On This Day
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Much of the ancient structure of the Palace of Westminster (Parliament) in London burns down

The history of the Palace of Westminster began in the Middle Ages – in the early eighth century – when there was an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to St.

The history of the Palace of Westminster began in the Middle Ages – in the early eighth century – when there was an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle which became known as the West Minster (St. Paul's being the East Minster). In the tenth century the church became a Benedictine abbey and was adopted as a royal church, which subsequently became a royal palace in the 11th century.

Edward the Confessor, the penultimate Anglo-Saxon king, began the building of Westminster Abbey and a neighbouring palace to oversee its construction. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, William the Conqueror adopted the Palace of Westminster as his own.

Historical Significance

The history of the Palace of Westminster began in the Middle Ages – in the early eighth century – when there was an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to St.

Events Before

  1. Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

    Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

  2. French composer Hector Berlioz (29) weds Irish actress Harriet Smithson (30) at the British Embassy in Paris, France

    French composer Hector Berlioz (29) weds Irish actress Harriet Smithson (30) at the British Embassy in Paris, France

  3. The British Royal Navy arrives at the Falkland Islands and reasserts sovereignty

    In December 1832, the United Kingdom sent two naval vessels to re-assert British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), after the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata...

  4. Britain seizes control of Falkland Islands in South Atlantic

    The occupation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands was the short-lived Argentine occupation of a group of British islands in the South Atlantic whose sovereignty...

  5. Boston Academy of Music, first US music school, is established

    Boston Academy of Music, first US music school, is established

Events After

  1. US national debt reaches $0 for the first and only time in history

    The history of the United States public debt began with federal government debt incurred during the American Revolutionary War by the first U.S treasurer, Michael Hillegas, after the country's…

  2. Maria II of Portugal marries Auguste, Duke of Leuchtenberg

    Dona Maria II (Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Habsburgo-Lorena e Bragança; 4 April 1819 – 15 November 1853)…

  3. First installment of Hans Christian Andersen's "Fairy Tales" is published by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark

    Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales,...

  4. Soldier and politician Jefferson Davis (27) weds Sarah Knox Taylor (21) in Louisville, Kentucky

    Soldier and politician Jefferson Davis (27) weds Sarah Knox Taylor (21) in Louisville, Kentucky

  5. Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson files for a patent for his screw propeller design

    Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson files for a patent for his screw propeller design

More from the 1830s

Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador),

Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador), the only plantation diary to survive from the Bahamas (ends Dec 1832) [1]

Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

German Zollverein (Customs Union) comes into effect

The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.

First official horse race in South Australia takes place in Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 16, 1834?
The history of the Palace of Westminster began in the Middle Ages – in the early eighth century – when there was an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle which became known as the West Minster (St. Paul's being the East Minster).
Why is Much of the ancient structure of the Palace of Westminster (Parliament) in Lo... significant?
The history of the Palace of Westminster began in the Middle Ages – in the early eighth century – when there was an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to St.

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October 16 in HistoryYear 1834