On This Day

Oregon Territory is divided between the United States and Britain along the 49th parallel

The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49° north of Earth's equator.

The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49° north of Earth's equator. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The city of Paris is about 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of the 49th parallel and is the largest city between the 48th and 49th parallels. Its main airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport, lies on the 49th parallel.

Roughly 2,030 kilometres (1,260 miles) of the Canada–United States border was designated to follow the 49th parallel from British Columbia to Manitoba on the Canada side, and from Washington to Minnesota on the U.S. side, more specifically from the Strait of Georgia to the Lake of the Woods.

Historical Significance

The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49° north of Earth's equator.

Events Before

  1. Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat

    David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa.

  2. Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn is completed, becoming the world's first subway tunnel

    Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn is completed, becoming the world's first subway tunnel

  3. Scientific American magazine publishes its first issue

    Scientific American, informally abbreviated SciAm or sometimes SA, is an American popular science magazine.

  4. English chemist Michael Faraday discovers the "Faraday effect," the influence of a magnetic field on polarized light

    English chemist Michael Faraday discovers the "Faraday effect," the influence of a magnetic field on polarized light

  5. The first baseball team, the New York Knickerbockers, organizes and adopts a rulebook, known as the Knickerbocker Rules

    The first baseball team, the New York Knickerbockers, organizes and adopts a rulebook, known as the Knickerbocker Rules

Events After

  1. Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government

    Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of…

  2. Michigan becomes the first English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the st

    Michigan becomes the first English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the state)

  3. First civic public park, Birkenhead Park, designed by Joseph Paxton, opens in Birkenhead, England

    Birkenhead Park is a major public park located in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847.

  4. Author of Moby-Dick, American novelist Herman Melville (28) marries Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of Chief Justice of the Mas

    Author of Moby-Dick, American novelist Herman Melville (28) marries Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

  5. Battle of Chapultepec: American forces capture Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican–American War, allowing US General W

    Battle of Chapultepec: American forces capture Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican–American War, allowing US General Winfield Scott to take Mexico City

More from the 1840s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 5, 1846?
The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49° north of Earth's equator. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Paris is about 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of the 49th parallel and is the largest city between the 48th and 49th parallels.
Why is Oregon Territory is divided between the United States and Britain along the 4... significant?
The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49° north of Earth's equator.

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