Year 1792: Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

This quick read presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1792. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, historic firsts, U.S. economic data, entertainment trivia, and much more.

Take a journey through history in just minutes.

1. President of the United States: George Washington (Independent-Virginia)
2. Vice President: John Adams (Federalist Party-Massachusetts)
3. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: John Jay (New York)
4. U.S. Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson (Virginia)
5. In 1792, the second U.S. Congress was in session, and both chambers had a “pro-administration” majority.
6. Inflation rate: 2.13%
7. $100.00 in 1792 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,468.96 today. The U.S. dollar had “an average inflation rate of 1.53% per year” between 1792 and 2026, “producing a cumulative price increase of 3,368.96%.” In other words, a U.S. dollar today buys about 2.883% of what it could purchase back in 1792.
8. It’s worth noting that the U.S. dollar has lost 97% of its value since 1792.
9. $1.00 in 1792 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $34.69 today.
10. $10.00 in 1792 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $356.90 today.
11. As mentioned above, $100.00 in 1792 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,468.96 today.
12. Consumer price index (CPI): 9.600
13. In 1792, there were 15 U.S. states. In order of admission to the Union, they were Delaware (1787), Pennsylvania (1787), New Jersey (1787), Georgia (1788), Connecticut (1788), Massachusetts (1788), Maryland (1788), South Carolina (1788), New Hampshire (1788), Virginia (1788), New York (1788), North Carolina (1789), Rhode Island (1790), and Kentucky (1792).
14. American companies established in 1792 included The Cigna Group (a healthcare provider); Insurance Company of North America (the “oldest capital stock insurance company” in the United States); Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (a Pennsylvania-based mining and transportation company); State Street Corporation (a Boston-based financial services company); and Thebaud Brothers (a New York City-based commission house).
15. Farmers accounted for about 90% of the U.S. labor force.
16. In 1792, American food prices were “significantly” lower than they are today, but they comprised a much larger percentage of the average worker's annual income, which was around $65 per year. For example, in 1792, butter cost between 12 and 15 cents a pound. Today, the average retail price for a pound of butter in the U.S. ranges between $4.25 and $4.60, an increase of 3,541.17% to 3,066.67% over 234 years.
17. On February 20, President Washington signed the Postal Service Act, “legally establishing the United States Post Office Department as a formal cabinet-level agency.”
18. On April 2, Congress passed the Coinage Act, “establishing the United States Mint as the federally authorized producer of the nation’s coin currency.” History.com tells us that “Before the Mint was created, Americans relied on a mix of foreign coins—especially from Europe—along with barter, using livestock or crops to pay for goods. Various forms of paper currency also circulated in the states.”
19. On May 1, American inventor and editor Rufus Porter was born. On August 28, 1845, he published the first issue of Scientific American magazine under the title The Advocate of Industry and Enterprise. Porter also held over 100 patents, including for a fire alarm, a fog whistle, a signal telegraph, and a washing machine.
20. On May 8, Congress passed the second part of the Militia Act, mandating that every “free, able-bodied white male citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five” residing in the United States be enrolled in the military.
21. On May 17, twenty-four stockbrokers and merchants signed the Buttonwood Agreement near 68 Wall Street in New York City, regarded as the founding of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The Buttonwood Agreement organized trading and established a fixed commission rate of 0.25%.
22. On June 1, Kentucky was admitted as the 15th U.S. state.
23. In October, the first issue of Robert Bailey Thomas’ Farmer's Almanac, now called the Old Farmer’s Almanac, was published.
24. On October 13, the cornerstone was laid for the White House, the official “presidential residence” in the recently designated capital city of Washington, DC.
25. Key fiction books published in 1792 included Charlotte Palmer’s It Is and It Is Not a Novel, Cornelia Knight’s Marcus Flaminius, and Thomas Holcroft’s Anna St. Ives.
26. Noteworthy dramatic works for the year included Elizabeth Inchbald’s Cross Partners, Thomas Holcroft’s The Road to Ruin, and William Macready the Elder’s The Irishman in London.
27. Famous people born in 1792 were Gioachino Rossini (composer), Percy Bysshe Shelley (poet), and Thomas Mitchell (explorer).
28. Famous people who died in 1792 included Johann van Beethoven (composer) and Joshua Reynolds (painter).
29. In 1792 as well, the words “blue in the face,” “clearinghouse,” “devastated,” “economics,” “godsend,” “icebox,” “intellectualize,” “involuntary manslaughter,” “longshoreman,” “maple syrup,” “national guard,” “primary school,” “publicist,” “rebuttal,” “seascape,” “snowplow,” “standardize,” “thank-you,” “tried-and-true,” “vicious circle,” and “Way of the Cross” all appeared in print for the first time.
30. Beef: $2.00 to $3.00 per 100 pounds
31. Butter: 12 to 15 cents a pound
32. Chicken: 12 cents each
33. Coffee: 25 cents to 33 cents per pound
34. Corn: 50 cents per bushel
35. Flour: $5.00 per barrel
36. Milk: Eight cents a quart
37. Oats: 33 cents per bushel
38. Salt Pork: Eight cents per pound
39. Turkey: 50 cents each
40. Wheat: $1.00 to $1.25 per bushel

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1792_in_the_United_States
2. https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1792
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_companies_established_in_1792
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1792_in_literature
5. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1792.html
6. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/deceased/1792.html
7. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1792
8. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-history-1790.html
9. https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1792
10. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1792
11. https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1780-1789

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor