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Charles Dickens publishes Oliver Twist
1837-1838: Charles Dickens publishes Oliver Twist in periodical form.
Oliver Twist, subtitled The Parish Boy's Progress, is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan, Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to London where he meets the Artful Dodger, leader of a gang of juvenile pickpockets. Naively unaware of their unlawful activities, -
Victoria becomes queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
1837: Victoria becomes queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of King George III. Both the Duke of Kent and King George III died in 1820, and Victoria was raised under close supervision by her German-born mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She inherited the throne at the age of 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died leaving no legitimate, surviving children. -
Potato famine begins in Ireland; close to one million people die of starvation or famine-related diseases; massive emigration begins.
1845: Potato famine begins in Ireland; close to one million people die of starvation or famine-related diseases; massive emigration begins.
In Ireland, the Great Famine was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration between 1845 and 1852. It is also known, mostly outside Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine. In the Irish language it is called an Gorta Mór meaning "the Great Hungeror" or "the bad life" -
Charlotte Bronte publishes Jane Eyre.
1847: Charlotte Bronte publishes Jane Eyre.
Jane Eyre pron, (originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published on 16 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London, England, under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York. Writing for the Penguin edition, Stevie Davies describes it as an "influential feminist text" because of its in-depth explorat -
Emily Bronte publishes Wuthering Heights.
1847: Emily Bronte publishes Wuthering Heights.
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë, written between October 1845 and June 1846 and published in 1847 under the pseudonym "Ellis Bell." It was her first and only published novel: she died aged 30 the following year. -
Victor Hugo publishes Les Miserables
1862: In France, Victor Hugo publishes Les Miserables.
Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title, which can be translated from the French as The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones. -
Lewis Carroll publishes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
1865: Lewis Carroll publishes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world (Wonderland) populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as children. -
Britain ends eighty-year practice of deporting convicts to Australia.
1868: Britain ends eighty-year practice of deporting convicts to Australia.
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government. One of the primary reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of a penal colony to alleviate pressure on their overburdened correctional facilities. Over the 80 years more than 165,000 convicts were transported to Australia. -
Mohandas K. Gandhi is born in India.
1869: Mohandas K. Gandhi is born in India.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world -
L. Frank Baum publishes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
1900: L. Frank Baum publishes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of both the popular 1902 Broadway musical and the well-known 1939 film adaptation. The story chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy. -
Queen Victoria Dies.
1901: Queen Victoria Dies.
Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India.
