On This Day

The British First Fleet arrives at Australian territory of Norfolk Island to found a convict settlement

Norfolk Island ( NOR-fək, locally NOR-fohk; Norf'k Ailen) is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly...

Norfolk Island ( NOR-fək, locally NOR-fohk; Norf'k Ailen) is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island. Together with the neighbouring Phillip Island and Nepean Island, the three islands collectively form the Territory of Norfolk Island. At the 2021 census, it had 2,188 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35 km2 (14 sq mi). Its capital is Kingston. East Polynesians were the first to settle Norfolk Island, but they had already departed when Great Britain settled it as part of its 1788 colonisation of Australia.

Historical Significance

Norfolk Island ( NOR-fək, locally NOR-fohk; Norf'k Ailen) is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island.

Events Before

  1. Naval officer Horatio Nelson (28) weds Frances Nisbet at Montpelier Estate on the island of Nevis

    Naval officer Horatio Nelson (28) weds Frances Nisbet at Montpelier Estate on the island of Nevis

  2. The First Fleet, headed by Arthur Phillip, sets sail with 11 ships of convicts for Botany Bay, Australia [1]

    The First Fleet is the name given to the group of eleven ships carrying convicts, the first to do so, that left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788.

  3. Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draw up the Constitution of the United States

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

  4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his chamber piece "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Serenade)

    Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major), K. 525, is a 1787 composition for a chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791).

  5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526

Events After

  1. The first American novel, William Hill Brown's "The Power of Sympathy," is published by Isaiah Thomas

    William Hill Brown (November 12, 1765 – September 2, 1793) was an American novelist, the author of what is usually considered the first American novel, The Power of Sympathy (1789), and "Harriot, or…

  2. First US Electoral College chooses George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President

    John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801.

  3. First US Congress begins regular sessions during George Washington's presidency at Federal Hall, NYC (ends 1791)

    First US Congress begins regular sessions during George Washington's presidency at Federal Hall, NYC (ends 1791)

  4. Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny on HMS Bounty against its captain William Bligh in the South Pacific

    Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny on HMS Bounty against its captain William Bligh in the South Pacific

  5. George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America at Federal Hall in NYC

    Federal Hall was the first capitol building of the United States established under the Constitution.

More from the 1780s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 6, 1788?
Norfolk Island ( NOR-fək, locally NOR-fohk; Norf'k Ailen) is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island. Together with the neighbouring Phillip Island and Nepean Island, the three islands collectively form the Territory of Norfolk Island. At the 2021 census, it had 2,188 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35 km2 (14 sq mi).
Why is The British First Fleet arrives at Australian territory of Norfolk Island to ... significant?
Norfolk Island ( NOR-fək, locally NOR-fohk; Norf'k Ailen) is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island.

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