Trafalgar Square in central London commemorates the British naval victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Its layout was designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry, and work began on the site of the old Royal Mews. At its centre stands Nelson's Column, completed in the 1840s, with four bronze lions by Edwin Landseer added later. The National Gallery is on the north side and the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields on the east. The square has long been the setting for celebrations, demonstrations and the New Year, and the fourth plinth in its north-west corner displays contemporary sculpture.
Before and after
- 8 July 1839Birth of John D. Rockefeller
- 7 August 1839Founding of Pulkovo Observatory
- 19 August 1839The daguerreotype is announced
- from 4 September 1839 to 24 October 1860Opium Wars
- 1840Construction of Trafalgar Square
- 2 April 1840Birth of Émile Zola
- 25 April 1840Birth of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- 1 May 1840The Penny Black, the first postage stamp, is issued
- 2 June 1840Birth of Thomas Hardy
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of La Marseillaise
- 5 May 1821Founding of The Guardian
- 7 May 1824Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premieres
- 7 April 1837Publication of The Little Mermaid
- c. 1860sImpressionism
- 19 March 1882Construction of Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.