Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander of Forces in Portugal
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1808 in Great Britain
Explore 22 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1808.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1808
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 22 of 22 unique records.
22Unique records
1 of 1Page
18Named events on this page
9Named people on this page
13Places on this page
July
August
Invasion of Portugal
Lands in Mondego Bay, Portugal
Siege of Mondego Bay
Lands in Mondego Bay, Portugal
Battle of Rolica
Defeats General Delaborde
Battle of Vimeiro
The British defeat the French during a Spannish rebellion. British victory leads to the Convention of Cintra
Convention
The British defeat the French leading to the Convention of Cintra
Convention
Under the terms of the Convention of Cintra the French are forced to retreat. Josephs coronation as King of Spain is resolved by the Cintra Convention
October
Invasion of Spain
Leads an Allied invasion of Spain
November
Battle of Tudela
Retreats from the Iberian Peninsular after the Spanish are defeated by Napoleon
December
Invasion of Portugal
Moves his base to Corunna in preparation for invasion by Napoleon
Battle of Sahagun
Defeats Marshal Soults cavalry but still has to withdraw from the Peninsular
Invasion of Portugal
Concentrates his army of 28,000 at Salamanca
Other events (month unknown)
Britain and Spain Alliance Discussion
The Peninsular War altered Britain's diplomatic position as Spain became an important ally against Napoleonic France.
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander of Forces in Portugal
Critical Essays Stir Literary Disputes
The Review's contentious literary assessments helped make periodical criticism a significant force in British publishing.
Illustrates Blairs Grave
Blake's designs appeared in an edition of Robert Blair's The Grave, offering images inspired by religious verse.
Mass Production
The Portsmouth Block Mills produce about one hundred and thirty thousand pulley blocks using Brunel's mechanised system.
Mechanised Production Reduces Skilled Labour Needs
The new manufacturing system achieved high output with a small operating workforce relative to traditional manual methods. The process reduced dependence on traditional individually shaped components.
Milton
Publication of "Milton"
New System Of Chemical Philosophy Published
Dalton published a systematic presentation of his atomic ideas and chemical combination principles. The achievement expanded the capabilities of a major research centre.
Peerage
Succeeds as second Earl of Liverpool after the death of his father.
Peninsular War Mobilisation Debate
Britain's military campaign in Iberia intensified public arguments about expenditure and foreign policy during the Register's publication.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.