On This Day
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Georgetown, the first US Catholic college, is founded

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States.

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States, the oldest university in Washington, D.C., and the nation's first federally chartered university.

The university has eleven undergraduate and graduate schools. Its main campus, located in the Georgetown historic neighborhood, is on a hill above the Potomac River and identifiable by Healy Hall, a National Historic Landmark. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity." The university offers degree programs in forty-eight disciplines, enrolling an average of 7,500 undergraduate and 10,000 graduate students from more than 135 countries.

Historical Significance

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.

Events Before

  1. Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

    Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

  2. First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a

    First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a penal colony

  3. Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Aus

    Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Australia Day; referred to as Invasion Day by First Nations people

  4. US Constitution comes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify it

    The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

  5. Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 178

    Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90

Events After

  1. First US President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address

    The 1790 State of the Union Address was the inaugural State of the Union address, delivered by President George Washington to the United States Congress on January 8, 1790, at the Senate Chamber of…

  2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Cosi Fan Tutte" premieres at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Cosi Fan Tutte" premieres at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria

  3. King Gustav III leads Swedish naval forces to victory over the Russian Baltic fleet during the Second Battle of Svensksu

    King Gustav III leads Swedish naval forces to victory over the Russian Baltic fleet during the Second Battle of Svensksund, destroying or capturing one-third of the Russian ships and ending the Russo-Swedish War

  4. French Revolution: The Civil Constitution of the Clergy is adopted, putting the Catholic Church in France under the cont

    French Revolution: The Civil Constitution of the Clergy is adopted, putting the Catholic Church in France under the control of the state

  5. Danish Crown Prince Frederick (Later Frederick VI) marries his cousin Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel at Gottorp Castle

    Danish Crown Prince Frederick (Later Frederick VI) marries his cousin Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel at Gottorp Castle

More from the 1780s

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831

British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 23, 1789?
Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States, the oldest university in Washington, D.C., and the nation's first federally chartered university. The university has eleven undergraduate and graduate schools.
Why is Georgetown, the first US Catholic college, is founded significant?
Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.

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January 23 in HistoryYear 1789