1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 1848th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 848th year of the 2nd millennium, the 48th year of the 19th century, and the 9th year of the 1840s decade. As of the start of 1848, the Gregorian calendar was 12 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.

• February 24 – The February Revolution begins.

• February 27 – Hubert Parry, English composer
• March 19 – James Otis, American children's writer
• June 7 – Paul Gauguin, French painter

• February 23 – John Quincy Adams

• Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray