What happened in 1801
7 entries recorded for 1801, listed by date. That was 225 years ago.
1801 at a glance
- Years ago
- 225 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 19th century
- Decade
- 1800s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 7
- Breakdown
- 7 historical events
February
- February 4
John Marshall
John Marshall, whose court opinions helped lay the basis for U.S. constitutional law and made the Supreme Court a coequal branch of government, took office as chief justice.
May
- May 6
French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars: The 32-gun Spanish frigate El Gamo was captured by the outmanned and outgunned HMS Speedy.
- May 10
First Barbary War
First Barbary War: The Barbary corsairs of Tripoli declared war on the United States by cutting down the flagstaff in front of the U.S. consulate.
July
- July 6
French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars: A Royal Navy squadron failed to eliminate a smaller French Navy squadron at Algeciras before they could join their Spanish allies.
- July 11
Jean-Louis Pons
French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons co-discovered the first of his 37 comets, more than any other person in history.
- July 12
French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars: A squadron of British ships of the line defeated a larger squadron of Spanish and French vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar.
August
- August 1
First Barbary War
First Barbary War: USS Enterprise, an American schooner, captured the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli in a single-ship action off the coast of Libya.
Questions about 1801
What happened in 1801?
This site records 7 entries for 1801, including John Marshall on February 4. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1801?
225 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1801 turns 225 this year.
Which century is 1801 in?
1801 falls in the 19th century, in the 1800s.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.