WHAT ALL HAPPENED FEBRUARY TO OCTOBER 1809
Find out what all happened February to October 1809

London's Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute. (24. February 1809)

The city of La Paz, in what is today Bolivia, declares its independence from the Spanish Crown during the La Paz revolution and forms the Junta Tuitiva, the first independent government in Spanish America, led by Pedro Domingo Murillo. (16. July 1809)

The Territory of Illinois is created by the 10th United States Congress. (3. February 1809)

Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl. (21. April 1809)

Sweden promulgates a new Constitution, which restores political power to the Riksdag of the Estates after 20 years of enlightened absolutism. At the same time, Charles XIII is elected to succeed Gustav IV Adolf as King of Sweden. (6. June 1809)

The second day of the Battle of Eckmühl: the Austrian army is defeated by the First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France and driven over the Danube in Regensburg. (22. April 1809)

Two Austrian army corps in Bavaria are defeated by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France at the Battle of Abensberg on the second day of a four-day campaign that ended in a French victory. (20. April 1809)

On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna, Austria), Napoleon I is repelled by an enemy army for the first time. (22. May 1809)

Peninsular War: Battle of Talavera – Sir Arthur Wellesley's British, Portuguese and Spanish army defeats a French force led by Joseph Bonaparte. (28. July 1809)

Along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee, explorer Meriwether Lewis dies under mysterious circumstances at an inn called Grinder's Stand. (11. October 1809)

The Swiss canton of Aargau denies citizenship to Jews. (5. May 1809)

Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for a technique of weaving straw with silk and thread. (5. May 1809)

The Royal Opera House in London opens. (18. September 1809)

An Austrian corps is defeated by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw in the Battle of Raszyn, part of the struggles of the Fifth Coalition. On the same day the Austrian main army is defeated by a First French Empire Corps led by Louis-Nicolas Davout at the Battle of Teugen-Hausen in Bavaria, part of a four-day campaign that ended in a French victory. (19. April 1809)

Peace between Sweden and Russia in the Finnish War. The territory to become Finland is ceded to Russia by the Treaty of Fredrikshamn. (17. September 1809)

The first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling between the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles and the French army led by Napoleon I of France sees the French attack across the Danube held. (21. May 1809)

The second day of the Battle of Wagram; France defeats the Austrian army in the largest battle to date of the Napoleonic Wars. (6. July 1809)

Peninsular War: A combined Franco-Polish force defeats the Spanish in the Battle of Ciudad-Real. (27. March 1809)

The Battle of Wagram is fought. (5. July 1809)

Peninsular War: France defeats Spain in the Battle of Medelin. (28. March 1809)