Explore 854 historical events from 1860–1869.
John Stevens Henslow was an English Anglican priest, botanist and geologist. He is best remembered as friend and mentor to Charles Darwin.
John Stevens Henslow, British priest, geologist and doctoral advisor to Charles Darwin (born 1796)
Thornsbury Bailey Brown of Taylor County, Virginia, is generally considered the first Union soldier killed by a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. Brown, a member o…
Thornsbury Bailey Brown, American soldier (born 1829)
Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth was a United States Army officer, close personal friend of the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln, and law clerk who was the first conspicu…
Elmer E
John Quincy Marr was a Virginia militia company captain and the first Confederate States Army soldier killed by a Union army soldier in combat during the American Civil War. Marr w…
John Quincy Marr, American captain (born 1825)
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A Democrat, he served in the United States Senate for fourteen years and defeated Abraham Lincoln to win…
Stephen A
Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Count of Cavour, Isolabella and Leri, generally known as the Count of Cavour or simply Cavour, was an Italian politician, statesman, businessman…
Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, Italian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Italy (born 1810)
Patrick Brontë was an Irish Anglican clergyman and author who spent most of his adult life in England. One of ten children from a very poor family, he managed to secure a scholarsh…
Patrick Brontë, Anglo-Irish priest and author (born 1777)
Henry Gray was an English anatomist and surgeon most notable for publishing the book Gray's Anatomy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) at the age of 25.
Henry Gray, English anatomist and surgeon (born 1827)
Abdülmecid I was the 31st sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839.
Abdülmecid I, Ottoman sultan (born 1823)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime and frequently anthologised after her death. Her w…
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English poet and translator (born 1806)
Jonas Furrer was a Swiss lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Federal Council, from 1848 to 1861, and as the first president of the Swiss Confederation from 1848 to …
Jonas Furrer, Swiss lawyer and politician, President of the Swiss Confederation (born 1805)
Vincent Novello, was an English musician and music publisher born in London. He was an organist, chorister, conductor and composer, but he is best known for bringing to England man…
Vincent Novello, English composer and publisher (born 1781)
Eliphalet Remington II was an American engineer who founded what would become known as Remington Arms. Originally the company was known as E. Remington followed by E. Remington & S…
Eliphalet Remington, American inventor and businessman, founded Remington Arms (born 1793)
Ranavalona I, also known as Ramavo or Ranavalo-Manjaka I or Ranavalona reniny, was the sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After positioning herself as queen …
Ranavalona I, Queen consort of Kingdom of Madagascar and then sovereign (born 1778)
Alcée Louis la Branche was an American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Louisiana. He served one term as a Democrat from 184…
Alcée Louis la Branche, American politician and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to Texas (born 1806)
The Xianfeng Emperor, also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, personal name Yizhu, was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule o…
Xianfeng, Emperor of China (born 1831)
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve sl…
The first bloodshed of the American Civil War took place when Confederate sympathizers in Baltimore, Maryland, attacked
The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties. On June 1, 1861, a Union scouting party clashed with the local mili…
The first land battle of the American Civil War after Fort Sumter took place in the village of Fairfax, Virginia
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve sl…
American Civil War: The Confederate Army only suffered eight casualties in its victory at the Battle of Big Bethel in Yo
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve sl…
American Civil War: The Battle of Vienna, Virginia, took place, which involved one of the world's first military movemen
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve sl…
American Civil War: The first major battle west of the Mississippi River, the Battle of Wilson's Creek, was fought.
A United States presidential election was held on November 6, 1860. The Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victorious.
United States presidential election: Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party presidential nomination over William H
Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. He contributed to the Unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. H…
Giuseppe Garibaldi begins the Siege of Palermo, part of the wars of Italian unification
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Repres…
The United States Congress establishes the Government Printing Office