Explore 785 historical events from 1850–1859.
The Giffard dirigible or Giffard airship was an airship built in France in 1852 by Henri Giffard, it was the first powered and steerable airship to fly. The craft featured an elong…
The first powered, passenger-carrying airship, the Giffard dirigible, travels 17 miles (27 km) from Paris to Trappes.
The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's…
The University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university, is inaugurated in Sydney.
Adrian Constantine Anson, nicknamed "Cap", "Pop", and "Baby" was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he play…
Cap Anson, American baseball player and manager (died 1922)
Santiago Ramón y Cajal was a Spanish neuroscientist, pathologist, and histologist specialising in neuroanatomy, and the central nervous system. He and Camillo Golgi received the No…
Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Spanish neuroscientist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1934)
Alice Pleasance Hargreaves was an English woman who, in her childhood, was an acquaintance and photographic subject of Lewis Carroll. One of the stories he told her during a boatin…
Alice Liddell, English model (died 1934)
Charles Warren Fairbanks was the 26th vice president of the United States under President Theodore Roosevelt serving from 1905 to 1909. A member of the Republican Party, Fairbanks …
Charles W
Henri Julien was a Canadian artist and cartoonist noted for his work for the Canadian Illustrated News and for his political cartoons in the Montreal Daily Star. His pseudonyms inc…
Henri Julien, Canadian illustrator (died 1908)
Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter and storyteller. In addition to many exploits, she was known for being an acquaintan…
Calamity Jane, American frontierswoman and professional scout (died 1903)
Gertrude Käsebier was an American photographer. She was known for her images of motherhood, her portraits of Native Americans, and her promotion of photography as a career for wome…
Gertrude Käsebier, American photographer (died 1934)
William Muldoon was an American Greco-Roman Wrestling champion, a physical culturist, and the first chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He once wrestled a match tha…
William Muldoon, American wrestler and trainer (died 1933)
William Barnes was an English professional cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club from 1875 to 1894, and in 21 Test matches for England from 1880 to 1890. He …
Billy Barnes, English cricketer (died 1899)
Francisco Pascasio Moreno was a prominent explorer and academic in Argentina, where he is usually referred to as Perito Moreno. Perito Moreno has been credited as one of the most i…
Francisco Moreno, Argentinian explorer and academic (died 1919)
Julius Richard Petri was a German microbiologist who is generally credited with inventing the device known as the Petri dish, which is named after him, while working as assistant t…
Julius Richard Petri, German microbiologist, invented the Petri dish (died 1921)
Theodore Robinson was an American painter best known for his Impressionist landscapes. He was one of the first American artists to take up Impressionism in the late 1880s, visiting…
Theodore Robinson, American painter and academic (died 1896)
Guido Banti was an Italian physician and pathologist. He also performed innovative studies on the heart, infectious diseases and bacteriology, splenomegaly, nephrology, lung diseas…
Guido Banti, Italian physician and pathologist (died 1925)
Friedrich August Johannes Loeffler was a German bacteriologist at the University of Greifswald.
Friedrich Loeffler, German bacteriologist and academic (died 1915)
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Catalan architect and designer from Spain, widely known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernisme. Gaudí's works have a sui generis style, with mos…
Antoni Gaudí, Spanish architect, designed the Park Güell (died 1926)
Daoud Corm, also known as David Corm in English, was an influential Lebanese painter and the father of writer, industrialist, and philanthropist Charles Corm. He was a teacher and …
Daoud Corm, Lebanese painter (died 1930)
Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union who served as President of Argentina from 1916 to 1922 and again from 192…
Hipólito Yrigoyen, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 19th President of Argentina (died 1933)
Josef Ichhäuser (1852–1920), known by the stage name Josef Josephi (also spelled Joseffy), was an Austrian Empire-born singer (tenor-baritone) and actor.
Josef Josephi, Polish-born singer and actor (died 1920)
Theodorus Heemskerk was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
Theo Heemskerk, Dutch lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (died 1932)
Charles Alfred Cruft was a British showman who founded the Crufts dog show. Charles first became involved with dogs when he began to work at Spratt's, a manufacturer of dog biscuit…
Charles Cruft, English showman, founded Crufts Dog Show (died 1938)
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)