1808Oct, 14
The Republic of Ragusa is annexed by France.
The Republic of Ragusa (Dalmatian: Republica de Ragusa; Latin: Respublica Ragusina; Italian: Repubblica di Ragusa; Croatian: Dubrovačka Republika, lit. 'Dubrovnik Republic'; Venetian: Repùblega de Raguxa) was an aristocratic maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (Ragusa in Italian, German and Latin; Raguxa in Venetian) in Dalmatia (today in southernmost Croatia) that carried that name from 1358 until 1808. It reached its commercial peak in the 15th and the 16th centuries, before being conquered by Napoleon's French Empire and formally annexed by the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1808. It had a population of about 30,000 people, of whom 5,000 lived within the city walls. Its motto was "Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro", which means "Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world".
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Events on 1808
- 22Jan
Invasion of Portugal (1807)
The Portuguese royal family arrives in Brazil after fleeing the French army's invasion of Portugal two months earlier. - 6Apr
American Fur Company
John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America's first millionaire. - 8Apr
Pope Pius VII
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII. - 3May
Sveaborg
Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia. - 6Jun
Joseph Bonaparte
Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte, is crowned King of Spain.