SS Great Britain

Historical eventJuly 191843

SS Great Britain

SS Great Britain, the first ocean-going ship with both an iron hull and a screw propeller, was launched (pictured) in Bristol, England.

Everything on July 19Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, July 19 1843183 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 1843.

Place: City of Bristol, United Kingdom.

Type: steamship, independent museum, museum ship, and preserved watercraft.

What happened

SS Great Britain is a museum ship and former passenger steamship that was advanced for her time. The largest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1853, she was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic service between Bristol and New York City. While other ships had previously been built of iron or equipped with a screw propeller, Great Britain was the first to combine these features in a large ocean-going ship,

July 19 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1843SS Great Britain
  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 1843

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  • March 11Eta CarinaeDuring a period of activity known as the Great Eruption, Eta Carinae (pictured) briefly became the second-brightest star in the night sky.
  • January 20Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of ParanáHonório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of Paraná, became the de facto first prime minister of the Empire of Brazil.
  • December 19A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (illustration pictured), a novella by Charles Dickens about the miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation after bei…

Everything we record for 1843 →

Sources

Cite this page

“SS Great Britain”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/ss-great-britain-1843-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 SS Great Britain happen?

July 19 1843 — 183 years ago, on a Wednesday.

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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