Calendar of Literary Facts
1818
- The Atlantic is first traversed by a steamship, the Savannah
- Franz Gruber composes the world’s most famous Christmas carol, “ Stille nacht, heilige nacht” (“Silent Night”)
- Chile gains independence from Spain
- Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
- George Copway is born
- Karl Marx is born (May 5)
- Ivan Turgenev is born (November 9)
- Emily Brontë is born (August 20)