Columbia University was founded in 1754 as King's College by royal charter from King George II, and was the fifth college established in colonial America. It began in a schoolhouse near Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, with Samuel Johnson as its first president. Alexander Hamilton, a student there in the 1770s, is among its famous early alumni. After the American Revolution it was renamed Columbia College, and in the 1890s it moved to the Morningside Heights campus in upper Manhattan. It is a member of the Ivy League, and its graduate schools and research facilities make it one of the leading universities in the United States.
Before and after
- 16 March 1751Birth of James Madison
- 25 May 17511751 Concepción earthquake
- 1752Founding of Pittsfield
- from 20 April 1752 to 6 May 1757Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War
- 25 May 1754Founding of Columbia University
- from 28 May 1754 to 7 October 1763French and Indian War
- 23 August 1754Birth of Louis XVI of France
- 20 September 1754Birth of Paul I of Russia
- 1755Discovery of magnesium
More in Society, economy & sport
- 18 April 1521Martin Luther defies the Emperor at the Diet of Worms
- 1559Founding of University of Geneva
- from 1602 to 1799Founding of Dutch East India Company
- November 1660Founding of Royal Society of London
- 1668Founding of Sveriges Riksbank
- 1734Founding of University of Göttingen
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.