On This Day
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Oscar I (45) ascends to the throne of Sweden-Norway, upon the death of his father, Charles XIV John

Charles XIV John (Swedish: Karl XIV Johan; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty.

Charles XIV John (Swedish: Karl XIV Johan; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John (Norwegian: Karl III Johan); before he became royalty in Sweden, his name was Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte. During the Napoleonic Wars, he participated in several battles as a Marshal of France.

Born in Pau in the region of southern France known as Béarn, Bernadotte joined the French Royal Army in 1780. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, he demonstrated great military talent, rising rapidly through the ranks and becoming a brigadier general by 1794. He served with distinction in Italy and Germany, and was briefly Minister of War.

Historical Significance

Charles XIV John (Swedish: Karl XIV Johan; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty.

Events Before

  1. Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

    Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

  2. Oldest continuous writer of insurance in America opens, the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (MONY)

    The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (also known as Mutual of New York or MONY) was the oldest continuous writer of insurance policies in the United States.

  3. American Frontiersman Kit Carson (33) weds Mexican socialite Josefa Jaramillo (14) at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, in T

    American Frontiersman Kit Carson (33) weds Mexican socialite Josefa Jaramillo (14) at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, in Taos, Mexico

  4. Samuel Gridley Howe, American physician and educator, marries Julia Ward, American poet and author

    Samuel Gridley Howe, American physician and educator, marries Julia Ward, American poet and author

  5. First wagon train departs Independence, Missouri, for Oregon with 700 to 1,000 migrants

    The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile (3,490 km) east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in North America that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon Territory.

Events After

  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

More from the 1840s

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

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.

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 8, 1844?
Charles XIV John (Swedish: Karl XIV Johan; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John (Norwegian: Karl III Johan); before he became royalty in Sweden, his name was Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte. During the Napoleonic Wars, he participated in several battles as a Marshal of France.
Why is Oscar I (45) ascends to the throne of Sweden-Norway, upon the death of his fa... significant?
Charles XIV John (Swedish: Karl XIV Johan; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty.

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March 8 in HistoryYear 1844