Events

January–March

January 2 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. * 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empi ...

– British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. *

January 3 Events Pre-1600 *AD 69, 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor. * 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (ex ...

– The 15-year-old Mutsuhito,

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

of Japan, declares the '' Meiji Restoration'', his own restoration to full power, under the influence of supporters from the Chōshū and

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, ...

s, and against the supporters of the Tokugawa shogunate, triggering the

Boshin War The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...

. * January 5 – Paraguayan War: Brazilian Army commander Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias enters Asunción, Paraguay's capital. Some days later he declares the war is over. Nevertheless, Francisco Solano López, Paraguay's president, prepares guerrillas to fight in the countryside. *

January 7 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting. * 1325 – Alfonso IV ...

– The Arkansas constitutional convention meets in Little Rock. *

January 9 Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. *1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the J ...

–

Penal transportation Penal transportation or transportation was the relocation of convicted criminals, or other persons regarded as undesirable, to a distant place, often a colony, for a specified term; later, specifically established penal colonies became their ...

from Britain to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

ends, with arrival of the convict ship '' Hougoumont'' in Western Australia, after an 89-day voyage from England. There are 62 Fenians among the transportees. *

January 10 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war. * 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...

– '' Shōgun''

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned of his position as shogun in late 1867, while aiming ...

declares the emperor's declaration "illegal", and prepares to attack Kyoto. *

January 27 Events Pre-1600 * 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent. * 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to becom ...

– 31 –

Battle of Toba–Fushimi The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 (or fourth year of Keiō, first month, 3rd day, according to the lunar calendar), when the forces of the shog ...

: forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied pro-Imperial forces of the Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa Domains clash near Fushimi, Kyoto, ending in a decisive victory for the Imperial forces (although in the January 28 naval

Battle of Awa The occurred on 28 January 1868 during the Boshin War in Japan, in the area of Awa Bay near Osaka. Involving ships of the Tokugawa shogunate and Satsuma vessels loyal to the imperial court in Kyoto, the battle was the second naval battle in Ja ...

, the Shogunate is victorious against Satsuma). *

February February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 in leap years, with the 29th day being called the ''leap day''. It is the first of five months not to have 31 days (th ...

– Foreign ministers meeting in Hyōgo are persuaded to recognise the restored

of Japan, with promises that harbours will be open in accordance with international treaties. *

February 13 Events Pre-1600 * 962 – Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-sign the ''Diploma Ottonianum'', recognizing John as ruler of Rome. *1322 – The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th. *1462 – The ...

– The British War Office sanctions the formation of what becomes the Army Post Office Corps. * February 16 – In New York City the Jolly Corks organization is renamed the '' Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks'' (BPOE). *

February 19 Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...

– In the Passage of Humaitá, a Brazilian naval force succeeds in dashing past a Paraguayan fortress on the

River Paraguay The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It flows about from its headwaters in ...

, considered by some the turning point in the Paraguayan War. *

February 24 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica. * 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence. * 13 ...

** Impeachment of Andrew Johnson: Three days after his action to dismiss United States Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the United States House of Representatives votes 126–47 in favor of a resolution to impeach

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

, President of the United States, the first of three Presidents to be impeached by the full House. Johnson is later acquitted by the United States Senate. ** The first parade to have floats takes place at

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

in New Orleans. * March – French geologist Louis Lartet discovers the first identified skeletons of

Cro-Magnon Early European modern humans (EEMH), or Cro-Magnons, were the first early modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') to settle in Europe, migrating from Western Asia, continuously occupying the continent possibly from as early as 56,800 years ago. They ...

, the first early modern humans (early ''Homo sapiens sapiens''), at Abri de Crô-Magnon, a rock shelter at Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France. *

March 12 Events Pre-1600 * 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius. * 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...

** Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...

, is shot in the back in Sydney, Australia, at a fundraising event for the Sydney Sailors Home, by Irishman Henry James O'Farrell. The prince survives and quickly recovers; O'Farrell is executed on

April 21 Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). * 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...

, despite attempts by the prince to gain clemency for him. **

Basutoland Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868 (and ruled by Cape Colony from 1871), th ...

is proclaimed a British Protectorate, becoming independent in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

as Lesotho. * March 23 – The University of California is founded in Oakland, California, when the Organic Act is signed into California law. * March 24 – The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is formed, in New York City. * March 27 – The

Lake Ontario Shore Railroad The Lake Ontario Shore Railroad (LOSRR) was a short-lived common carrier railroad in New York that was absorbed by the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad. Construction The LOSRR was chartered to be built from Suspension Bridge, New York to ...

Company is organized in

Oswego, New York Oswego () is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in Upstate New York, about 35 miles (55km) northwest of Syracuse. It promotes itself as "The Port C ...

. * March – The first transnational women's organization, '' Association internationale des femmes'', is founded.

April–June

* April 1 – The

Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association afte ...

is established in

Hampton, Virginia Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...

. * April 7 – The

Charter Oath The was promulgated on 6 April 1868 in Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Oath outlined the main aims and the course of action to be followed during Emperor Meiji's reign, setting the legal stage for Japan's modernization. This also set up a process of u ...

, drawn up by his councilors, is promulgated at the enthronement of the

of Japan, promising deliberative assemblies and an end to feudalism. * April 9 – Emperor

Tewodros II , spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"'' , alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.) Tewodros II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ቴዎድሮስ, baptized as Gebre Kidan; 1818 – 13 April 1868) was Emperor of Ethiopi ...

of Ethiopia massacres at least 197 of his own people at

Magdala Magdala (Aramaic: מגדלא, ''Magdala'', meaning "tower"; Hebrew: , ''Migdal''; ar, المجدل, ''al-Majdal'') was an ancient Jewish city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Tiberias. In the Babylonian Talmud it is known as Magda ...

. These are prisoners incarcerated, for the most part, for very trivial offenses, and are killed for requesting bread and water. * April 9– 13 – Battle of Magdala: A British-Indian task force under Robert Napier inflicts 700 deaths and a crushing defeat on the army of Emperor

; the British and Indians suffer 30 wounded, two of whom subsequently die. Tewodros commits suicide and Magdala is captured, ending the British Expedition to Abyssinia. * April 11 – July – Fall of Edo: The Japanese city surrenders to

. '' Shōgun''

submits to the Emperor. * April 29 – General William Tecumseh Sherman brokers the Treaty of Fort Laramie, between the federal government of the United States and the

Plains Indians Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of N ...

. *

May 10 Events Pre-1600 * 28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. *1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edw ...

– 14 –

– Battle of Utsunomiya Castle, Japan: Forces of the

resist the retreating troops of the Tokugawa shogunate. *

May 16 Events Pre-1600 * 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. *1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. * 1364 ...

May 26 Events Pre-1600 * 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. * 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire take ...

– President

is twice acquitted during his impeachment trial, by one vote in the United States Senate. *

– Fenian bomber Michael Barrett becomes the last person publicly hanged in the United Kingdom. * May 29 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the Capital Punishment Amendment Act, thus ending public hanging. *

May 30 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...

– Memorial Day is observed in the United States for the first time (it was proclaimed on May 5 by General

John A. Logan John Alexander Logan (February 9, 1826 – December 26, 1886) was an American soldier and politician. He served in the Mexican–American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a stat ...

). * May 31 ** Thomas Spence declares himself president of the

Republic of Manitobah The Republic of Manitobah was a short-lived, unrecognized state founded in June 1867 by Thomas Spence at the town of Portage la Prairie in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba. History In the mid-19th century, the future province of ...

in Canada; he soon alienates the locals. ** The first popular bicycle race is held at Parc de Saint-Cloud, Paris. * June –

Tītokowaru's War Tītokowaru's War was a military conflict that took place in the South Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island from June 1868 to March 1869 between the Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāruahine Māori tribes and the New Zealand Government. The confl ...

breaks out in the South Taranaki District of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

between the Ngāti Ruanui

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

tribe and the New Zealand Government. * June 1 – The Treaty of Bosque Redondo is signed, allowing the Navajo to return to their lands in Arizona and New Mexico. * June 2 – The first Trades Union Congress is held in Manchester, England. * June 10 – Mihailo Obrenović,

Prince of Serbia This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia. The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Knyaz ...

, is assassinated in Košutnjak,

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

. *

June 20 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory. * 1180 – First Battle of Uji, starting ...

– Fort Fred Steele is established to protect what is at this time the western terminus of the Union Pacific Railway, near modern-day

Sinclair, Wyoming Sinclair is a town in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. History The town was originally called Parco, after the Producers & Refiners Corporation (or PARCO) which founded the refinery and the company town. It was renamed Sinclair after PAR ...

July–September

July 1 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– The cable-operated

West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue Elevated or Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened on July 3, 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, as an experimental single-track cable ...

in Manhattan becomes the first elevated railway in the United States. * July 4 –

Battle of Ueno The was a battle of the Boshin War, which occurred on July 4, 1868 (''Meiji 1, 15th day of the 5th month''), between the troops of the Shōgitai under Shibusawa Seiichirō and Amano Hachirō, and Imperial "Kangun" troops. Prelude Though the S ...

: Imperial Japanese troops defeat the Shōgitai (elite forces remaining loyal to the '' shōgun''). * July 5 – Preacher William Booth establishes the Christian Mission, predecessor of The Salvation Army, in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

. *

July 9 Events Pre-1600 *118 – Hadrian, who became emperor a year previously on Trajan's death, makes his entry into Rome. * 381 – The end of the First Council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople by the Roman Emperor Theodos ...

– The

Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Fourteenth Amendment (Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. Often considered as one of the most consequential amendments, it addresses citizenship rights and ...

is ratified. * July 18 – The

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

people begin their long march home. *

July 25 Events Pre-1600 * 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. * 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...

– Wyoming becomes a United States territory. *

– Paraguayan War: The Allies, in an amphibious operation, capture the fortress of Humaitá. * July 27 – The United States Expatriation Act ("An Act concerning the Rights of American Citizens in foreign States") is adopted. * July 28 – The

is adopted, including the Citizenship Clause and the

Equal Protection Clause The Equal Protection Clause is part of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides "''nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal ...

, legally, if not actually, guaranteeing

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

full citizenship and equal protection, and all persons in the United States

due process Due process of law is application by state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to the case so all legal rights that are owed to the person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual pers ...

of law. * August 13 – The 8.5–9.0 Arica earthquake strikes southern Peru, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''), causing 25,000+ deaths and a destructive basin-wide tsunami, that affects Hawaii and New Zealand. * August 18 – The element later named as helium is first detected in the spectrum of the Sun's

chromosphere A chromosphere ("sphere of color") is the second layer of a star's atmosphere, located above the photosphere and below the solar transition region and corona. The term usually refers to the Sun's chromosphere, but not exclusively. In the Su ...

, by

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

astronomer Jules Janssen, during a total

eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. It is situated to the west of the Ba ...

, British India, but is assumed to be sodium. * August 20 – Abergele rail disaster in Wales: An ''Irish Mail'' passenger train collides with 4 cargo trucks loaded with paraffin oil (more akin to modern

kerosine Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning " wax", and was regi ...

); 33 are killed (the first major train disaster in Britain). * August 22 – The

Yangzhou riot The Yangzhou riot of August 22–23, 1868 was a brief crisis in Anglo-Chinese relations during the late Qing dynasty. The crisis was fomented by the gentry of Yangzhou who opposed the presence of foreign Christian missionaries in the city, who clai ...

in China targets a station of the China Inland Mission, and nearly leads to war between Britain and China. * September –

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

: Queen Isabella II of Spain is effectively deposed and sent into exile; she formally abdicates on June 25,

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Broo ...

. *

September 3 Events Pre-1600 *36 BC – In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompey, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate. * 301 – San Marino, one of the s ...

–

of Japan announces that the name of the city of

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

is to be changed to Tokyo. * September 7 –

leader Titokowaru defeats a New Zealand military force at Te Ngutu o Te Manu, North Island. * September 18 – The University of the South holds its first convocation in Sewanee, Tennessee. *

September 23 Events Pre-1600 * 38 – Drusilla, Caligula's sister who died in June, with whom the emperor is said to have an incestuous relationship, is deified. * 1122 – Pope Callixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V agree to the Concordat ...

– Grito de Lares: Rebels (some 400–600 led by Ramón Emeterio Betances) in the town of Lares declare Puerto Rico independent; the local militia easily defeats them a week later. * September 24 – Croatian–Hungarian Settlement ( hr, Hrvatsko-ugarska nagodba, hu, Horvát–magyar kiegyezés, german: Kroatisch-Ungarischer Ausgleich) is concluded, governing Croatia's political status in the Hungarian-ruled part of Austria-Hungary until

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

. *

September 28 Events Pre-1600 *48 BC – Pompey disembarks at Pelusium upon arriving in Egypt, whereupon he is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy XIII. * 235 – Pope Pontian resigns. He is exiled to the mines of Sardinia, along with Hippolytus ...

– The Opelousas massacre, one of the bloodiest massacres of the Reconstruction era in the United States.

October–December

* October 1 –

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

starts to rule in Siam. * October 6 – The City of New York grants Mount Sinai Hospital a 99-year lease for a property on

Lexington Avenue Lexington Avenue, often colloquially abbreviated as "Lex", is an avenue on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street to Gramercy Park at East 21st Street. Along it ...

and 66th Street, for the sum of $1.00. * October 10 –

Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Carlos Manuel de Céspedes del Castillo (18 April 1819, Bayamo, Spanish Cuba – 27 February 1874, San Lorenzo, Spanish Cuba) was a Cuban revolutionary hero and First President of Cuba in Arms in 1868. Cespedes, who was a plantation owner ...

declares a revolt against Spanish rule in Cuba, in an event known as ''El Grito de Yara'' or the Ten Years' War, initiating a war that lasts ten years (Cuba ultimately loses the war at a cost of 400,000 lives and widespread destruction). * October 20 **English astronomer Norman Lockyer observes and names the D₃ Fraunhofer line in the solar spectrum, and concludes that it is caused by a hitherto unidentified element, which he later names helium. **

Pedro Figueredo Pedro Felipe Figueredo, (born 18 February 1818 – 17 August 1870), mostly known as Perucho, was a Cuban poet, musician, and freedom fighter of the 19th century. In the 1860s, he was active in the planning of the Cuban uprising against the S ...

creates the Cuban national anthem, ''

El Himno de Bayamo "" (, ) is the national anthem of Cuba. It was first performed in 1868, during the . Perucho Figueredo, who took part in the battle, wrote and composed the song. The melody, also called "" (), was composed by Figueredo in 1867. Overview On Oc ...

''. * October 23 – The current

Japanese era name The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

is changed to the Meiji period. The 265-year-long Edo period ends. *

October 25 Events Pre-1600 * 285 (or 286) – Execution of Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers. * 473 – Emperor Leo I acclaims his grandson Leo II a ...

– The

Uspenski Cathedral russian: Успенский собор sv, Uspenskijkatedralen , native_name_lang = , image = File:Catedral Uspenski, Helsinki, Finlandia, 2012-08-14, DD 03.JPG , coordinates = , location = Helsi ...

, designed by Aleksey Gornostayev, is inaugurated in

Helsinki, Finland Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city' ...

. * October 28 – Thomas Edison applies for his first patent, the electric vote recorder. * November 2 – Time zone: New Zealand officially adopts a standard time, to be observed nationally. * November 3 –

1868 United States presidential election The 1868 United States presidential election was the 21st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1868. In the first election of the Reconstruction Era, Republican nominee Ulysses S. Grant defeated Horatio Seymour of the ...

: Republican

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

defeats Democrat Horatio Seymour. The Seventh U

* November 7 – The Battle of Moturoa, New Zealand, ends in a British defeat, due to an underestimate of Tītokowaru and his fortifications. There are heavy casualties for the colonial army and light casualties for the

defenders. *

November 27 Events Pre-1600 *AD 25 – Luoyang is declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han. * 176 – Emperor Marcus Aurelius grants his son Commodus the rank of " Imperator" and makes him Supreme Commander of the ...

– American Indian Wars – Battle of Washita River: In the early morning, United States Army

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

George Armstrong Custer leads an attack on a band of Cheyenne living on reservation land with Chief

Black Kettle Black Kettle (Cheyenne: Mo'ohtavetoo'o) (c. 1803November 27, 1868) was a prominent leader of the Southern Cheyenne during the American Indian Wars. Born to the ''Northern Só'taeo'o / Só'taétaneo'o'' band of the Northern Cheyenne in the Black ...

, killing 103 Cheyenne. * December 4 – Battle of Hakodate begins in Japan. * December 4 – Thomas Humber invented the safety bicycle. * December 6 – Paraguayan War – Battle of Ytororó or Itororó: Field-Marshal Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias, leads 13,000 Brazilian troops against a Paraguayan fortified position of 5,000 troops. * December 9 – The world's first traffic signal lights are installed at the junction of Great George Street and Bridge Street in the

London Borough of Westminster The City of Westminster is a city and borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of central Greater London, including most of the West En ...

. * December 24 – The Greek

Presidential Guard Presidential Guard may refer to: *President Guard Regiment (Bangladesh) *Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkey) *Presidential Guard (Greece) *Presidential Guard (Belarus) *Presidential Guard (South Vietnam) *President's Own Guard Regiment (Ghana) * ...

is established as the royal escort by King George I. * December 25 – U.S. President

grants unconditional pardon to all Civil War rebels.

Date unknown

* Louis Arthur Ducos du Hauron patents methods of

color photography Color photography is photography that uses media capable of capturing and reproducing colors. By contrast, black-and-white or gray-monochrome photography records only a single channel of luminance (brightness) and uses media capable only of ...

. * Thomas Henry Huxley discovers what he thinks is primordial matter and names it ''

bathybius haeckelii ''Bathybius haeckelii'' was a substance that British biologist Thomas Henry Huxley discovered and initially believed to be a form of primordial matter, a source of all organic life. He later admitted his mistake when it proved to be just the prod ...

'' (he admits his mistake in

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

). * The

Académie Julian The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number a ...

, a major art school in Paris, France, that admits women, is established. *

Brisbane Grammar School , motto_translation = Nothing Without Labour , established = 1868 , type = Independent, day & boarding , gender = Boys , denomination = Non-denominational , slogan = , key_people = , ci ...

is founded, providing the opportunity for secondary education for the first time in the colony of Brisbane in Australia. * Maryland School for the Deaf is established. * The

Dortmunder Actien Brauerei Dortmunder Actien Brauerei is a German brewery in the city of Dortmund, founded in 1868 by the businessmen Laurenz Fischer and Heinrich and Friedrich Mauritz together with master brewer Heinrich Herberz. Originally, it was called Herberz & Co ...

is founded in Germany. *

Herrenhäuser Brewery The Herrenhäuser Brewery (Herrenhäuser Brauerei) was founded in 1868 in the Herrenhausen district of Hannover, Germany. There are number of breweries in Hannover, e.g. Gilde brewery was founded about 300 years earlier. History Herrenhäuser in ...

is established in Hanover, Germany. * Tata Group is founded by Jamsetji Tata as a trading company in India. * Scottish merchant Thomas Blake Glover develops Japan's first coal mine on Hashima Island. * The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Arizona in 1868, taking its territory from the former Diocese of Santa Fe. The Diocese of Tucson is canonically erected on May 8, 1897. * The population of Japan reaches c. 30 million.

Births

January–March

* January 1 – Snitz Edwards, Hungarian-born actor (d.

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...

) *

January 6 Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eve ...

– Vittorio Monti, Italian composer (d.

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) *

–

S. P. L. Sørensen Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen (9 January 1868 – 12 February 1939) was a Denmark, Danish chemist, famous for the introduction of the concept of pH, a scale for measuring acidity and Base (chemistry), alkalinity. Personal life Sørensen w ...

, Danish chemist (d.

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

) * January 11 – Cai Yuanpei, Chinese educator (d.

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

) *

January 15 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months. * 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...

– Otto von Lossow, Bavarian and German general (d.

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

) * January 18 – Kantarō Suzuki, 29th Prime Minister of Japan (d.

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

) * January 21 –

Felix Hoffmann Felix Hoffmann (21 January 1868 – 8 February 1946) was a German chemist notable for re-synthesising diamorphine (independently from C.R. Alder Wright who synthesized it 23 years earlier), which was popularized under the Bayer trade name ...

, German chemist (d.

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

) * January 31 – Theodore William Richards, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d.

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

) * February 4 – Constance Markievicz, Irish politician (d. 1927) * February 5 – Maxine Elliott, American actress (d.

) * February 12 – William Faversham, English actor (d.

) * February 16 – Edward S. Curtis, American photographer, ethnologist, and film director (d. 1952) * February 23 – W. E. B. Du Bois, African American civil rights leader (d. 1963) * February 25 – Constantin Dumitrescu (general), Constantin Dumitrescu, Romanian general (d. 1935) * February 26 – Venceslau Brás, Brazilian president (d.

) * March 1 – Adolf von Trotha, German admiral (d.

) * March 14 – Emily Murphy, Canadian woman's rights activist (d. 1933) * March 22 – Robert Andrews Millikan, American physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1953) * March 25 – Bill Lockwood (cricketer), Bill Lockwood, English cricketer (d. 1932) * March 28 – Maxim Gorky, Russian author (d. 1936) * March 29 – Joseph Cawthorn, American actor (d. 1949)

April–June

* April 1 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (d.

) * April 10 – George Arliss, English actor (d.

) * April 12 – Akiyama Saneyuki, Japanese admiral (d.

) * April 17 – Zdeňka Wiedermannová-Motyčková, Moravian pioneer of female education (d. 1915) * April 25 ** John Moisant, American aviator (d. 1910) ** Willie Maley, Scottish football player and manager (d. 1958) * May 6 ** Gaston Leroux, French writer (d. 1927) ** Nicholas II of Russia (d.

) * May 12 – Al Shean, German-born actor (d. 1949) * May 21 – John L. Hines, American general, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (d. 1968) * May 29 – Abdülmecid II, last Caliph of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1944) * June 5 – James Connolly, Irish-Scots socialist (d. 1916) * June 6 – Robert Falcon Scott, English Antarctic explorer (d. 1912) * June 7 ** Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish architect (d.

) ** John Sealy Townsend, Irish mathematical physicist (d. 1957) * June 14 ** Anna B. Eckstein, German peace campaigner (d. 1947) ** Karl Landsteiner, Austrian biologist and physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1943)

July–September

* July 2 – Traian Moșoiu, Romanian general and politician (d. 1932) * July 4 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt, American astronomer (d. 1921) * July 12 – Stefan George, German poet (d. 1933) * July 14 – Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist, writer, spy and administrator (d. 1926) * July 15 – Nobuyoshi Mutō, Japanese field marshal and ambassador (d. 1933) * July 17 – Mikhail Bakhirev, Russian admiral (d. 1920) * July 19 – Florence Foster Jenkins, American socialite and amateur operatic soprano (d. 1944) * July 20 – Patriarch Miron of Romania, 38th Prime Minister of Romania (d.

) * July 24 – Princess Srivilailaksana The Princess of Suphanburi daughter of King

of Siam and Chao Chom Manda Pae Bunnag (d.1904) * July 28 – Theodor Wulf, German physicist and Jesuit (d.

) * August 5 – Oskar Merikanto, Finnish composer (d. 1924) * August 6 – Paul Claudel, French poet, dramatist and diplomat (d. 1955) * August 7 – Martin Wetzer, Finnish general (d. 1954) * August 10 – Hugo Eckener, German dirigible engineer, Commander of ''Graf Zeppelin I'' (d. 1954) * August 23 – Edgar Lee Masters, American poet, biographer and dramatist (d. 1950) * August 26 – Charles Stewart (Alberta politician, born 1868), Charles Stewart, Premier of Alberta (d.

) * September 1 – Henri Bourassa, Canadian politician and publisher (d. 1952) * September 6 – Heinrich Häberlin, Swiss politician, member of the Federal Council (d. 1947) * September 17 – James Alexander Calder, Canadian politician (d. 1956) * September 22 – John T. Raulston, American state judge (Scopes Monkey Trial) (d. 1956)

October–December

* October 4 – Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear, President of Argentina (d. 1942) * October 15 – J. B. Johnson (Florida politician), J. B. Johnson, American attorney and politician (d.

) * October 21 – Ernest Swinton, British Army general (d. 1951) * October 24 – Alexandra David-Néel, French explorer (d. 1969) * October 30 – António Cabreira, Portuguese polygraph (d. 1953) * November 7 – Delfim Moreira, Brazilian president (d. 1920) * November 8 – Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician (d. 1942) * November 9 – Marie Dressler, Canadian actress (d. 1934) * November 17 – Korbinian Brodmann, German neurologist (d.

) * November 22 – John Nance Garner, List of Vice Presidents of the United States, 32nd Vice President of the United States (d. 1967) * November 23 – Mary Brewster Hazelton, American portrait painter (d. 1953) * December 5 – Arnold Sommerfeld, German theoretical physicist (d. 1951) * December 9 – Fritz Haber, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1934) * December 19 – Eleanor H. Porter, American novelist (d. 1920) * December 20 – Arturo Alessandri, Chilean statesman, 3-Time President of Chile (d. 1950) * December 21 – George W. Fuller, American sanitation engineer (d. 1934) * December 22 – Jaan Tõnisson, 2nd Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1941?) * December 25 – Eugenie Besserer, American silent film actress (d. 1934) *''probable'' – Scott Joplin, African American ragtime composer and pianist (d. 1917)

Deaths

January–June

* January 20 – Damien Marchesseault, 7th Mayor of Los Angeles (suicide) (b. 1818) * January 23 – János Erdélyi, Hungarian poet and ethnographer (b. 1814) * January 28 – Adalbert Stifter, Austrian writer (b. 1805) * February 8 – Lai Wenguang, Chinese leader of the Taiping Rebellion and Nien Rebellion (b. 1827) * February 10 – David Brewster, Sir David Brewster, Scottish physicist (b. 1781) * February 11 – Léon Foucault, French physicist (b. 1819) *

– Venancio Flores, Uruguayan general and president of Uruguay (b. 1808) * February 29 – King Ludwig I of Bavaria (b. 1786) * March 4 – Jesse Chisholm, American pioneer (b. 1805) * March 19 – Philipp von Stadion und Thannhausen, Austrian field marshal (b. 1799) * March 28 – James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, British military leader (b. 1797) * April 3 – Franz Berwald, Swedish composer (b. 1796) * April 7 – Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Canadian father of confederation (assassinated) (b. 1825) * April 12 – James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, British politician and peer (b. 1791) * April 13 – Emperor Theodore or

of Ethiopia by suicide (b. 1818) *

– Henry O'Farrell, Irish-Australian criminal (executed) (b. 1833) * May 7 – Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, Lord Chancellor, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1778) *

– Henry Bennett (U.S. politician), Henry Bennett, American politician (b. 1808)

* May 11 – John Crawfurd, Scottish physician, colonial administrator, diplomat and author, last British Resident of Singapore (b. 1783) * May 17 – Isami Kondo, Commander of the Shinsengumi (b. 1834) * May 22 – Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (b. 1801) * May 23 – Kit Carson, American trapper, scout, and Indian agent (b. 1809) * June 1 – James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States (b. 1791) * June 10 – Princess Anka Obrenović, Serbian princess (b. 1821) * June 22 – Heber C. Kimball, Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), Latter Day Saint leader (b. 1801) * June 29 – John Scott Lillie, Sir John Lillie, British army officer, entrepreneur and inventor (b. 1790)

July–December

* July 6 – Harada Sanosuke, Shinsengumi Captain (b. 1840) * July 19 – Okita Sōji, Shinsengumi Captain (b. 1842 or 1844) * July 21 – William Bland, Australian politician (b. 1789) * July 26 – Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth, English Lord Chancellor, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1791) * July 29 – John Elliotson, English physician (b. 1791) * August 3 – Edward Welch, Welsh architect (b. 1806) * August 10 – Adah Isaacs Menken, American actress (b. 1835) * August 11 – Thaddeus Stevens, American politician (b. 1792) * August 25 – Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer, German actress, writer and theater director (b. 1799) * August 29 – Christian Friedrich Schönbein, German chemist (b. 1799) * September 1 – Ferenc Gyulay, Hungarian nobleman, general and governor (b. 1799) * September 9 – Mzilikazi, first king of Mthwakazi (b. c.1790) * September 11 – Maria James (poet), Maria James, Welsh-born American poet (b. 1793) * September 19 – William Sprague (Michigan politician), William Sprague, American minister and politician from Michigan (b. 1809) * September 26 – August Ferdinand Möbius, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1790) * October 1 – Mongkut (Rama IV), King of Siam (Thailand) (b. 1804) * October 9 – Howell Cobb, American politician (b. 1815) * October 17 – Laura Secord, Canadian patriot (b. 1775) * October 27 – Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1794) * November 13 – Gioachino Rossini, Italian composer (b. 1792) * November 15 – James Mayer de Rothschild, German-born banker (b. 1792) *

– Chief

, Southern Cheyenne Peace Chief, Survivor of Sand Creek massacre (b. 1803) * December 6 – August Schleicher, German linguist (b. 1821) * December 23 – Herbert Benjamin Edwardes, Sir Herbert Edwardes, British army general and colonial administrator (b. 1819) * December 25 – Linus Yale, Jr., American inventor (b. 1821) * December 31 – Cyrus Kingsbury, American missionary and Choctaw linguist (b.1786)

References

*
via Google Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:1868 1868, Leap years in the Gregorian calendar