Explore 534 historical events from 1850–1859.
Michael Joseph McGivney was an American Catholic priest based in New Haven, Connecticut. He founded the Knights of Columbus at a local parish to serve as a mutual aid and insurance…
Michael J. McGivney, American priest and founder of the Knights of Columbus (died 1890)
Radha Gobinda Kar was an Indian physician and philanthropist. R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal is named after him.
Radha Gobinda Kar, Indian physician and philanthropist (died 1918)
Clímaco Calderón Reyes was a Colombian lawyer and politician, who became 15th President of Colombia for one day, following the death of President Francisco Javier Zaldúa.
Clímaco Calderón, Colombian lawyer and politician, 15th President of Colombia (died 1913)
Arnold Toynbee was an English economic historian also noted for his social commitment and desire to improve the living conditions of the working classes. Toynbee Hall in London was…
Arnold Toynbee, English economist and historian (died 1883)
Ivan Aleksandrovich Nabokov was a Russian adjutant general and general of the infantry prominent during the Napoleonic Wars.
Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (born 1787)
Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19th century. He held a high position at…
Vasily Zhukovsky, Russian poet and translator (born 1783)
Karl Pavlovich Bryullov was a Russian painter and draughtsman during the Romantic period, remembered among the greatest visual artists in the history of Russian art.
Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (born 1799)
Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan was a 19th-century politician and lawyer who served briefly as United States Secretary of the Interior under President Millard Fillmore.
Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (born 1794)
James Finlayson was a Scottish Quaker who, in effect, brought the Industrial Revolution to Tampere, Finland, founding in 1820 the Finlayson company.
James Finlayson, Scottish Quaker (born 1772)
Agnes Bertha Marshall was an English culinary entrepreneur, inventor, and celebrity chef. An unusually prominent businesswoman for her time, Marshall was particularly known for her…
Agnes Marshall, English culinary entrepreneur, inventor, and celebrity chef (died 1905)
Henry Clay was an American lawyer, statesman, and diplomat who represented Kentucky in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the seve…
Henry Clay, American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (born 1777)
Margaret Mackall Taylor was the first lady of the United States from 1849 to 1850 as the wife of President Zachary Taylor. She married Zachary in 1810 and lived as an army wife, ac…
Margaret Taylor, First Lady of the United States (born 1788)
Johan Gadolin was a Finnish chemist, physicist and mineralogist. Gadolin discovered a "new earth" containing the first rare-earth compound yttrium, which was later determined to be…
Johan Gadolin, Finnish chemist, physicist, and mineralogist (born 1760)
A soprano (Italian pronunciation: [soˈpraːno]) is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific …
Swedish operatic soprano Jenny Lind concluded a successful concert tour of the United States under the management of sho
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of …
Queen Victoria opens The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London
During the Australian gold rushes, starting in 1851, significant numbers of workers moved from elsewhere in Australia and overseas to where gold had been discovered. Gold had been …
The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier
The practice of slavery in present-day Colombia dates back to the pre-Spanish era and persisted until its definitive abolition in 1851. This practice involved the human trafficking…
Slavery in Colombia is abolished
Sojourner Truth was an American abolitionist and activist for African-American civil rights, women's rights, and alcohol temperance. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New …
Sojourner Truth delivers her famous Ain't I a Woman? speech at the Woman's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote a popular novel called Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), which…
Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly, starts a ten-month run in the N
Annibale de Gasparis was an Italian astronomer, known for discovering asteroids and his contributions to theoretical astronomy.
Annibale de Gasparis discovers asteroid 15 Eunomia.
Isaac Merritt Singer was an American inventor, actor, and businessman. He made important improvements in the design of the sewing machine and was the founder of what became one of …
Isaac Singer is granted a patent for his sewing machine.
The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one…
The first America's Cup is won by the yacht America.
Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, was a Ceylonese lawyer and politician who served as Solicitor-General of Ceylon.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, third Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (died 1930)
Aleksandr Pavlovich Dianin was a Russian chemist from Saint Petersburg. He carried out studies on phenols and discovered a phenol derivative now known as bisphenol A and the accord…
Alexander Dianin, Russian chemist (died 1918)