Historical eventJuly 191845

Great New York City Fire of 1845

A fire in Manhattan, New York City, destroyed 345 buildings, killed 30 people, and caused at least $5 million in damage.

Everything on July 19Original source

In context

When
Saturday, July 19 1845181 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1840s
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 1845.

What happened

A fire in Manhattan, New York City, destroyed 345 buildings, killed 30 people, and caused at least $5 million in damage.

July 19 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1845Great New York City Fire of 1845
  2. 1992Via D'Amelio bombing
  3. 1994Alas Chiricanas Flight 00901
  4. 1997The Troubles
  5. 2011Guinea
  6. 2012Syrian civil war
  7. 2013NASA
  8. 2014New Valley Governorate
  9. 20142014 Farafra ambush
  10. 2018Knesset
  11. 2024Neary's

Also in 1845

  • March 11Māori peopleMāori forces, led by chiefs Te Ruki Kawiti and Hōne Heke, attacked the British settlement of Kororāreka, New Zealand, beginning the Flags…
  • May 3WisconsinA long-running feud between two towns in Wisconsin came to a head when a schooner crashed into a bridge; they later merged to form the ci…
  • January 29Edgar Allan PoeAmerican poet Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" appeared in The Evening Mirror as the newspaper's first publication attributed to Poe.
  • September 10John Doubleday (restorer)John Doubleday completed a "masterly" restoration of the Portland Vase, which had been smashed into hundreds of pieces seven months prior.
  • December 30University of GalwayThe University of Galway, University College Cork and Queen's University Belfast were established as part of the Queen's University of Ir…
  • May 19John FranklinCaptain John Franklin (pictured) departed Greenhithe, England, on an expedition to the Canadian Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage…
  • December 29Republic of TexasThe Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming the 28th state to be admitted to the Union.
  • March 13Felix MendelssohnGerman composer Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto was premiered in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as the soloist.

Everything we record for 1845 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Great New York City Fire of 1845”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/great-new-york-city-fire-of-1845-1845-july-19, accessed October 24, 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 Great New York City Fire of 1845 happen?

July 19 1845 — 181 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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