George Henry Durrie is born in New Haven, CT on June 6th.

Napoleon, the famous French political and military leader, dies on May 5th, in St. Helena.

The staunch abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing his antislavery paper, The Liberator, that would become a critical part of the abolitionist movement.

Thomas Cole paints Study for a Wild Scene, now in the Florence Griswold Museum.

Yale University Art Gallery, the oldest college art museum in the country, is founded after a generous donation from John Trumbull.

Slavery is abolished in the British Empire.

Samuel Colt, Hartford resident, receives U.S. patent for the revolver.

Railroad completed between New Haven and Hartford.

George Durrie and his older brother John (1818-1890) begin taking art lessons from Nathaniel Jocelyn (1796-1881), a New Haven engraver and portraitist.
Durrie begins to paint portraits in the Bethany and Hartford areas.

Africans from the Amistad held on trial and imprisoned in New Haven.

The Daguerreotype, the first photographing process available to the public, is introduced worldwide. Though only popular for the next two decades, it played an influential role in the advancement of photography, and allowed major historical figures, such as Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, to be captured in picture.

Durrie paints Self Portrait as a Young Man now in the Shelburne Museum

Durrie paints Susan Gilbert, now in the New Haven Museum.

Durrie paints Sleighs Arriving at an Inn, now part of a private collection. Durrie paints The Country Inn, now in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Durrie’s first daughter, Mary Clarissa Durrie, is born on August 23 (she dies on March 25, 1941)

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the wildly popular novel that helped fuel the abolitionist movement, is published.

Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Japan with the intent of forming a trade treaty, which would eventually cause Japan to have a rapidly developing and successful economy.

Durrie paints Seven Miles to Farmington. Durrie paints West Rock, New Haven, now in the New Haven Museum. Durrie paints East Rock, New Haven, now in the New Haven Museum.

Durrie opens a studio at 5 Marble Block in New Haven, CT. He holds a sale of his WINTER SCENES of a size suited to the parlor or drawing room on May 11th.

Durrie paints Winter at Jones Inn -- Nine Miles To Hartford, now part of a private collection.

Durrie paints Jones Inn, Winter, now part of the White House Collection. Durrie paints Farmyard in Winter, now part of the White House Collection.

Durrie begins to concentrate on painting winter landscapes.

Durrie paints East Rock, New Haven, now in the New Haven Museum. Durrie paints Winter in the Country, now in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.

Durrie begins to concentrate on painting winter landscapes.

Durrie paints East Rock, New Haven, now in the New Haven Museum. Durrie paints Winter in the Country, now in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.

Frederic E. Church paints A Catskill Landscape, now in the Florence Griswold Museum

Historic Charter Oak tree falls in a storm.

The abolitionist John Brown raids the armory in Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. Though the raid failed, it amplified the tensions between the North and South even further and making civil war.

Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species, establishing the idea of natural selection, and forever changing evolutionary theory.

Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States.

Durrie paints The Old Inn - Ten Miles to Salem, now in the Shelburne Museum.

Currier & Ives publish lithographs of two of Durrie’s winter landscape, New England Winter Scene (1858) and Farmyard in Winter.

Durrie paints Winter in the Country: A Cold Morning, now in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Auction of 71 works by Durrie is held in New York City. Sales of $2,500.

Durrie paints Winter in the Country: A Cold Morning, now in the Shelburne Museum. Durrie paints Summer Landscape, now in the Florence Griswold Museum. Durrie paints East Rock, New Haven, now in the Florence Griswold Museum.

Currier & Ives publish two more of Durrie’s paintings as lithographs: The Farmers Home, Winter and Winter Morning, Feeding the Chickens. Durrie dies in New Haven, CT on October 15th.

Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, granting freedom to slaves in rebelling states. Battle of Gettysburg takes place, resulting in a Union victory that many consider to be one of the most influential in the American Civil War.

Currier & Ives publish lithographs of two of Durrie’s winter landscape, The Old Homestead, Winter, Winter in the Country: A Cold Morning, Winter in the Country: The Old Grist Mill, and Winter in the Country: Getting Ice.

John Wilkes Booth assassinates President Abraham Lincoln, killing him less than a week after the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Courthouse. The American Civil War, the deadliest war in United States history, ends.

Currier & Ives publish lithographs of Durrie’s painting, Autumn in New England, Cider Making. Currier & Ives publish lithographs of Durrie’s painting, Home to Thanksgiving.

Connecticut gives land in Groton to the U.S. Navy, which would eventually develop into the Naval Submarine Base.

John F. Kensett paints Fort Dumpling, Rhode Island, now in the Florence Griswold Museum.