1859
Origin of Species Published
Twenty years after his Beagle voyage, Charles Darwin finally published his careful, devastating argument that all life had evolved from common ancestors…
First Oil Well
In Titusville, Pennsylvania, a former railroad conductor named Edwin Drake drilled sixty-nine feet through rock with a steam engine and struck oil.
French Enter Indochina
French and Spanish forces seized Saigon, beginning France's thirty-year conquest of Indochina.
Battle of Solferino
On a long, murderous day in northern Italy, French and Piedmontese troops under Napoleon III beat the Austrians out of Lombardy.
John Brown's Raid
An abolitionist fanatic with a face like an Old Testament prophet led eighteen men in seizing the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to start…
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1859?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1859. The most significant is Origin of Species Published.
What era was 1859 part of?
1859 falls within the Industrial Age (1801-1900). Steam, empire, and the unmaking of the old order.
Which regions saw notable events in 1859?
The events from 1859 span Europe, North America and Southeast Asia.