What Happened in October 1859

Historical Events

Emperor Norton Abolishes Congress

Oct 12 Self-proclaimed Emperor of the USA, Emperor Norton issues edict abolishing the US Congress

John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

Oct 16 Abolitionist John Brown leads 21 men on a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia

  • Oct 19 Wilhelm Tempel discovers diffuse nebula around Pleid star Merope
  • Oct 26 Steam clipper Royal Charter is wrecked on the coast of Anglesey, Wales;, in a storm that took down over 100 vessels; approximately 450 passengers and crew killed on voyage returning to Liverpool from Australia
  • Oct 29 Spain declares war on Morocco
1859 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Oct 3 Eleonora Duse, Italian actress (Les Misérables, Thérèse Raquin), born near Vigevano, Italy (d. 1924)

Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935)

Oct 9 French Jewish artillery officer (Dreyfus Affair), born in Mulhouse, France

  • Oct 14 Camille Chevillard, French composer, born in Paris (d. 1923)
  • Oct 15 Jaime de Magalhães Lima, Portuguese author and poet (Salmos do Prisoneiro), born in Vera Cruz, Portugal (d. 1936)
  • Oct 16 Henryk Pachulski, Polish pianist, composer, and educator (Moscow Conservatory, 1886-1917), born in Łazy, Poland (d. 1921)
  • Oct 17 William "Buck" Ewing, American Baseball HOF catcher (NL home run leader 1883 NY Giants; Cincinnati Reds) and manager (NY Giants, Cincinnati Reds), born in Hoagland, Ohio (d. 1906)
  • Oct 18 Henri Bergson, French philosopher (Creative Evolution, Nobel Prize for Literature 1927), born in Paris, France (d. 1941)
  • Oct 18 Paolo Orsi, Italian archaeologist (Sicilian excavations), born in Rovereto, Austria-Hungary (d. 1935)
  • Oct 20 George Studd, English cricket batsman (4 Tests; Middlesex), born in Netheravon, Wiltshire, England (d. 1945)

John Dewey (1859-1952)

Oct 20 American philosopher, educational theorist and writer (learn by doing), born in Burlington, Vermont

  • Oct 25 Hélène Swarth, Dutch author (Lonely Flowers), born in Amsterdam (d. 1941)
  • Oct 26 Arthur Friedheim, Russian composer, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1932)
  • Oct 26 Frank Selee, American Baseball HOF manager (5 x NL C'ship Boston Beaneaters; Chicago Orphans/Cubs), born in Amherst, New Hampshire (d. 1909)
  • Oct 29 Charles Ebbets, American sports executive (co-owner of Brooklyn Dodgers 1897-1902), born in New York City (d. 1925)
  • Oct 30 Karl von Stürgkh, Austrian nobleman and politician (Prime Minister, 1911-16) who declared war on Serbia, initiating WWI, born in Graz, Austrian Empire (d. 1916)
Born in 1859

Famous Weddings

Chester A. Arthur

Oct 25 US President Chester A. Arthur (30) weds Ellen Herndon (22) at Calvary Episcopal Church in NYC, New York

Famous Deaths

  • Oct 4 Karl Baedeker, German publisher (known for guidebooks for tourists), dies at 57
  • Oct 22 Louis Spohr, German violin virtuoso and composer (Faust), dies at 75