On This Day
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Malden Island is discovered in the central Pacific by British warship HMS Blonde

Malden Island, sometimes called Independence Island in the 19th century, is a low, arid, uninhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, about 39 km2 (15 sq mi) in area.

Malden Island, sometimes called Independence Island in the 19th century, is a low, arid, uninhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, about 39 km2 (15 sq mi) in area. It is one of the Line Islands belonging to the Republic of Kiribati. The lagoon is entirely enclosed by land, though it is connected to the sea by underground channels, and is quite salty.

The island is chiefly notable for its ancient stone architecture, its once-extensive deposits of phosphatic guano (exploited by Australian interests from c. 1860–1927), its former use as the site of the first British H-bomb tests (Operation Grapple, 1957), and its current importance as a protected area for breeding seabirds.

The island is designated as the Malden Island Wildlife Sanctuary.

Historical Significance

Malden Island, sometimes called Independence Island in the 19th century, is a low, arid, uninhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, about 39 km2 (15 sq mi) in area.

Events Before

  1. Simón Bolívar is named dictator by the Congress of Peru

    Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military officer and statesman who led what are currently the countries…

  2. Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th (Choral) Symphony, often regarded as his greatest work, with libretto by poet Friedrich von S

    Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th (Choral) Symphony, often regarded as his greatest work, with libretto by poet Friedrich von Schiller, premieres at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna, Austria [1]

  3. Inventor Charles Goodyear (23) weds Clarissa Beecher

    Inventor Charles Goodyear (23) weds Clarissa Beecher

  4. US Navy flag officer David Farragut (23) weds Susan Caroline Marchant

    US Navy flag officer David Farragut (23) weds Susan Caroline Marchant

  5. Salt Lake City founder Brigham Young (23) weds first wife Miriam Angeline Works (18) in Port Byron, New York

    Salt Lake City founder Brigham Young (23) weds first wife Miriam Angeline Works (18) in Port Byron, New York

Events After

  1. Godert van der Capellen resigns as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

    Godert van der Capellen resigns as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

  2. Future US President Millard Fillmore (26) weds Abigail Powers (27)

    Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853.

  3. The Menai Suspension Bridge connecting the Isle of Anglesey to the northwest coast of Wales opens, considered the world'

    The Menai Suspension Bridge connecting the Isle of Anglesey to the northwest coast of Wales opens, considered the world's first modern suspension bridge

  4. University College London founded; known until 1836 as London University

    University College London (UCL) was founded on 11 February 1826, under the name London University, as a secular alternative to the strictly religious universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

  5. American Temperance Society forms in Boston

    American Temperance Society forms in Boston

More from the 1820s

Godert van der Capellen resigns as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

Godert van der Capellen resigns as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

The Dutch Trading Company (NHM) is granted a monopoly on the sale of opium in Java and Madura

The Dutch Trading Company (NHM) is granted a monopoly on the sale of opium in Java and Madura

Naturalist and entomologist Thomas Say (39) secretly weds natural science illustrator Lucy Way Sistare (26)

Naturalist and entomologist Thomas Say (39) secretly weds natural science illustrator Lucy Way Sistare (26)

American religious leader Joseph Smith Jr (21) weds future church group movement leader Emma Hale (22) in South Bainbrid

American religious leader Joseph Smith Jr (21) weds future church group movement leader Emma Hale (22) in South Bainbridge, New York, until his death in 1844

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 30, 1825?
Malden Island, sometimes called Independence Island in the 19th century, is a low, arid, uninhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, about 39 km2 (15 sq mi) in area. It is one of the Line Islands belonging to the Republic of Kiribati. The lagoon is entirely enclosed by land, though it is connected to the sea by underground channels, and is quite salty.
Why is Malden Island is discovered in the central Pacific by British warship HMS Blonde significant?
Malden Island, sometimes called Independence Island in the 19th century, is a low, arid, uninhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, about 39 km2 (15 sq mi) in area.

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July 30 in HistoryYear 1825