Editing 1842 (section)

=== January–March ===
* [[January 6]]–[[January 13|13]] – [[First Anglo-Afghan War]] – [[Massacre of Elphinstone's army]] (Battle of Gandamak): British [[East India Company]] troops are destroyed by Afghan forces on the road from [[Kabul]] to [[Jalalabad]], [[Afghanistan]], by [[Wazir Akbar Khan|Akbar Khan]], son of [[Dost Mohammad Khan (Emir of Afghanistan)|Dost Mohammad Khan]].
* [[January 8]] – [[Delft University of Technology]] is established by [[William II of the Netherlands]], as a 'Royal Academy for the education of civilian engineers'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=300c4edd-74f6-4f4d-a5cd-42a70682cb98&lang=en |title=History of the university |publisher=TU Delft |access-date=2012-07-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228094426/http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=300c4edd-74f6-4f4d-a5cd-42a70682cb98&lang=en |archive-date=February 28, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[January 23]] – Antarctic explorer [[James Clark Ross]], charting the eastern side of [[James Ross Island]], reaches a [[Farthest South]] of 78°09'30"S.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coleman|first=E. C.|title=The Royal Navy in Polar Exploration, from Frobisher to Ross|publisher=Tempus Publishing|location=Stroud|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7524-3660-9|page=335}}</ref>
* [[January]]
** [[Michael Alexander (bishop)|Michael Alexander]] takes office, as the first appointee to the [[Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem]].
** [[United States|American]] medical student William E. Clarke of [[Berkshire Medical College]] becomes the first person to administer an inhaled [[anesthetic]], to facilitate a surgical procedure. After Clarke uses a towel and ether to anesthetize a patient identifed as "Miss Hobbie", Dr. Elijah Pope [[dental extraction|pulls her tooth]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Artificial anaesthesia and anaesthetics|chapter=History of anaesthesia|author=Lyman, H. M.|year=1881|publisher=William Wood and Company|location=New York|page=6|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xNEIAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA68}}</ref>
* [[February 1]] – The modern-day [[Willamette University]], the oldest institution of higher learning in the western United States, is established in [[Salem, Oregon]] as "The Oregon Institute". The first students begin classes begin on August 13, 1844.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/about/history/highlights_1834-1899.html|title=About: History of Willamette: 1834 – 1899 {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-07-07}}</ref>
* [[February 7]] – [[Battle of Debre Tabor]]: Ras [[Ali II of Yejju|Ali Alula]], Regent of the [[Emperor of Ethiopia]], defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of [[Semien Province|Semien]].
* [[March]] – ''[[Commonwealth v. Hunt]]'': The Massachusetts Supreme Court rules that labor strikes and the formation of labor unions are both legal in the United States.
* [[March 2]] – [[Gaylad (horse)|Gaylad]], ridden by [[Tom Olliver]], wins the [[Grand National]] at [[Aintree Racecourse]] in England.
* [[March 5]] – Mexican troops led by [[Ráfael Vásquez (general)|Ráfael Vásquez]] invade [[Texas]], briefly occupy [[San Antonio]], and then head back to the [[Rio Grande]]. This is the first such invasion since the [[Texas Revolution]].
* [[March 9]] – [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s third opera ''[[Nabucco]]'' premieres at [[La Scala]] in [[Milan]]; its success establishes Verdi as one of Italy's foremost operatic composers.
* [[March 17]] – The [[Relief Society|Female Relief Society of Nauvoo]], forerunner to the philanthropic and educational women's organization of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) is formally organized.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Newell |first1=Linda King |title=Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith |title-link=Mormon Enigma |last2=Avery |first2=Valeen Tippetts |publisher=Doubleday |year=1994 |isbn=0-252-06291-4 |edition=2nd |location=New York |pages=106–108 |chapter=In Search of Iniquity |ol=1422345M |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mormonenigmaemma00newe_0/page/106 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
* [[March 28]] – The [[Vienna Philharmonic|Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra]], founded by [[Otto Nicolai]], performs its first concert.<ref>{{cite web|title=The History of the Vienna Philharmonic|url=http://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/orchestra/history|publisher=[[Vienna Philharmonic]]|access-date=March 2, 2017|archive-date=January 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119160741/http://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/orchestra/history|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[March 30]] – American physician and pharmacist [[Crawford Long]] administers an inhaled anesthetic ([[diethyl ether]]) to facilitate a surgical procedure, performing the removal of a neck tumor.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Long|first=C. W.|title=An account of the first use of Sulphuric Ether by Inhalation as an Anæsthetic in Surgical Operations|journal=Southern Medical and Surgical Journal|volume=5|pages=705–13|year=1849|url=http://journals.lww.com/surveyanesthesiology/Citation/1991/12000/An_Account_of_the_First_Use_of_Sulphuric_Ether_by.49.aspx|access-date=2012-06-12|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401082152/https://journals.lww.com/surveyanesthesiology/Citation/1991/12000/An_Account_of_the_First_Use_of_Sulphuric_Ether_by.49.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/03/dayintech_0330|title=March 30, 1842: It's Lights Out, Thanks to Ether|magazine=Wired|last=Long|first=Tony|date=2007-03-30|access-date=2007-12-29<!--DASHBot-->|archive-date=October 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024113200/http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/03/dayintech_0330|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[March 31]] – The [[Middleton Junction and Oldham Branch Railway]] line is opened up to [[Werneth, Greater Manchester|Werneth]] in North West England.