What Happened in 1841 — Events, Births & Deaths

Hong Kong Island is occupied by the British during the First Opium War.

Gordon Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.

The National Bank of Greece is founded in Athens.

Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia conclude the London Straits Convention, which forbids warships to cross the Bosporus and Dardanelles in times of war.

Coronation of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil.

The Sultanate of Brunei cedes Sarawak to James Brooke.