19th century facts

Paris. After the 1806 Prussian defeat, Napoleon was the first to use the Brandenburg Gate for a triumphal procession and took the Quadriga to Paris. It was restored in 1814, after Napoleon's defeat and the Prussian occupation of Paris.

At the human zoo in London. Sara Baartman was known women who, due to their large buttocks, were exhibited as freak show attractions in 19th-century Europe under the name Hottentot Venus—"Hottentot" was the name for the Khoi people, now considered an offensive term, and "Venus" referred to the Roman goddess of love. The fame is due to the extensive exploitation of her body by the general public and scientists, as well as the horrible mistreatment she received during her life and after her death. Her body parts were on display at the Musée de l'Homme for 150 years.

Ice harvesting. In the United States, the first cargo of ice was sent from New York City to Charleston in 1799, and by the first half of the 19th century, ice harvesting had become big business. Ice was imported into England from Norway, Trieste sent it to Egypt, and Switzerland to France. Ice production is still a large business, though the ice is no more harvested from lakes. In 2002, there were 426 commercial ice-making companies in the United States.

Atacama Desert. In the 19th century, there were no clear borders defined between Peru, Bolivia and Chile in the area of the Atacama desert. This became a problem with the discovery of valuable sodium nitrate deposits in the area.

Italian lira. The lira was the official unit of currency in Italy until January 1, 1999, when it was replaced by the euro (euro coins and notes were not introduced until 2002). Old lira denominated currency ceased to be legal tender on February 28, 2002. The conversion rate is 1,936.27 lire to the euro.

In England. In 1825, George Stephenson launched the first public line between Stockton and Darlington. It was about 15 km long, and the first steam locomotive covered the route in 65 minutes.