Statistically, this year is considered the end of the
whale oil
Whale oil is oil obtained from the blubber of whales. Whale oil from the bowhead whale was sometimes known as train oil, which comes from the Dutch word ''traan'' (" tear" or "drop").
Sperm oil, a special kind of oil obtained from the head ...
industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the
petroleum oil
Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils.
The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...
industry.
Events
January–March
*
January 1
January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...
**
Benito Juárez
Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec, he was the first indigenous pre ...
captures
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
.
** The first steam-powered
carousel is recorded, in
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...
, England.
*
January 2 –
Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...
dies, and is succeeded by
Wilhelm I
William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the ...
.
*
January 3 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
votes not to secede from the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
*
January 9 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
becomes the second state to secede from the Union.
*
January 10 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
secedes from the Union.
*
January 11
Events Pre-1600
* 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence.
* 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muha ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
secedes from the Union.
*
January 12
Events Pre-1600
* 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.
* 1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already rei ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Major
Robert Anderson sends dispatches to Washington.
*
January 19
Events Pre-1600
* 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to ''Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
* 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrend ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
secedes from the Union.
*
January 21
Events Pre-1600
* 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
* 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Jefferson Davis resigns from the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
.
*
January 26
Events Pre-1600
* 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
*1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
* 1564 – The Council of Tren ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
secedes from the Union.
*
January 29
Events
Pre-1600
* 904 – Sergius III is elected pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher.
* 946 – Caliph Al-Mustakfi is blinded and deposed by Emir Mu'izz al-Dawla, rul ...
–
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
is admitted as the 34th
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
, being admitted as a free state.
*
February 1 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
secedes from the Union.
*
February 4 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: In
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...
, the
Provisional Confederate States Congress is formed by representatives from the first seven break-away
states.
*
February 8
Events Pre-1600
* 421 – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
*1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
* 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
are formed, comprising the first seven break-away States.
*
February 9
Events Pre-1600
* 474 – Zeno is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
* 1003 – Boleslaus III is restored to authority with armed support from Bolesław I the Brave of Poland.
*1539 – The first recorded race is held ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Jefferson Davis is elected Provisional President of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
, by the Weed Convention at Montgomery, Alabama.
*
February 11
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The U.S. House unanimously passes a resolution, guaranteeing non-interference with slavery in any state.
** About 850 convicts at
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century ...
in England take over their prison in a riot.
*
February 13 –
Italian unification: The
Siege of Gaeta, stronghold of the Neapolitan King
Francis II, is ended by Piedmontese forces. Francis goes into exile.
*
February 18
Events Pre-1600
* 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
*1268 & ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional president of the Confederate States of America.
*
February 19 –
Alexander II, Czar of
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, made a law against
serfdom
Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which deve ...
.
*
February 20 – In Britain, storms damage the
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
and cause the collapse of the steeple of
Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in West Sussex, England. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of ...
.
*
February 23 – President-elect
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
arrives secretly in Washington, D.C. after an
assassination attempt in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
*
February 24 –
Battle of Ky Hoa: the French and the Spanish defeat the Vietnamese.
*
February 27 – Russian troops fire upon a crowd in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
protesting Russian rule over Poland, killing 5 protesters.
*
February 28 –
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
is organized as a
United States territory
In the United States, a territory is any extent of region under the sovereign jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). The United States asserts sovereign rights for ...
.
*
March 2
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his '' bucellarii'' are almost cut o ...
**
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
is organized as a
United States territory
In the United States, a territory is any extent of region under the sovereign jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). The United States asserts sovereign rights for ...
.
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
is admitted to the Confederate States of America.
*
March 3
Events Pre-1600
* 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
* 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan.
* 1575 & ...
(
February 19 O.S.) –
Emancipation reform of 1861:
Serfdom
Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which deve ...
is abolished in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
.
*
March 4
Events Pre-1600
*AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title '' princeps iuventutis'' (head of the youth).
* 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia.
* 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a st ...
**
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
is
sworn in as the 16th president of the United States.
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The "
Stars and Bars" is adopted as the flag of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
.
*
March 10
Events Pre-1600
* 241 BC – First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates: The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end.
* 298 – Roman Emperor Maximian concludes his campaign in North Africa and makes a ...
–
El Hadj Umar Tall
Hadji Oumarûl Foutiyou Tall (Umar ibn Sa'id al-Futi Tal, ar, حاج عمر بن سعيد طعل), ( – 1864 CE), born in Futa Tooro, present day Senegal, was a West African political leader, Islamic scholar, Tijani Sufi and Toucoule ...
seizes the city of
Ségou
Ségou (; bm, ߛߋߓߎ, italic=no, ) is a town and an urban commune in south-central Mali that lies northeast of Bamako on the right bank of the River Niger. The town is the capital of the Ségou Cercle and the Ségou Region. With 130,690 ...
, destroying the
Bamana Empire
The Bamana Empire (also Bambara Empire or Ségou Empire, bm, italics=no, ߓߊ߲ߓߊߙߊ߲߫ ߝߊ߯ߡߟߊ, Banbaran Fāmala) was a large West African state based at Ségou, now in Mali. This state was established after the fall of the Mali Em ...
of
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
.
*
March 11
Events Pre-1600
* 222 – Roman emperor Elagabalus is murdered alongside his mother, Julia Soaemias. He is replaced by his 14-year old cousin, Severus Alexander.
* 843 – Triumph of Orthodoxy: Empress Theodora II restores the ven ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
is adopted.
*
March 13
Events Pre-1600
*624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh.
*1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War.
*1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...
–
Tsushima incident: The Russian corvette ''Posadnik'' arrives at
Tsushima Island
is an island of the Japanese archipelago situated in-between the Tsushima Strait and Korea Strait, approximately halfway between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula. The main island of Tsushima, once a single island, was divided into two in 1671 by ...
in the
Korea Strait
The Korea Strait is a sea passage in East Asia between Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by the Tsushima Island into the Western Channel and ...
, Japan, provoking a reaction from the Japanese Shogunate.
*
March 17
Events Pre-1600
* 45 BC – In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda.
* 180 – Commodus becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of ei ...
– Italian unification: The
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
is proclaimed by the new Parliament, with
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title o ...
of
Piedmont-Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
becoming its
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
.
*
March 19
Events Pre-1600
* 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
* 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen en ...
– The
First Taranaki War
The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori and the New Zealand government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North Island from M ...
ends in New Zealand.
*
March 20
Events Pre-1600
* 673 – Emperor Tenmu of Japan assumes the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Palace of Kiyomihara in Asuka.
* 1206 – Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
* 1600 – The Link ...
**
An earthquake completely destroys
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza (, ), officially the City of Mendoza ( es, Ciudad de Mendoza) is the capital of the province of Mendoza in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern si ...
.
** Italian unification: The surrender of
Civitella del Tronto ends the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
*
March 21
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas an ...
–
Alexander Stephens
Alexander Hamilton Stephens (February 11, 1812 – March 4, 1883) was an American politician who served as the vice president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865, and later as the 50th governor of Georgia from 1882 until his death in 1 ...
,
Vice President of the Confederacy, gives the infamous ''
Cornerstone Speech
The Cornerstone Speech, also known as the Cornerstone Address, was an oration given by Alexander H. Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, at the Athenaeum in Savannah, Georgia, on March 21, 1861. The improvised speech, ...
'' in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
, in which he declares that slavery is the natural condition of blacks, and the foundation of the
Confederacy.
*
March 28
Events Pre-1600
* AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
* 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Di ...
–
Confederate Arizona
Arizona Territory, Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as Confederate Arizona, was an Constitution of the Confederate States, organized incorporated territory of the Confederate States that existed from August 1, 1861 to May 26, 1865, wh ...
: convention in present-day Tucson ratified the ordinance of secession of southern part of
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
.
*
March 30
Events Pre-1600
* 598 – Balkan Campaign: The Avars lift the siege at the Byzantine stronghold of Tomis. Their leader Bayan I retreats north of the Danube River after the Avaro- Slavic hordes are decimated by the plague.
* 1282 &ndas ...
–
Discovery of the chemical elements
The discovery of the 118 chemical elements known to exist as of 2022 is presented in chronological order. The elements are listed generally in the order in which each was first defined as the pure element, as the exact date of discovery of most el ...
: Sir
William Crookes
Sir William Crookes (; 17 June 1832 – 4 April 1919) was a British chemist and physicist who attended the Royal College of Chemistry, now part of Imperial College London, and worked on spectroscopy. He was a pioneer of vacuum tubes, inventing t ...
announces his discovery of
thallium
Thallium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Tl and atomic number 81. It is a gray post-transition metal that is not found free in nature. When isolated, thallium resembles tin, but discolors when exposed to air. Chemists W ...
.
April–June
*
April 7
Events Pre-1600
* 451 – Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning the town.
* 529 – First ''Corpus Juris Civilis'', a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Empe ...
– A population
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
is taken in the United Kingdom.
*
April 12
Events Pre-1600
* 240 – Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I.
* 467 – Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
* 627 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to ...
– The
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
begins with the bombardment of
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
*
April 13
Events Pre-1600
*1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
* 1204 – Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire.
1601–1900
*1612 – In one of the epic samurai ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...
surrenders to Southern forces.
![Bombardment of Fort Sumter, 1861](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Bombardment_of_Fort_Sumter%2C_1861.png)
*
April 15
Events Pre-1600
* 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings.
* 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscar ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: President Abraham Lincoln issues a Proclamation calling for 75,000 men to confront in the South, "combinations too powerful to be suppressed in the ordinary way".
*
April 17
Events Pre-1600
*1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized.
*1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of Hasan ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
secedes from the Union.
*
April 20
Events Pre-1600
* 1303 – The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII.
1601–1900
* 1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament.
* 1657 – English Admiral Robert Blake destroy ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army, in order to command the forces of the state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
*
April 24
Events Pre-1600
* 1479 BC – Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th dynasty).
* 1183 BC – Traditional reckoning of the Fall of Troy m ...
(N.S.) –
Bezdna, Russia is the scene of a peasant uprising; the military open fire and about 90 are killed.
*
April 25
Events Pre-1600
*404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion.
* 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against the ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
arrives in Washington, D.C.
*
April 26
Events Pre-1600
* 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux.
*1348 – Czech king Karel IV founds the Charles University in Prague, which was later named after him and was the first university in Central Europe.
* 1 ...
–
Giovanni Schiaparelli
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli ( , also , ; 14 March 1835 – 4 July 1910) was an Italian astronomer and science historian.
Biography
He studied at the University of Turin, graduating in 1854, and later did research at Berlin Observatory, ...
discovers the
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere.
...
69 Hesperia
Hesperia ( minor planet designation: 69 Hesperia) is a large, M-type main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli on April 29, 1861 from Milan, while he was searching for the recently discovered 63 Auso ...
.
*
April 27 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
** President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
suspends the
writ of habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...
in the United States.
*
May 6
Events Pre-1600
* 1527 – Spanish and German troops sack Rome; many scholars consider this the end of the Renaissance.
* 1536 – The Siege of Cuzco commences, in which Incan forces attempt to retake the city of Cuzco from the Sp ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
secedes from the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
*
May 7
Events Pre-1600
* 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch.
* 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...
–
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
secedes from the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
*
May 8 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
is named the capital of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
.
*
May 13
Events Pre-1600
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book '' Revelations of Divine Love''.
* 1501 – Amerigo Vespu ...
**
North Star Affair: The British merchant ship ''North Star'' leaves Hong Kong for Nagasaki, Japan. Chinese pirates board the vessel, kill an officer, and escape with a large quantity of gold.
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
of the United Kingdom issues a "proclamation of
neutrality", which recognizes the
breakaway states
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
as having belligerent rights.
** Comet C/1861 J1 (the "Great Comet of 1861") is discovered in Australia.
![Great Comet 1861](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Great_Comet_1861.jpg)
* May 14 – The Canellas meteorite, an 859 gram chondrite type meteorite, strikes Earth near Barcelona, Spain.
* May 20 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
**Kentucky proclaims its
neutrality, which lasts until September 3, when Confederate States of America, Confederate forces enter the state.
**North Carolina secedes from the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
* May 21 – Russian sailors clash with a group of Japanese samurai and farmers, at Tsushima Island, Tsushima island.
* May 23 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The state of Virginia in the American Civil War#Secession, Virginia's ordinance of secession from the United States is ratified in a referendum held on May 23, 1861.
* May 29 – The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is established.
* June 9 – The Règlement Organique (Mount Lebanon), Règlement Organique: With the approval of European powers, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate is established as a semi-autonomous sub-division separate from the Sidon Eyalet. An Ottoman Armenian, Davud Pasha, is appointed Mutasarrıf by the Ottoman Sultan.
* June 15 –
Benito Juárez
Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec, he was the first indigenous pre ...
is formally elected President of Mexico; he temporarily stops the payments of foreign debt.
* June 22 – 1861 Tooley Street fire, Tooley Street fire starts and takes the life of James Braidwood (firefighter), James Braidwood first director of the London Fire Brigade.
* June 25 – Abdülmecid I, Ottoman dynasty, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1839–1861) dies and is succeeded by Abdülaziz (1861–1876).
July–September
* July 1
** The first issue of the Vatican City, Vatican's newspaper ''L'Osservatore Romano'' is published.
** Taiping Rebellion – Battle of Shanghai (1861), Battle of Shanghai: French and Qing dynasty, Imperial Chinese troops defeat Taiping forces.
* July 2 – Nicholas of Japan, Ivan Kasatkin lands on Hakodate, and introduces the Eastern Orthodox Church into Japan.
* July 12 – The Confederate States sign a Treaty with Choctaws and Chickasaws in Indian Territory in the American Civil War, Indian Territory.
* July 13 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The Battle of Corrick's Ford takes place in western Virginia.
* July 21 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: First Battle of Bull Run: At Manassas Junction, Virginia, the first major battle of the war ends in a Confederate States of America, Confederate victory.
* July 25 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The Crittenden–Johnson Resolution is passed by the United States Congress, U.S. Congress, stating that the war is being fought to preserve the Union, and not to end slavery in the United States, slavery.
* July 26 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: George B. McClellan assumes command of the Army of the Potomac, following the disastrous Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run.
![Abdul-aziz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Abdul-aziz.jpg)
* August 1 – The first public weather forecast: measured and predicted correctly by Admiral Robert FitzRoy
* August 5
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: In order to help pay for the war effort, the United States government issues the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US$800; rescinded in 1872).
** The U.S. Army abolishes flogging.
* August 10 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The first major battle west of the Mississippi River, the Battle of Wilson's Creek, is fought, with a Confederate States Army, Confederate victory.
* August 15 – First description of ''Archaeopteryx'', based on a feather found in Bavaria; in September the first complete identified skeleton is found near Langenaltheim in Germany.
* August 19 – Weisshorn, the fifth highest summit in the Alps, is first ascended.
* August 20–August 22, 22 – The first modern Welsh National Eisteddfod takes place in Aberdare.
* August 27 – Martin Doyle's is the last Execution (legal), execution in Britain for attempted murder.
* September 3 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Confederate States of America, Confederate General Leonidas Polk invades neutral Kentucky, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance.
* September 6 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant bloodlessly capture Paducah, Kentucky, which gives the Union control of the mouth of the Tennessee River.
* September 17; Argentine Civil War: Battle of Pavón: Victory of State of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires over the Argentine Confederation, and the re-unification of Argentina.
October–December
* October 9 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Battle of Santa Rosa Island – Confederate forces are defeated in their effort to take the island.
* October 21 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Battle of Ball's Bluff –
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
forces under Colonel Edward Dickinson Baker, Edward Baker are defeated by Confederate States of America, Confederate troops, in the second major battle of the war. Baker, a close friend of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, is also killed in the fighting.
* October 24 – , the world's first ocean-going (all) iron-hulled armored battleship, is completed and commissioned into the British Royal Navy.
* October 25 – The Toronto Stock Exchange is established in Canada.
* October 26 – The Pony Express American transcontinental mail service announces its closure.
* October 28 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The Missouri legislature takes up a bill for Missouri secession, Missouri's secession from the Union.
* October 30 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: The bill for Missouri's secession from the Union is passed.
* October 31
** The Spanish, French and British governments sign a tripartite agreement to intervene in Mexico, in the hope of recovering unpaid debts.
** The Missouri secession bill is signed by Governor Jackson.
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Citing failing health, 75-year-old Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
* November 1 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
appoints George B. McClellan as commander of the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
, replacing Winfield Scott.
* November 2 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Western Department Union General John C. Frémont is relieved of command and replaced by David Hunter.
* November 4 – The University of Washington founded.
* November 6 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
:
Jefferson Davis is elected president of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
.
* November 5 – The first Melbourne Cup horse race is held in Melbourne, Australia.
* November 7 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
– Battle of Belmont: In Belmont, Missouri, Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant (in his first combat leadership role) overrun a Confederate States of America, Confederate camp, but are forced to retreat when Confederate reinforcements arrive.
* November 8 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
– Trent Affair, ''Trent'' Affair: The stops the United Kingdom mail ship ''Trent'', and arrests two Confederate States of America, Confederate envoys, James Murray Mason, James Mason and John Slidell, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the U.K. and U.S.
* November 10 – Following the death of Henri Mouhot, his servant Phrai begins shipping his diaries and specimens back to the west; they include accounts of Mouhot's discovery of Angkor Wat.
* November 19 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Battle of Round Mountain in Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma).
* November 21 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Confederate States of America, Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints Judah P. Benjamin Secretary of War.
* November 25
**A battle commences in the Sundarbans as result of Shahid Rahimullah, Rahimullah's home being sieged, killing 34 in total
**A tenement collapses in the Old Town, Edinburgh (Scotland), killing 35 with 15 survivors.
* November 28 – Acting on the ordinance passed by the Jackson government, the Confederate Congress admits Confederate government of Missouri, Missouri as the 12th Confederate state.
* December 10
**
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
: Confederate government of Kentucky, Kentucky is accepted into the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
.
** In southern French Indochina, resistance forces led by Nguyễn Trung Trực ambush, board and sink the French lorcha (boat) ''L'Esperance'' on the Nhat Tao canal.
* December 21 - Medal of Honor: Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor, is signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln.
Date unknown
* The British Empire establishes bases in Lagos to stop the slave trade.
* The Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship is signed Bahrain–United Kingdom relations, between Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
* The first industrial Meat packing industry, meat packing plant in Uruguay is established, at Fray Bentos.
* The Royal Seminary becomes the first public education, public tertiary education, institution of higher academic learning open to women in Sweden.
Births
January–June
![Rabindranath Tagore unknown location](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Rabindranath_Tagore_unknown_location.jpg)
* January 5 – Robert Lee Bullard, American general (d. 1947)
* January 6 – Victor Horta, Belgian architect and designer (d. 1947)
*
January 10 – Germogen (Maximov), Russian Orthodox Metropolitan (d. 1945)
* January 14 – Mehmed VI, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1926)
* January 27 – Constantin Prezan, Romanian general, Marshal of Romania (d. 1943)
* January 28
** Julián Felipe, Filipino musician, bandleader (d. 1944)
** Ramón Meza y Suárez Inclán, Cuban literary critic, historian, professor and author (d. 1911)
* January 30 – Charles Martin Loeffler, American composer (d. 1935)
* February 12 – Lou Andreas-Salomé, Russian-born author (d. 1937)
* February 15
** Charles Édouard Guillaume, French physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1938)
** Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1947)
* February 17 – Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Duchess of Albany, German-born member of the British royal family (d. 1922)
*
February 19 – Henry Horne, 1st Baron Horne, British general (d. 1929)
* February 22
** Mabelle Biggart, American elocutionist (unknown year of death)
** Katō Tomosaburō, Imperial Japanese Navy officer, 12th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1923)
* February 26 – King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (d. 1948)
*
February 27 – Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher, social reformer and author (d. 1925)
*
March 2
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his '' bucellarii'' are almost cut o ...
– Nikola Ivanov, Bulgarian general (d. 1940)
*
March 21
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas an ...
– Charles Swickard, German-American film director (d. 1929)
* April 6 – Stanislas de Guaita, French poet (d. 1897)
* April 8 – Son Byong-hi, Korean independence activist (d. 1922)
*
April 15
Events Pre-1600
* 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings.
* 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscar ...
– Bliss Carman, Canadian poet (d. 1929)
* April 22 – István Tisza, 2-time prime minister of Hungary (d. 1918)
* April 23 – Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, British soldier, administrator (d. 1936)
*
April 26
Events Pre-1600
* 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux.
*1348 – Czech king Karel IV founds the Charles University in Prague, which was later named after him and was the first university in Central Europe.
* 1 ...
– Rudolf Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten, Austro-Hungarian general and politician (d. 1921)
* May 5 – Peter Cooper Hewitt, American electrical engineer, inventor (d. 1921)
*
May 7
Events Pre-1600
* 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch.
* 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...
– Rabindranath Tagore, Poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist, story-writer, composer, painter, philosopher, social reformer, educationist, linguist, grammarian, laureate Nobel Prize in Literature Wrote Gitanjali (d. 1941)
* May 11 – Frederick Russell Burnham, American scouter (d. 1947)
* May 14 – Harro Magnussen, German sculptor (d. 1908)
* May 16 – Herman Webster Mudgett (alias H. H. Holmes), American serial killer (d. 1896)
* May 24 – Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland, Gerald Strickland, 4th prime minister of Malta, 23rd Governor of New South Wales, 15th Governor of Western Australia and 9th Governor of Tasmania (d. 1940)
* June 2 – Helen Herron Taft, First Lady of the United States (d. 1943)
* June 19 – José Rizal, Filipino national hero (d. 1896)
* June 20 – Frederick Gowland Hopkins, English biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1947)
* June 22 – Maximilian von Spee, German admiral (d. 1914)
* June 27 – Fanny Davies, Guernesiaise pianist (d. 1934)
July–December
![James Naismith with a basketball](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/James_Naismith_with_a_basketball.jpg)
*July 7 – Nettie Stevens, American geneticist credited with the discovery of sex chromosomes (d. 1912)
*July 14 – Kate M. Gordon, American suffragette (d. 1932)
**July 18 – Kadambini Ganguly, first Indian female doctor (d. 1923)
* August 2 – Edith Cowan, Australian social reformer and politician (d. 1932)
* August 4
**Henry Head, English neurologist (d. 1940)
**Daniel Edward Howard, 16th president of Liberia (d. 1935)
* August 6 – Edith Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States (d. 1948)
* August 7 – Spencer S. Wood, United States Navy rear admiral (d. 1940)
* August 10 – Almroth Wright, British bacteriologist, immunologist (d. 1947)
* September 2 – Henrietta Crosman, American stage, film actress (d. 1944)
* September 7 – Patriarch Ambrosius of Georgia (d. 1927)
* September 10 – Niels Hansen Jacobsen, Danish sculptor, ceramist (d. 1941)
* September 11
**Juhani Aho, Finnish author, journalist (d. 1921)
* September 15
**M. Visvesvaraya, Indian Civil Engineer,
**Erich von Falkenhayn, German general (d. 1922)
* September 23
** Robert Bosch, German industrialist, engineer and inventor (d. 1942)
** Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, British poet, novelist (d. 1907)
* September 30
**Morgan Robertson, American author (d. 1915)
**William Wrigley Jr., American chewing gum industrialist (d. 1932)
* October 4 – Frederic Remington, American cowboy artist, sculptor (d. 1909)
* October 6 – Myra Belle Martin, American financier (unknown year of death)
* October 10 – Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorer, scientist and humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1930)
* October 16 – J. B. Bury, British historian (d. 1927)
* October 24 – Alexey Kaledin, Russian general (d. 1918)
* October 30 – Antoine Bourdelle, French sculptor (d. 1929)
* November 4 – Dimitrios Ioannou, Greek general (d. 1926)
* November 6 – James Naismith, Canadian inventor of basketball (d. 1939)
* November 14 – Frederick Jackson Turner, American historian (d. 1932)
* November 16 – Georgina Febres-Cordero, Venezuelan nun (d. 1925)
* November 23 – Clara H. Hazelrigg, American author, educator and reformer (d. 1937)
* December 4
**Lillian Russell, American singer, vaudeville star (d. 1922)
**Hannes Hafstein, 1st Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1922)
* December 5 – Armando Diaz, Italian general, Marshal of Italy (d. 1928)
* December 7 – Henri Mathias Berthelot, French general (d. 1931)
* December 8
** Aristide Maillol, French sculptor (d. 1944)
** Georges Méliès, French film director (d. 1938)
* December 15 – Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Prime Minister of Finland, Prime Minister and President of Finland (d. 1944)
* December 16 – Antonio de La Gándara, French painter (d. 1917)
* December 20 – Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter (d. 1926)
* December 29 – Kurt Hensel, German mathematician (d. 1941)
Date unknown
* Dixie Haygood, American magician (d. 1915)
* Kallirhoe Parren, founder of the Greek women's movement (d. 1940)
* Victoire Jean-Baptiste, Haitian politician (d. 1923)
* Abba Jifar II, king of the Gibe region, Gibe Kingdom of Jimma (d. 1932)
Deaths
January–June
![Sultan Abdülmecid - Google Art Project](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Sultan_Abd%C3%BClmecid_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
*
January 2 – King Frederick William IV of Prussia (b. 1795)
* January 17 – Lola Montez, Irish-born dancer, mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria (b. 1821)
*
January 19
Events Pre-1600
* 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to ''Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
* 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrend ...
– Albert Niemann (chemist), Albert Niemann, German chemist (b. 1834)
* February 5 – Pierre Bosquet, French general, Marshal of France (b. 1810)
* February 26 – Wojciech Chrzanowski, Polish general (b. 1793)
*
March 10
Events Pre-1600
* 241 BC – First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates: The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end.
* 298 – Roman Emperor Maximian concludes his campaign in North Africa and makes a ...
– Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainians, Ukrainian poet (b. 1814)
* March 16 – Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, mother of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
(b. 1786)
* April 8 – Elisha Otis, American engineer, Founder of Otis Elevator Company, Otis (b. 1811)
*
April 15
Events Pre-1600
* 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings.
* 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscar ...
– Isaiah Stillman, U.S. Army Major in the Black Hawk War (b. 1793)
* May 29 – Joachim Lelewel, Polish nationalist historian (b. 1786)
* June 3 – Stephen A. Douglas, American senator from Illinois, Democratic presidential candidate (b. 1813)
* June 6 – Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, 1st prime minister of Italy (b. 1810)
* June 13 – Richard Lawrence (failed assassin), Richard Lawrence, failed assassin of Andrew Jackson (b. 1800)
* June 25 – Abdülmecid I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1823)
* June 26 – Pavel Jozef Šafárik, Slovak philologist (b. 1795)
* June 29 – Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English poet (b. 1806)
July–December
* July 22 – Barnard Elliott Bee Jr., Confederate general (b. 1824)
* July 25 – Jonas Furrer, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1805)
* August 10 – Nathaniel Lyon, first
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
General to die in combat in the American Civil War (b. 1818)
* August 12 – Eliphalet Remington, American gunsmith, founder of Remington Arms (b. 1793)
* August 17 – Alcée Louis la Branche, American politician (b. 1806)
* August 22 – Xianfeng Emperor, 9th emperor of the Qing Dynasty (b. 1831)
* August 24 – Pierre Berthier, French geologist (b. 1782)
* August 28 – William Lyon Mackenzie, Scottish journalist, 1st Mayor of Toronto (b. 1795)
* September 7 – Willie Person Mangum, American politician (b. 1792)
* October 4 – Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, British politician (b. 1812)
* October 5 – Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski, Polish bishop (b. 1778)
* October 10 – Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, American hymnwriter (b. 1783)
* October 26 – Edward "Ned" Kendall, American bandleader, instrumentalist (keyed bugle) (b. 1808)
* October 31 – Guillermo Miller, Guillermo (William) Miller, English-born military leader in Peru (b. 1795)
* November 7 – Isobel Gunn, Scottish business person (b. 1780)
* November 11 – King Pedro V of Portugal (b. 1837)
* November 13 – Arthur Hugh Clough, English poet (b. 1819)
* November 25 – Shahid Rahimullah, Rahimullah, Bengali rebel leader
* December 14 – Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert, husband of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
(b. 1819)
* December 18 – Ernst Anschütz, German teacher, organist, poet and composer (b. 1780)
References
Further reading
''American Annual Cyclopaedia for 1861'' (N.Y.: Appleton's, 1864) an extensive collection of reports on each country in the world and each American state, Congress, and US Civil War; and many other topics
{{DEFAULTSORT:1861
1861,