What happened in 1820
8 entries recorded for 1820, listed by date. That was 206 years ago.
1820 at a glance
- Years ago
- 206 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 19th century
- Decade
- 1820s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 8
- Breakdown
- 8 historical events
January
- January 11
Great Savannah Fire of 1820
A conflagration in Savannah, Georgia, destroyed more than 400 buildings and caused millions of dollars in damages.
February
- February 4
Chilean War of Independence
Chilean War of Independence: Chilean forces captured the city of Valdivia.
- February 6
American Colonization Society
The first ship of the American Colonization Society departed from New York for West Africa with 86 African-American emigrants aboard to found the colony of Liberia.
March
- March 3
United States Congress
The U.S. Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, which balanced the admission of Missouri as a slave state with that of Maine as a free state.
- March 6
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise is signed into law by United States President James Monroe. The compromise allows Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, brings Maine into the Union as a free state, and makes the rest of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase territory slavery
April
- April 8
Venus de Milo
The Venus de Milo (pictured), an ancient Greek statue of a woman with its arms missing, was discovered on the island of Milos.
May
- May 11
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle (pictured), the ship that would take Charles Darwin on his voyage, was launched.
November
- November 20
Essex (whaleship)
The American whaleship Essex sank 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) west of the western coast of South America after it was attacked by a sperm whale, an event which inspired the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (pictured).
Questions about 1820
What happened in 1820?
This site records 8 entries for 1820, including Great Savannah Fire of 1820 on January 11. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1820?
206 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1820 turns 206 this year.
Which century is 1820 in?
1820 falls in the 19th century, in the 1820s.
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