from Turkey and the Ottoman Empire.) October 8 (O.S.)/October 20 (N.S.) – Tsar Alexander I of Russia issues an imperial ukase guaranteeing freedom of commerce in Russia by merchants from Persia. November 16 – American Old West: The Santa Fe Trail is first used by William Becknell. November 28 – Panama declares independence from Spain, joining Gran Colombia. December 1 – History of the Dominican Republic: On the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, General José Núñez de Cáceres ends the España Boba era of Spanish rule in the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo by establishing the Republic of Spanish Haiti. It will last for three months before being invaded by Haiti. December 6 – The South Orkney Islands are discovered by seal hunters George Powell and Nathaniel Palmer. December 15 – The world's first geographical society, the Société de géographie, is established in Paris. December 19 – The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland begins to erupt. Date unknown The town of Al-Ubayyid, Sudan is established. High-quality cotton is introduced in Egypt. Widener University is founded in Wilmington, Delaware, as The Bullock School for Boys. Births January–June January 1 – Francisco de Paula Milán Mexican officier of the Mexican Army (d. 1883) January 2 – Catherine Huggins, British actor, singer, director and manager (d. 1887) January 8 James Longstreet, American Confederate general (d. 1904) W. H. L. Wallace, American Civil War general (d. 1862) February 3 – Elizabeth Blackwell, first American female physician (d. 1910) February 11 – Auguste Edouard Mariette, French Egyptologist (d. 1881) February 17 – Lola Montez, Irish-Spanish dancer, royal mistress (d. 1861) February 19 Francis Preston Blair Jr., American politician, American Civil War officer (d. 1875) August Schleicher, German linguist (d. 1868) February 22 – Athalia Schwartz, Danish writer, journalist and educator (d. 1871) March 1 – Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German Old Catholic bishop (d. 1896) March 9 – John Watts de Peyster, American author, philanthropist, and soldier (d. 1907) March 12 – Sir John Abbott, 3rd Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1893) March 15 – William Milligan, Scottish theologian (d. 1893) March 20 – Ned Buntline (Edward Zane Carroll Judson Sr.), American publisher, dime novelist and publicist (d. 1886) March 31 – Henry Dunning Macleod, Scottish economist (d. 1902) April 1 – Princess Anka Obrenović, Serbian princess (d. 1868) April 3 – Fr. Thomas Pelham Dale, English mystic (d. 1892) April 9 – Charles Baudelaire, French poet, writer