1st January » The importation of slavery e.g slaves into the United States is banned.
12th January » The organizational meeting that led to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh called Edinburgh, Scotland.
26th January » Rum Rebellion, the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in Australia.
11th February » Jesse Fell burns anthracite on an open grate as an experiment in heating homes with coal.
21st February » Without a previous declaration of war, Russian troops cross the border to Sweden at Abborfors in eastern Finland, thus beginning the Finnish war, in which Sweden will lose the eastern half of the country (i.e. Finland) to Russia.
2nd March » The inaugural meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
8th April » The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York New York, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Philadelphia, R
2nd May » Outbreak of the Peninsular War: The people of Madrid Dos de Mayo Uprising or rise up in rebellion against French occupation. Francisco de Goya later memorializes this event in his painting The Second of May 1808.
3rd May » Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia.
3rd May » Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose up on May 2 are executed near Príncipe Pío hill.
17th May » Napoleon I of France orders the annexation of the Papal States to the First French Empire called French Empire.
15th June » Joseph Bonaparte becomes List of heads of state of Spain or King of Spain.
8th July » Joseph Bonaparte approves the Bayonne Statute, a royal charter intended as the basis for his rule as king of Spain.
21st August » Battle of Vimeiro: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland British and Portuguese people Portuguese forces led by General Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley defeat French Armed Forces French force under Major-General Jean-Andoch
13th September » Finnish War: In the Battle of Jutas, Swedish forces under Lieutenant General Georg Carl von Döbeln beat the Russian Empire called Russians, making von Döbeln a Swedish war hero.
14th September » Finnish War: Russians defeat the Swedes in the bloody Battle of Oravais.
14th October » The Republic of Ragusa is annexed by France.
23rd November » French and Poles defeat the Spanish at battle of Tudela.
20th December » Peninsular War: The Second Siege of Zaragoza called Siege of Zaragoza begins.
22nd December » Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven) Fifth Symphony, Symphony No. 6 (Beethoven) Sixth Symphony, Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven) Fourth Piano Concerto