Major Events
- Feb 4 One of the oldest known copies of the Bible, "The Codex Sinaiticus" (Sinai Bible), is seen in Egypt by Constantin von Tischendorf who takes the manuscript home with him
- Apr 30 Charles Dickens' "A Tale Of Two Cities" is first published in literary periodical "All the Year Round" (weekly installments until Nov 26)
- Nov 24 English naturalist Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species" radically changing the view of evolution and laying the foundation for evolutionary biology
- More 1859 Events
1859 in Music
- Mar 19 Charles Gounod's opera "Faust" premieres at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, France
Did You Know?
US Congressman Daniel E. Sickles is acquitted in the murder Philip Barton Key, on grounds of "temporary insanity" - 1st time this defense used successfully in the US
Carrie Chapman Catt
Wilhelm II
Arthur Conan Doyle
Thomas J. Walsh
Yuan Shikai
Billy the KidMore People Born in 1859
Fun Fact About 1859
Joshua Abraham Norton, English-born resident of San Francisco, proclaims himself his Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States of America
Alexander von Humboldt
Horace Mann
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Washington Irving
John Brown
Wilhelm GrimmMore 1859 Deaths
Articles About 1859
Crippled Kaiser Had Grip of Iron
German Emperor 'Kaiser Bill,' was born on this day, strong-willed and determined to overcome the deformity that afflicted him from birth.January 27
4th Century Bible Discovered
A page from the Codex Sinaiticus, displaying the Lord's Prayer. The first few letters are part of Matthew 6:4; the first new paragraph denotes Matthew 6:5. The last full sentence is Matthew 6:24; the last incomplete sentence on this page is Matthew 6:25.February 4
Strike A Light! I've Created Flames
John Walker liked to experiment with the chemicals in his pharmacy. To his surprise, one mixture he scraped up burst into flames – and the match was born.May 1
A Pill to Cure All Ills
Not well? Take a Beecham’s Pill was often the advice. So popular was it that nobody doubted it’s extravagant claim in the world’s first advertising slogan.August 6
Killing Rampage of Billy The Kid
Billy the Kid, believed to have been born on this day, claimed to have shot dead 21 men. But that didn’t stop Hollywood turning the killer into a folk hero.November 23
Famous Weddings in 1859
- Jun 13 Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (37) weds Mary Cleveland
- Oct 25 US President Chester A. Arthur (30) weds Ellen Herndon (22) at Calvary Episcopal Church in NYC, New York
Charles Dickens
Giuseppe Verdi
Henry John Temple
James Buchanan