1840s

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1 Events and Trends
2 World Leaders
3 See also
4 Sources

Events and Trends

Technology

First use of general anesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long
The first electrical telegraph sent by Samuel Morse on May 24, 1844 from Baltimore to Washington, D.C..

War, peace and politics

First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi, Northland New Zealand. The treaty between the British Crown and Māori made New Zealand a British colony and is considered the founding point of modern New Zealand.
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, settled the dispute over the location of the Maine-New Brunswick border between the United States and Canada.
On 1842-08-29, the first of two Opium Wars ended between China and Britain with the Treaty of Nanking. One of the consequences was the cession of parts of modern day Hong Kong to the British. Hong Kong would eventually be returned to China in 1997.
Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848) was fought between Mexico and the United States of America. The latter emerged victorious and gained undisputed control over Texas while annexing portions of Arizona, California and New Mexico.
Wave of revolutions in Europe. Collectively known as the Revolution of 1848. This lead to mass emigration of these refugees into industrial cities of the United States as well as to other locations around the world.

Culture and Religion

1844 - Persian Prophet the Báb announces his revelation, founding Bábísm. He announced to the world of the coming of "He whom God shall make manifest." He is considered the forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.
Gideon T. Stewart becomes a Good Templars leader.
In the midst of the Second Great Awakening, preacher William Miller predicts the Second Advent of Jesus Christ will occur on 1844-10-22. Christ's failure to appear became known as the Great Disappointment.
Adolph Sax invents the saxophone, receiving the patent on 1846-05-17.
Karl Marx writes The Communist Manifesto, first published on 1848-02-21.

Economics

In the mid 1840s several harvests failed across Europe, which caused famines. Especially the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849) was severe and caused a quarter of Ireland's population to die or emigrate to the United States and Canada.