
John Batman1801–1839
John Williams (missionary)1796–1839
Lord William Bentinck1774–1839
Mehrab Khand. 1839
William Light1786–1839
Frederick VI of Denmark1768–1839
William, Duke of Nassau1792–1839- John Lander1807–1839
Works 1
States founded 5
States that came to an end 6
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1839. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1839
- MLA
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- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “1839.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1839.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1839’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1839 (Accessed: ).