1842

Art, music, theatre, literature 
 March 26 - August Bournonville's Napoli is first performed in Copenhagen by the Royal Danish Ballet

 Births 
 January 11 – William James, American philosopher and psychologist
 September 21 – Abdul Hamid II, 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

 Deaths 
 October 30 – Allan Cunningham, Scottish poet and writer.