Historic Dates For Abraham Lincoln
We take a look at the historic dates in the life of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
February 12, 1809 - Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky.
October 5, 1818 - Abraham's mother, Nancy, died. His father, Thomas, would marry Sarah Bush Johnston on December 2, 1819. Sarah would greatly influence Abraham.
April 21, 1832 - At the onset of the Black Hawk War, a young Abraham Lincoln joins the military.
August 6, 1832 - After running for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly, Abraham Lincoln is defeated in the election.
August 4, 1834 - Lincoln is elected to his first term in the Illinois State General Assembly. He would be re-elected on August 1, 1836.
September 9, 1836 - Lincoln received his license to practice law.
April 15, 1837 - Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois and became a law partner with John T. Stuart, a relative of Mary Todd. (Abraham and Mary would become engaged in 1840.)
January 1, 1841 - Abraham and Mary ended their engagement. Their relatioship would resume in 1842.
November 4, 1842 - Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married.
May 1, 1843 - Lincoln's attempt to garner the Whig nomination for Congress is unsuccessful.
August 1, 1843 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their first son, Robert Todd Lincoln.
March 10, 1846 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their second son, Edward Baker Lincoln.
May 1, 1846 - Lincoln's second attempt at the Whig nomination was successful.
August 3, 1846 - Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He would be sworn in on December 6, 1847.
December 22, 1847 - Lincoln provided "spot resolutions" that questioned the tactics President James Polk used concerning hostilities between the United States and Mexico. He would again bring up the subject on the floor of the House of Representatives on January 22, 1848.
March 31, 1849 - Lincoln returned to Springfield to resume his law career.
February 1, 1850 - Abraham and Mary's son, Edward, died.
December 21, 1850 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their son, William Wallace Lincoln.
April 4, 1853 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their son Thomas a.k.a. Tad Lincoln.
November 7, 1854 - Lincoln is elected once again to the Illinois State Assembly. He withdrew from the State Assembly in order to run for a Senate seat. On February 8, 1855, Lincoln's bid for Senate was unsuccessful.
June 17, 1856 - Lincoln attended the Republican National Convention and received attention when he received a number of votes for the Vice Presidential ticket.
June 26, 1857 - Lincoln spoke out against the Supreme Court's "Dred Scott Decision" which refused African Americans U.S. citizenship and the ability to Congress to prohibit slavery.
June 16, 1858 - Lincoln won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. At the convention, Lincoln made his infamous "house divided" speech.
November 2, 1858 - Lincoln loses the Senate race to Democratic incumbent Stephen Douglas.
May 18, 1860 - Lincoln received the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
November 6, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th U.S. President.
December 20, 1860 - South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union in the days leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia would later follow.
March 4, 1861 - Lincoln was inaugurated.
April 12, 1861 - The Civil War officially began after Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina was attacked.
April 15, 1861 - Lincoln issued a proclamation for a voluntary militia.
April 18, 1861 - Lincoln asked Robert E. Lee to head the Union forces. Lee declined and would later lead the Confederate armies.
April 19, 1861 - Lincoln issued a proclamation that resulted in the blockade of southern ports.
April 27, 1861 - The Writ of Habeas Corpus was suspended.
July 21, 1861 - Union forces suffer defeat at the battle of First Manssas a.k.a. Bull Run in Virginia.
November 1, 1861 - Lincoln appointed George McClellan to head the Union forces.
November 8, 1861 - The Trent Affair occurred when two Confederate diplomats were removed from the British vessel the RMS Trent by Union forces. The two diplomats were released on December 26, 1861.
February 20, 1862 - Abraham and Mary's son, William died at the White House.
March 11, 1862 - Lincoln relieved McClellan as head of the Union forces and took personal command of the armies.
April 16, 1862 - Lincoln signed a proclamation that abolished slavery in Washington D.C.
May 20, 1862 - Lincoln signed the Federal Homestead Act which encouraged settlement of the land west of the Mississippi.
July 1, 1862 - Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 which allowed for a railroad and telegraph to extend from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.
July 2, 1862 - Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act which allowed land to be granted for the purpose of building educational institutions.
September 22, 1862 - A preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Lincoln.
January 1, 1863 - Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in all territories.
January 25, 1863 - Lincoln appointed Jospeh Hooker to head the eastern forces of the Union army.
January 29, 1863 - Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant to head the western forces of the Union army.
Febuary 25, 1863 - Lincoln signed the National Bank Act which allowed for a system of bank charters.
March 3, 1863 - Lincoln signed a Conscription Act allowing for the drafting of able bodied men.
June 28, 1863 - Lincoln replaced Joseph Hooker with George S. Meade.
November 19, 1863 - At the dedication of the Gettysburg Battlefield as a National Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln delivered his renowned "Gettysburg Address".
December 8, 1863 - Lincoln unveiled his plans for post-war reconstruction.
February 22, 1864 - Lincoln received his nomination for re-election.
March 9, 1864 - Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant to head all Union forces.
November 8, 1864 - Lincoln was re-elected for his second term in office.
April 9, 1865 - The Civil War officially ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox, Virginia.
April 11, 1865 - Lincoln delivered his last public speech. The topic was the problems facing reconstruction.
April 14, 1865 - Abraham and Mary Lincoln attended a production at Washington D.C.'s Ford Theater. During the evening, John Wilkes Booth fatally shoots Lincoln.
April 15, 1865 - Abraham Lincoln passed away at 7:22 a.m.
May 4, 1865 - After a long tour, the body of Abraham Lincoln is initially laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.
November 7, 1876 - One of several unsuccessful attempts to steal the body of Lincoln occurred.
September 26, 1901 - Abraham Lincoln's body is entombed permanently in concrete.
February 12, 1809 - Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky.
October 5, 1818 - Abraham's mother, Nancy, died. His father, Thomas, would marry Sarah Bush Johnston on December 2, 1819. Sarah would greatly influence Abraham.
April 21, 1832 - At the onset of the Black Hawk War, a young Abraham Lincoln joins the military.
August 6, 1832 - After running for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly, Abraham Lincoln is defeated in the election.
August 4, 1834 - Lincoln is elected to his first term in the Illinois State General Assembly. He would be re-elected on August 1, 1836.
September 9, 1836 - Lincoln received his license to practice law.
April 15, 1837 - Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois and became a law partner with John T. Stuart, a relative of Mary Todd. (Abraham and Mary would become engaged in 1840.)
January 1, 1841 - Abraham and Mary ended their engagement. Their relatioship would resume in 1842.
November 4, 1842 - Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married.
May 1, 1843 - Lincoln's attempt to garner the Whig nomination for Congress is unsuccessful.
August 1, 1843 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their first son, Robert Todd Lincoln.
March 10, 1846 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their second son, Edward Baker Lincoln.
May 1, 1846 - Lincoln's second attempt at the Whig nomination was successful.
August 3, 1846 - Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He would be sworn in on December 6, 1847.
December 22, 1847 - Lincoln provided "spot resolutions" that questioned the tactics President James Polk used concerning hostilities between the United States and Mexico. He would again bring up the subject on the floor of the House of Representatives on January 22, 1848.
March 31, 1849 - Lincoln returned to Springfield to resume his law career.
February 1, 1850 - Abraham and Mary's son, Edward, died.
December 21, 1850 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their son, William Wallace Lincoln.
April 4, 1853 - Abraham and Mary welcomed their son Thomas a.k.a. Tad Lincoln.
November 7, 1854 - Lincoln is elected once again to the Illinois State Assembly. He withdrew from the State Assembly in order to run for a Senate seat. On February 8, 1855, Lincoln's bid for Senate was unsuccessful.
June 17, 1856 - Lincoln attended the Republican National Convention and received attention when he received a number of votes for the Vice Presidential ticket.
June 26, 1857 - Lincoln spoke out against the Supreme Court's "Dred Scott Decision" which refused African Americans U.S. citizenship and the ability to Congress to prohibit slavery.
June 16, 1858 - Lincoln won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. At the convention, Lincoln made his infamous "house divided" speech.
November 2, 1858 - Lincoln loses the Senate race to Democratic incumbent Stephen Douglas.
May 18, 1860 - Lincoln received the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
November 6, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th U.S. President.
December 20, 1860 - South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union in the days leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia would later follow.
March 4, 1861 - Lincoln was inaugurated.
April 12, 1861 - The Civil War officially began after Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina was attacked.
April 15, 1861 - Lincoln issued a proclamation for a voluntary militia.
April 18, 1861 - Lincoln asked Robert E. Lee to head the Union forces. Lee declined and would later lead the Confederate armies.
April 19, 1861 - Lincoln issued a proclamation that resulted in the blockade of southern ports.
April 27, 1861 - The Writ of Habeas Corpus was suspended.
July 21, 1861 - Union forces suffer defeat at the battle of First Manssas a.k.a. Bull Run in Virginia.
November 1, 1861 - Lincoln appointed George McClellan to head the Union forces.
November 8, 1861 - The Trent Affair occurred when two Confederate diplomats were removed from the British vessel the RMS Trent by Union forces. The two diplomats were released on December 26, 1861.
February 20, 1862 - Abraham and Mary's son, William died at the White House.
March 11, 1862 - Lincoln relieved McClellan as head of the Union forces and took personal command of the armies.
April 16, 1862 - Lincoln signed a proclamation that abolished slavery in Washington D.C.
May 20, 1862 - Lincoln signed the Federal Homestead Act which encouraged settlement of the land west of the Mississippi.
July 1, 1862 - Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 which allowed for a railroad and telegraph to extend from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.
July 2, 1862 - Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act which allowed land to be granted for the purpose of building educational institutions.
September 22, 1862 - A preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Lincoln.
January 1, 1863 - Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in all territories.
January 25, 1863 - Lincoln appointed Jospeh Hooker to head the eastern forces of the Union army.
January 29, 1863 - Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant to head the western forces of the Union army.
Febuary 25, 1863 - Lincoln signed the National Bank Act which allowed for a system of bank charters.
March 3, 1863 - Lincoln signed a Conscription Act allowing for the drafting of able bodied men.
June 28, 1863 - Lincoln replaced Joseph Hooker with George S. Meade.
November 19, 1863 - At the dedication of the Gettysburg Battlefield as a National Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln delivered his renowned "Gettysburg Address".
December 8, 1863 - Lincoln unveiled his plans for post-war reconstruction.
February 22, 1864 - Lincoln received his nomination for re-election.
March 9, 1864 - Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant to head all Union forces.
November 8, 1864 - Lincoln was re-elected for his second term in office.
April 9, 1865 - The Civil War officially ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox, Virginia.
April 11, 1865 - Lincoln delivered his last public speech. The topic was the problems facing reconstruction.
April 14, 1865 - Abraham and Mary Lincoln attended a production at Washington D.C.'s Ford Theater. During the evening, John Wilkes Booth fatally shoots Lincoln.
April 15, 1865 - Abraham Lincoln passed away at 7:22 a.m.
May 4, 1865 - After a long tour, the body of Abraham Lincoln is initially laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.
November 7, 1876 - One of several unsuccessful attempts to steal the body of Lincoln occurred.
September 26, 1901 - Abraham Lincoln's body is entombed permanently in concrete.
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