Historical events in 1788
- The Times, London's oldest running newspaper, was first published.
- The first English settlers arrived in Australia's Botany Bay to establish a penal colony.
- Charles Edward Stuart (67), Bonnie Prince Charlie - The Young Pretender, died.
- Isaac Briggs and William Longstreet patented the steamboat on this day.
- Sir Robert Peel, British prime minister thought the early 1800s, was born.
- Almost the entire city of New Orleans, Louisiana, was destroyed by fire. 856 buildings were burned.
- Hugh Clapperton, African explorer, was born in Annan, Scotland.
- The 1st British ship to be built on Pacific coast was begun at Nootka Sound, BC.
- The U.S. Constitution went into effect as New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
- Prices plunged on the Paris stock market.
- Maryland
voted to cede a 100-square-mile area for the seat of the national
government; about two-thirds of the area became the District of
Columbia.
- "The Narrative of John Blanchford" was
published. Blanchford (15), a Massachusetts cabin-boy, had been
captured by the British and sent to prison in Halifax and later to
Sumatra from where he escaped after a 6 year ordeal.
- Mozarts Don Giovanni was performed in conservative Vienna but was not a success.
- Rules were set for the game of cricket.
- A great fire destroyed much of the wooden city of Kyoto, Japan.
