Benjamin Morrell

Historical eventMarch 151823

Benjamin Morrell

American sailor Benjamin Morrell erroneously reported the existence of New South Greenland, a phantom island, near Antarctica.

Everything on March 15Original source
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In context

When
Saturday, March 15 1823203 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1820s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1823.

Type: human.

What happened

Benjamin Morrell was an American sea captain, explorer and trader who made a number of voyages, mainly to the Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and the Pacific Islands. In a ghost-written memoir, A Narrative of Four Voyages, which describes his sea-going life between 1823 and 1832, Morrell included numerous claims of discovery and achievement, many of which have been disputed by geographers and historians, and in some cases have been proven false. He ended his career as a fugitive,

March 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1823Benjamin Morrell
  2. 1990Farzad Bazoft
  3. 1990Mikhail Gorbachev
  4. 1991Cold War
  5. 20082008 Gërdec explosions
  6. 2011Syrian revolution
  7. 2019Fridays for Future
  8. 20192019–2020 Hong Kong protests
  9. 2019Christchurch mosque shootings
  10. 20222022 Sri Lankan protests
  11. 2026Killing of members of the Bani Odeh family

Also in 1823

  • December 2James MonroeU.S. president James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine, a proclamation of opposition to European colonialism in the New World.
  • February 11Carnival tragedy of 1823Around 110 boys were killed in a human crush at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti (corridor pictured) in Valletta on the last day of t…
  • August 18Demerara rebellion of 1823At least 9,000 enslaved people rebelled in the British colony in Demerara-Essequibo (in present-day Guyana), demanding emancipation.
  • March 29Joaquín de OreamunoJoaquín de Oreamuno led a coup d'état that overthrew Rafael Francisco Osejo, attempting to restore allegiance to the Mexican Empire.

Everything we record for 1823 →

Sources

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“Benjamin Morrell”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/benjamin-morrell-1823-march-15, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Benjamin Morrell happen?

March 15 1823 — 203 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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