References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 April 30.

1860 January 1 Slavery ends of in Netherlands Indies. [1] January 5 Saint John Nepomucene Neumann first male US saint, dies. [1] January 12 Martinus J Niewindt bishop on Curaçao (christened slaves), dies at 63. [1] January 20 Dutch troops conquer Watampone in Celebes. [1] January 27 Janó Bolyai Hungarian mathematician (parallel), dies at 57. [1] January 28 Britain formally returns Mosquito Coast to Nicaragua. [1] January 29 American College established in Rome by Pope Pius IX. [1] January 30 Francesco Antonio Norberto Pinto composer, dies at 44. [1] February 1 First rabbi to open House of Representatives, Morris Raphall of New York City, New York. [1] February 3 Thomas Clemson takes office as first US superintendent of agriculture. [1] February 9 Edmond Willem van Dam van Isselt Dutch military/liberal politician, dies at 63. [1] February 10 John Brahms' second Serenade in A, premieres. [1] February 13 King Basse Kajuara departs Boni South-Celebes. [1] February 16 Dutch Rochussen/Van Bosse government resigns. [1] February 20 Henry Drummond English banker/religious leader, dies at 69. [1] February 22 Shoe-making workers of Lynn Mississippi, strike successfully for higher wages. [1] March 9 First Japanese ambassador arrives in San Francisco en route to Washington DC. [1] March 12 US Congress accepts Pre-emption Bill; free land in West for colonists. [1] March 17 Japanese embassy arrives aboard Candinmarruh [sic]. [1] March 21 US extradition treaty with Sweden. [1] March 24 Clipper Andrew Jackson arrives in San Francisco, 89 days out of New York. [1] March 27 M L Byrn patents "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle" (corkscrew). [1] March 28 Johann Ludwig Bohner composer, dies at 73. [1] March 29 Dion Boucicault's "Colleen Bawn" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] April 2 First Italian Parliament met at Turin. [1] April 3 Pony Express began between Saint Joseph Missouri and Sacramento California. [1] April 7 Grand duke Frederik I liberalizes laws in Bathe. [1] April 9 In Paris, France, inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville makes the first (known) audio recording, ten seconds long, of a person singing a folk song. The recording is made on a phonautograph that scratches sound waves onto a sheet of paper blackened by the smoke of an oil lamp. [35] April 13 First Pony Express reaches Sacramento, California. [1] [5] April 14 First Pony Express rider arrives in San Francisco California from Saint Joseph Missouri. [1] April 16 Carolina duchess of Berry/daughter of crown prince of Naples, dies. [1] April 18 Count István Széchenyi statesman, commits suicide. [1] April 28 Isaac da Costa poet/writer (Réveil, Wachter!), dies at 62. [1] April 30 Navaho Indians attack Fort Defiance (Canby). [1] May 4 Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek composer, dies. [1] May 16 Republican convention (Chicago) selects Abraham Lincoln candidate. [1] May 18 Republican Party nominates Abraham Lincoln for president. [1] May 21 Johannes Frederick Frohlich composer, dies at 53. [1] May 23 Albert Richard Smith author/lecturer, dies. [1] May 26 Garibaldi occupies Palermo Italy. [1] June 7 Workmen start laying track for Market Street Railroad, San Francisco. [1] June 15 First White settlement in Idaho (Franklin). [1] June 23 US Congress establishes the Government Printing Office. [1] US Secret Service created. [1] July 9 Temperature hits 115 degrees F in Fort Scott and 112 degrees F in Topeka Kansas. [1] July 19 First railroad reaches Kansas. [1] July 25 First US intercollegiate billard match (Harvard vs Yales). [1] August 3 American Canoe Association founded at Lake George New York. [1] August 8 Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in New York City. [1] August 11 Nation's first successful silver mill (Virginia City, Nev). [1] September 7 Excursion steamer "Lady Elgin" drowns 340 in Lake Michigan. [1] September 8 Loss of steamer, "Lady Elgin". [1] September 20 First British royalty to visit US, Prince of Wales (King Edward VII). [1] October 8 Telegraph line between Los Angeles and San Francisco opens. [1] October 12 British and French troops capture Peking. [1] Sir Henry G W Smith leader of British-Indian forces, dies at 73. [1] October 13 First aerial photo taken in US (from a balloon), Boston. [1] October 15 11-year-old Grace Bedell writes to Lincoln, tells him to grow a beard. [1] November 6 Abraham Lincoln (Republican-Illinois-Representative) elected 16th President. [1] November 11 First Jewish wedding in Buenos Aires Argentina. [1] December 7 Constantine S Aksakov Russian historian/poet, dies at 43. [1] December 17 Anaheim Township created in Los Angeles County. [1] December 24 Joseph Jefferson's "Rip Van Winkle" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] December 26 Maiden voyage of first steamship owned by one man (C Vanderbilt). [1] December 28 Cornelius Broere Dutch Roman Catholic clergyman/poet, dies at 57. [1] 1861 January 1 Porfirio Diaz conquers Mexico City. [1] January 2 Death of Friedrich Wilhelm IV in Sanssoci Palace, Potsdam, Germany; King of Prussia (1840-61). [1] [37] Wilhelm I becomes the Prussian King. [37] January 6 New York City, New York mayor proposes New York become a free city, trading with N and S. [1] January 11 Mexico City captured by Juárez (Liberal) in War of the Reform. [1] January 12 Václav Hanka Czech author/translator/forger, dies at 69. [1] January 15 Steam elevator patented by Elisha Otis. [1] January 17 Flush toilet (with separate water tank and a pull chain) patented by Mr Thomas Crapper (Honest!). [1] January 23 Agoston Haraszthy, first vintner in Sonoma Valley, imports 100,000 cuttings of 350 varieties from Europe. [1] January 29 Kansas becomes 34th state. [1] January 31 Franciscus J van Vree Dutch Catholic foreman, dies at 53. [1] Friedrich Hebbel's "Siegfrieds Tod" premieres in Weimar. [1] State of Louisiana takes over US Mint at New Orleans. [1] February 1 Dike breaks in Gelderland Netherlands. [1] February 5 First moving picture peep show machine is patented by Samuel Goodale of Cincinnati. [1] Kinematoscope patented by Coleman Sellers, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. [1] February 6 English Admiral Robert Ritzroy issues first storm warnings for ships. [1] February 10 Francis Danby Exmouth, painter, dies. [1] February 11 President-elect Lincoln takes train from Spingfield Illinois to Washington DC. [1] February 12 Hippolyte-Andre-Baptiste Chelard composer, dies at 72. [1] February 13 Abraham Lincoln declared President. [1] Colonel Bernard Irwin attacks and defeats hostile Chiricahua Indians. [1] February 18 King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia becomes first king of Italy. [1] Louis C Luzac Dutch minister of Internal affairs, dies at 74. [1] February 19 Russian Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom. [1] February 20 Steeple of Chichester Cathedral blown down during a storm. [1] February 21 Navaho Indians elect Herrero Grande as chief. [1] February 22 On a bet Edward Weston leaves Boston to walk to Lincoln's inauguration. [1] February 23 Dutch Premier Floris A van Hall resigns. [1] President-elect Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington DC to take office. [1] February 27 US Congress authorizes first stamped newspaper wrappers for mailing. [1] Warsaw Massacre Russians fire on crowd demonstrating against Russian rule of Poland. [1] February 28 Territories of Nevada and Colorado created. [1] March 2 Government Printing Office purchases first printing plant, Washington DC. [1] US Congress creates Dakota and Nevada Territories out of the Nebraska and Utah territories. [1] March 3 Russian Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom. [1] March 4 Lincoln inaugurated as 16th President; first time US has five former Presidents living. [1] President Lincoln opens Government Printing Office. [1] March 10 Josepf François Snel composer, dies at 67. [1] March 14 Abraham Louis Niedermeyer composer, dies at 58. [1] March 17 Italy declares independence; Kingdom of Italy proclaimed. [1] Petter Conrad Boman composer, dies at 56. [1] March 22 First US nursing school chartered. [1] March 23 London's first tramcars, designed by Mr Train of New York, begins operating. [1] March 27 Black demonstrators in Charleston staged ride-ins on street cars. [1] April 8 Elisha G Otis US elevator builder (Otis), dies at 50. [1] April 18 Heinrich August Neithardt composer, dies at 67. [1] April 19 Baltimore riots - four soldiers, 9 civilians killed. [1] April 30 President Abraham Lincoln ordered Federal Troops to evacuate Indian Territory. [1] May 3 Anthony Philip Heinrich composer, dies at 80. [1] May 8 Láseló Teleki Hungarian earl/revolutionary, commits suicide. [1] May 12 Christian Heinrich Hohmann composer, dies at 50. [1] May 18 Friedrich Hebbels "Kriemhildes Rache" premieres in Weimar. [1] May 20 Cornerstone of University of Washington laid in Seattle. [1] May 24 Elmer Ellsworth US warrior (Chicago Zouaves), shot to death at 23. [1] James T Jackson US landlord (doodde EE Ellsworth), shot dead). [1] May 25 John Merryman is arrested under suspension of writ of habeas corpus it later sparks a supreme court decision protecting the writ. [1] May 31 Mint at New Orleans closes. [1] June 19 Anaheim Post Office established. [1] June 28 Leipzig Observatory discovers short-period (6.2 years) Comet d'Arrest. [1] July 1 First public schoolhouse opens at Washington and Mason Street, San Francisco. [1] July 3 Pony Express arrives in San Francisco with overland letters from New York. [1] July 17 US Congress authorizes paper money. [1] July 20 Confederate state's congress began holding sessions in Richmond, Virginia. [1] August 5 US Army abolishes flogging. [1] US levies its first Income Tax (3% of incomes over $800). [1] August 8 William Bateson, originator of term "genetics". [1] September 17 First day school for freedmen forms at Fortress Monroe Virginia. [1] September 25 Secretary of US Navy authorizes enlistment of slaves. [1] October 24 First transcontinental telegram sent ending the Pony Express. [1] October 26 The Pony Express officially ceases operations. [5] November 4 University of Washington founded in Seattle. [1] November 26 At Wheeling, a convention adopts a constitution for new state West Virginia. [1] December 5 Gatling gun patented. [1] December 14 Albert prince consort of England and husband of Queen Victoria, dies at 42. [1] George HG earl of Aberdeen English Minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 76. [1] Heinrich August Marschner composer, dies at 66. [1] December 15 Gualtiero Sanelli composer, dies at 45. [1] December 16 Karol Joseph Lipinski composer, dies at 71. [1] December 26 In Tilsit, Germany, Emil Wiechert is born; pioneer in the science of seismology. [53] Philip Saint George Cocke Confederate Brigadier-General, commits suicide at 52. [1] December 30 American banks stops payments in gold. [1] December 31 22,990 mm of rain falls in Cherrapunji Assam in 1861, world record. [1]