Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 1861. This year saw 161 significant events. 9 notable figures were born.
Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them full rights as free citizens [O.S. Feb 19]
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
West African political leader El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Ségou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali
The Kingdom of Italy (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 2 June 1946, when civil discontent…
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, and was one of the founding member states of the Confederacy in February 1861. The bombardment of the beleaguered U.S.
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was…
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general whose early actions in the American Civil War led to his appointment as the overall commander of the Confederate…
The first color photograph, of a tartan ribbon is shown by Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell to the Royal Institution in London
First Battle of Bull Run [Battle of First Manassas], the first major battle of the US Civil War, is fought near Manassas, Virginia, and ends in a Confederate victory
Political cartoonist Thomas Nast (21) weds Sarah Edwards (20) in USA
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California.
A world record 22,990 mm of rain falls in a single year in Cherrapunji, Assam, India
Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 – January 24, 1887) was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and surveyor.
US Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson, Savannah, seized by Georgia
Battles of the American Civil War were fought between April 12, 1861, and May 12–13, 1865 in 19 states, mostly Confederate (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,...
Fort Sumter is an incomplete sea fort at the mouth of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, where the battle that sparked the American Civil War took place.
Florida participated in the American Civil War as a member of the Confederate States of America. It had been admitted to the United States as a slave state in 1845.
Florida troops takeover Fort Marion at St Augustine (US Civil War)
US Civil War: Union forces abandon Fort Barrancas in favor of Fort Pikens on Santa Rosa Island, near Pensacola, Florida
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
Fort Pickens is a historic pentagonal United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens.
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
Federal troops from Fort Monroe are sent to Fort Pikens on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola, Florida
The American state of Virginia became a prominent part of the Confederacy when it joined during the American Civil War.
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in the Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859.
Friedrich Hebbel's play "Siegfrieds Tod" premieres in Weimar
Dike breaks in Gelderland, Netherlands
The "Organized Incorporated Territory of Nevada" is created, lasting until October 31st, 1864
The Kinematoscope (a.k.a. Motoscope) was patented in 1861 (United States Patent 31357), a protean development in the history of cinema.
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly June 1865, during the American Civil War.
US House unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state
The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by...
Fort Point, in San Francisco, California, completed & garrisoned (but has never fired cannon in anger)
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861.
Navajo Indians elect Herrero Grande as chief
On a bet Edward Weston leaves Boston to walk to Lincoln's inauguration
Dutch Prime Minister Floris van Hall resigns
Russians shoot at Poles protesting Russian rule of Poland in Castle Square, Warsaw
Government Printing Office purchases 1st printing plant, Washington
Provisionary Confederate Congress establishes Confederate Army
St. Augustine or Saint Augustine is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States.
The Confederate States dollar was first issued just before the outbreak of the American Civil War by the newly formed Confederacy.
The American state of Virginia became a prominent part of the Confederacy when it joined during the American Civil War.
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 slavery in the United...
The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori and the Colony of New Zealand in the Taranaki...
An earthquake completely destroys Mendoza, Argentina
1st US nursing school chartered
London's 1st tramcars, designed by Mr Train of NY, begins operating
The New Orleans Mint (French: Monnaie de La Nouvelle-Orléans) operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909.
Federals abandon Ft Quitman, Texas
The history of Georgia in the United States of America spans pre-Columbian time to the present-day U.S. state of Georgia. The area was inhabited by Aboriginal tribes for thousands of years.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is established by William Barton Rogers as a private land grant university in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Indianola TX - "Star of West" taken by Confederacy
The Baltimore riot of 1861 (also called the "Pratt Street Riots" and the "Pratt Street Massacre") was a civil conflict on Friday, April 19, 1861, on Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by...
Texas declared its secession from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States on March 2, 1861, after it had replaced its governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath...
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
General Winfield Scott presents his Anaconda Plan for the North against the South in American Civil War
At Gretna, Louisiana, one of 1st guns of Rebel navy is cast
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War.
Riot occurs between pro-secessionist & Union supporters in Knoxville, Tennessee
The Second White House of the Confederacy is a historic house located in the Court End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia.
Missouri is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it borders Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to the...
The Canellas meteorite, an 859-gram chondrite-type meteorite, strikes the earth near Barcelona, Spain
The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by...
Battle of Sewall's Point, Virginia: First Union offensive action against Confederate forces
Cornerstone of University of Washington laid in Seattle
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Three Virginia slaves Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory and James Townsend escape, rowing across Hampton Roads to Fort Monroe, Virginia - declared 1st contraband of war the next day [1]
Alexandria is an independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of Washington, D.C.
John Merryman is arrested and imprisoned but not charged, during US Civil War suspension of writ of habeas corpus; case later sparks partial Supreme Court decision against suspension of writ on grounds it was illegally enacted, congress later enshrines the writ, making the decision moot
The history of New Orleans, Louisiana traces the city's development from its founding by the French in 1718 through its period of Spanish control, then briefly back to French rule before being...
Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 – February 20, 1893) was an American military officer known for being the Confederate general who started the American Civil War at the battle of Fort...
The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties.
Battles of the American Civil War were fought between April 12, 1861, and May 12–13, 1865 in 19 states, mostly Confederate (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,...
Federal marshals seize arms and gunpowder at the DuPont Works in Delaware
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Texas declared its secession from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States on March 2, 1861, after it had replaced its governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath...
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Battle of Laurel Hill, West Virginia - Confederate General Robert S. Garnett is the first general killed during the Civil War
Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson calls for 50,000 volunteers to stop Federal "invasion" from taking over his state after US Army forces led by Nathaniel Lyon arrest pro-Confederate state militia at Fort Jackson
Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American military officer and politician who served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War and in the Seminole...
Battle of Vienna, Virginia and Secessionville, South Carolina (James Island)
Battle of Boonville, MI-Brigadier General Lyon defeats Confederate forces
Anaheim Post Office established
The Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia (June 27, 1861) was an early naval action of the American Civil War in connection with the Union blockade and the corresponding effort by the Confederates to...
Leipzig Observatory discovers short-period (6.2 yrs) Comet d'Arrest
CSS Sumter slips past USS Brooklyn blockade
1st public schoolhouse opens at Washington and Mason St, San Francisco
The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General...
The general officers of the Confederate States Army (CSA) were the senior military leaders of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861–1865.
Abraham Lincoln's tenure as the 16th president of the United States began on March 4, 1861, and ended upon his death on April 15, 1865, 42 days into his second term.
The Battle of Carthage, also known as the Engagement near Carthage, took place at the beginning of the American Civil War on July 5, 1861, near Carthage, Missouri.
The Battle of Philippi formed part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War and was fought in and around Philippi, Virginia (now West Virginia), on June 3, 1861.
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy)...
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.
Battle of Corrick's Ford, Virginia (Carrick's Ford): Union army takes complete control of Western Virginia
General McDowell advances toward Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia with 40,000 troops
Manassas Campaign [->July 22]
At Manassas, Virginia General Beauregard requests reinforcements for his 22,000 men, General Johnston is ordered to Manassas
The Battle of Blackburn's Ford (also known as the Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford) took place on July 18, 1861, in the Confederate state of Virginia, as part of the Manassas campaign of the American...
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly June 1865, during the American Civil War.
Crittenden Resolution is passed, stating that the war is to be fought to preserve the Union and uphold the Constitution, not to alter slavery
Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia - Rebel forces repel a Federal landing
Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, India, receives 9,300 mm of rainfall in July, setting a world record
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
The Battle of Dug Springs, also known as the Rains Scare, was a part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.
Federal fleet bombards Galveston, Texas
The United States Army (U.S. Army) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is designated as the army of the United States in the United States Constitution.
Kentucky's prehistory spans thousands of years, shaped by its diverse geography and location.
Battle of Wilson's Creek [Battle of Oak Hills], fought near Springfield, Missouri, General Lyon is killed in a Confederate victory (US Civil War)
In a skirmish in Texas, Apache Indians attack rebels
79th NY troops mutiny
Skirmishes in Fredericktown/Kirkville, Missouri
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly June 1865, during the American Civil War.
Skirmish in Jonesburg, Missouri
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries: Union Army and Navy in their first combined operation take Fort Clark in North Carolina
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries: Union Army and Navy in a combined operation capture Fort Hatteras off North Carolina, resulting in Union domination of the strategically important North Carolina Sounds
Major-General John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890) was a United States Army officer, explorer, and politician.
Grant assumes command of Federal forces at Cape Girardeau MI
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Nurse Sally Tompkins is officially commissioned as an officer (and its only female officer) by the Confederate States Army
The western Virginia campaign, also known as operations in western Virginia or the Rich Mountain campaign, occurred from May to December 1861 during the American Civil War.
1st naval battle of Civil War, Union frigate "Colorado" sinks privateer "Judah" off Pensacola, Fla
British Post Office Savings Bank opens
First class for escaped slaves taught by Mary Peake at Fortress Monroe Virginia (now Hampton University).
The siege of Lexington, also known as the first battle of Lexington or the battle of the Hemp Bales, was a minor conflict of the American Civil War.
Federal troops shoot and kill 12 Navajo men, women, and children and wound 40 more following a dispute over a friendly horse race during monthly "Ration Day" at Fort Fauntleroy in Bear Springs, Territory of New Mexico [1]
Secretary of the US Navy authorizes the enlistment of slaves
John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American politician who served as the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861, and...
USS Monitor was an ironclad warship built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862, becoming the first such ship commissioned by the Navy.
Battle of Dumfries, VA (Quantico Creek)
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Confederacy starts selling postage stamps
The Battle of Ball's Bluff (also known as the Battle of Leesburg or Battle of Harrison's Island) was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861,...
1st telegraph line linking West & East coasts completed
First US transcontinental telegram is sent, from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.
The First Battle of Springfield was a battle of the American Civil War that took place on October 25, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri.
Major-General John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890) was a United States Army officer, explorer, and politician.
North Carolina ( KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States.
The University of Washington (UW, and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States.
Battle of Mount Ivy, Kentucky: Union Commander General William "Bull" Nelson breaks up Confederate recruiting camp
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario.
A letter is written by Reverend Mark R. Watkinson petitioning the Treasury Department to "recognize Almighty God" on American coins; the department eventually decides on the motto "In God We Trust"
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, fully the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a unicameral congress of deputies and delegates called together from the...
American poet and abolitionist Julia Ward Howe commits lyrics of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" to paper
The Confederate government of Kentucky was a shadow government established for the Commonwealth of Kentucky by a self-constituted group of Confederate sympathizers and delegates sent by Kentucky...
Fort McRee was a historic military fort constructed by the United States on the eastern tip of Perdido Key to defend Pensacola and its important natural harbor.
The Liège–Maastricht railway (line 40 in the Belgian numbering plan) is a railway line running from Liège in Belgium to Maastricht in the Netherlands.
West Virginia created as a result of dispute over slavery with Virginia
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy)...
Harper's Weekly publishes a poem called "The Picket-Guard" attributed to 'E.B.'; the poet is later identified as Ethel Beers, and the title is "All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight" [1]
The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War was a United States congressional committee started on December 9, 1861, and was dismissed in May 1865.
The Battle of Camp Allegheny, also known as the Battle of Allegheny Mountain, took place on December 13, 1861, in Pocahontas County, Virginia (now West Virginia), about 3 miles from the mountainous...
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
The Battle of Dranesville was a small battle during the American Civil War that took place between Confederate forces under Brigadier General J. E. B.
Ernest Renshaw is born
Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Lankan bengali polymath, known for bengali polymath, was born on 1861-05-07.
Nellie Melba, Australian musician, known for australian opera singer, was born on 1861-05-19. Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano.
Edith Roosevelt is born
Richard Sears is born
James Naismith, American athlete, known for inventor of basketball, was born on 1861-11-06.
Albert B. Fall politician, known for american politician, was born on 1861-11-26. Albert Bacon Fall (November 26, 1861 – November 30, 1944) was a United States senator from New Mexico and secretary…
Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher, known for english mathematician and philosopher, was born on 1861-02-15.
Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, known for indian lawyer and politician, was born on 1861-05-06.
Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them full rights as free citizens [O.S. Feb 19]
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
West African political leader El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Ségou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali
The Kingdom of Italy (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 2 June 1946, when civil discontent…
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, and was one of the founding member states of the Confederacy in February 1861. The bombardment of the beleaguered U.S.
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was…
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general whose early actions in the American Civil War led to his appointment as the overall commander of the Confederate…
The first color photograph, of a tartan ribbon is shown by Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell to the Royal Institution in London
First Battle of Bull Run [Battle of First Manassas], the first major battle of the US Civil War, is fought near Manassas, Virginia, and ends in a Confederate victory
Political cartoonist Thomas Nast (21) weds Sarah Edwards (20) in USA
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California.
A world record 22,990 mm of rain falls in a single year in Cherrapunji, Assam, India
Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 – January 24, 1887) was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and surveyor.
US Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson, Savannah, seized by Georgia
Battles of the American Civil War were fought between April 12, 1861, and May 12–13, 1865 in 19 states, mostly Confederate (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,...
Fort Sumter is an incomplete sea fort at the mouth of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, where the battle that sparked the American Civil War took place.
Florida participated in the American Civil War as a member of the Confederate States of America. It had been admitted to the United States as a slave state in 1845.
Florida troops takeover Fort Marion at St Augustine (US Civil War)
US Civil War: Union forces abandon Fort Barrancas in favor of Fort Pikens on Santa Rosa Island, near Pensacola, Florida
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
Fort Pickens is a historic pentagonal United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens.
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
Federal troops from Fort Monroe are sent to Fort Pikens on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola, Florida
The American state of Virginia became a prominent part of the Confederacy when it joined during the American Civil War.
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in the Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859.
Friedrich Hebbel's play "Siegfrieds Tod" premieres in Weimar
Dike breaks in Gelderland, Netherlands
The "Organized Incorporated Territory of Nevada" is created, lasting until October 31st, 1864
The Kinematoscope (a.k.a. Motoscope) was patented in 1861 (United States Patent 31357), a protean development in the history of cinema.
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly June 1865, during the American Civil War.
US House unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state
The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by...
Fort Point, in San Francisco, California, completed & garrisoned (but has never fired cannon in anger)
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861.
Navajo Indians elect Herrero Grande as chief
On a bet Edward Weston leaves Boston to walk to Lincoln's inauguration
Dutch Prime Minister Floris van Hall resigns
Russians shoot at Poles protesting Russian rule of Poland in Castle Square, Warsaw
Government Printing Office purchases 1st printing plant, Washington
Provisionary Confederate Congress establishes Confederate Army
St. Augustine or Saint Augustine is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States.
The Confederate States dollar was first issued just before the outbreak of the American Civil War by the newly formed Confederacy.
The American state of Virginia became a prominent part of the Confederacy when it joined during the American Civil War.
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 slavery in the United...
The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori and the Colony of New Zealand in the Taranaki...
An earthquake completely destroys Mendoza, Argentina
1st US nursing school chartered
London's 1st tramcars, designed by Mr Train of NY, begins operating
The New Orleans Mint (French: Monnaie de La Nouvelle-Orléans) operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909.
Federals abandon Ft Quitman, Texas
The history of Georgia in the United States of America spans pre-Columbian time to the present-day U.S. state of Georgia. The area was inhabited by Aboriginal tribes for thousands of years.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is established by William Barton Rogers as a private land grant university in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Indianola TX - "Star of West" taken by Confederacy
The Baltimore riot of 1861 (also called the "Pratt Street Riots" and the "Pratt Street Massacre") was a civil conflict on Friday, April 19, 1861, on Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by...
Texas declared its secession from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States on March 2, 1861, after it had replaced its governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath...
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
General Winfield Scott presents his Anaconda Plan for the North against the South in American Civil War
At Gretna, Louisiana, one of 1st guns of Rebel navy is cast
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War.
Riot occurs between pro-secessionist & Union supporters in Knoxville, Tennessee
The Second White House of the Confederacy is a historic house located in the Court End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia.
Missouri is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it borders Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to the...
The Canellas meteorite, an 859-gram chondrite-type meteorite, strikes the earth near Barcelona, Spain
The units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection include the Arkansas State Militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by...
Battle of Sewall's Point, Virginia: First Union offensive action against Confederate forces
Cornerstone of University of Washington laid in Seattle
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Three Virginia slaves Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory and James Townsend escape, rowing across Hampton Roads to Fort Monroe, Virginia - declared 1st contraband of war the next day [1]
Alexandria is an independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of Washington, D.C.
John Merryman is arrested and imprisoned but not charged, during US Civil War suspension of writ of habeas corpus; case later sparks partial Supreme Court decision against suspension of writ on grounds it was illegally enacted, congress later enshrines the writ, making the decision moot
The history of New Orleans, Louisiana traces the city's development from its founding by the French in 1718 through its period of Spanish control, then briefly back to French rule before being...
Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 – February 20, 1893) was an American military officer known for being the Confederate general who started the American Civil War at the battle of Fort...
The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties.
Battles of the American Civil War were fought between April 12, 1861, and May 12–13, 1865 in 19 states, mostly Confederate (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,...
Federal marshals seize arms and gunpowder at the DuPont Works in Delaware
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Texas declared its secession from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States on March 2, 1861, after it had replaced its governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath...
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Battle of Laurel Hill, West Virginia - Confederate General Robert S. Garnett is the first general killed during the Civil War
Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson calls for 50,000 volunteers to stop Federal "invasion" from taking over his state after US Army forces led by Nathaniel Lyon arrest pro-Confederate state militia at Fort Jackson
Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American military officer and politician who served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War and in the Seminole...
Battle of Vienna, Virginia and Secessionville, South Carolina (James Island)
Battle of Boonville, MI-Brigadier General Lyon defeats Confederate forces
Anaheim Post Office established
The Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia (June 27, 1861) was an early naval action of the American Civil War in connection with the Union blockade and the corresponding effort by the Confederates to...
Leipzig Observatory discovers short-period (6.2 yrs) Comet d'Arrest
CSS Sumter slips past USS Brooklyn blockade
1st public schoolhouse opens at Washington and Mason St, San Francisco
The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General...
The general officers of the Confederate States Army (CSA) were the senior military leaders of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861–1865.
Abraham Lincoln's tenure as the 16th president of the United States began on March 4, 1861, and ended upon his death on April 15, 1865, 42 days into his second term.
The Battle of Carthage, also known as the Engagement near Carthage, took place at the beginning of the American Civil War on July 5, 1861, near Carthage, Missouri.
The Battle of Philippi formed part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War and was fought in and around Philippi, Virginia (now West Virginia), on June 3, 1861.
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy)...
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.
Battle of Corrick's Ford, Virginia (Carrick's Ford): Union army takes complete control of Western Virginia
General McDowell advances toward Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia with 40,000 troops
Manassas Campaign [->July 22]
At Manassas, Virginia General Beauregard requests reinforcements for his 22,000 men, General Johnston is ordered to Manassas
The Battle of Blackburn's Ford (also known as the Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford) took place on July 18, 1861, in the Confederate state of Virginia, as part of the Manassas campaign of the American...
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly June 1865, during the American Civil War.
Crittenden Resolution is passed, stating that the war is to be fought to preserve the Union and uphold the Constitution, not to alter slavery
Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia - Rebel forces repel a Federal landing
Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, India, receives 9,300 mm of rainfall in July, setting a world record
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
The Battle of Dug Springs, also known as the Rains Scare, was a part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.
Federal fleet bombards Galveston, Texas
The United States Army (U.S. Army) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is designated as the army of the United States in the United States Constitution.
Kentucky's prehistory spans thousands of years, shaped by its diverse geography and location.
Battle of Wilson's Creek [Battle of Oak Hills], fought near Springfield, Missouri, General Lyon is killed in a Confederate victory (US Civil War)
In a skirmish in Texas, Apache Indians attack rebels
79th NY troops mutiny
Skirmishes in Fredericktown/Kirkville, Missouri
The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly June 1865, during the American Civil War.
Skirmish in Jonesburg, Missouri
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries: Union Army and Navy in their first combined operation take Fort Clark in North Carolina
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries: Union Army and Navy in a combined operation capture Fort Hatteras off North Carolina, resulting in Union domination of the strategically important North Carolina Sounds
Major-General John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890) was a United States Army officer, explorer, and politician.
Grant assumes command of Federal forces at Cape Girardeau MI
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Nurse Sally Tompkins is officially commissioned as an officer (and its only female officer) by the Confederate States Army
The western Virginia campaign, also known as operations in western Virginia or the Rich Mountain campaign, occurred from May to December 1861 during the American Civil War.
1st naval battle of Civil War, Union frigate "Colorado" sinks privateer "Judah" off Pensacola, Fla
British Post Office Savings Bank opens
First class for escaped slaves taught by Mary Peake at Fortress Monroe Virginia (now Hampton University).
The siege of Lexington, also known as the first battle of Lexington or the battle of the Hemp Bales, was a minor conflict of the American Civil War.
Federal troops shoot and kill 12 Navajo men, women, and children and wound 40 more following a dispute over a friendly horse race during monthly "Ration Day" at Fort Fauntleroy in Bear Springs, Territory of New Mexico [1]
Secretary of the US Navy authorizes the enlistment of slaves
John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American politician who served as the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861, and...
USS Monitor was an ironclad warship built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862, becoming the first such ship commissioned by the Navy.
Battle of Dumfries, VA (Quantico Creek)
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or the South, was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States from 1861 to...
Confederacy starts selling postage stamps
The Battle of Ball's Bluff (also known as the Battle of Leesburg or Battle of Harrison's Island) was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861,...
1st telegraph line linking West & East coasts completed
First US transcontinental telegram is sent, from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.
The First Battle of Springfield was a battle of the American Civil War that took place on October 25, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri.
Major-General John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890) was a United States Army officer, explorer, and politician.
North Carolina ( KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States.
The University of Washington (UW, and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States.
Battle of Mount Ivy, Kentucky: Union Commander General William "Bull" Nelson breaks up Confederate recruiting camp
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario.
A letter is written by Reverend Mark R. Watkinson petitioning the Treasury Department to "recognize Almighty God" on American coins; the department eventually decides on the motto "In God We Trust"
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, fully the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a unicameral congress of deputies and delegates called together from the...
American poet and abolitionist Julia Ward Howe commits lyrics of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" to paper
The Confederate government of Kentucky was a shadow government established for the Commonwealth of Kentucky by a self-constituted group of Confederate sympathizers and delegates sent by Kentucky...
Fort McRee was a historic military fort constructed by the United States on the eastern tip of Perdido Key to defend Pensacola and its important natural harbor.
The Liège–Maastricht railway (line 40 in the Belgian numbering plan) is a railway line running from Liège in Belgium to Maastricht in the Netherlands.
West Virginia created as a result of dispute over slavery with Virginia
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy)...
Harper's Weekly publishes a poem called "The Picket-Guard" attributed to 'E.B.'; the poet is later identified as Ethel Beers, and the title is "All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight" [1]
The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War was a United States congressional committee started on December 9, 1861, and was dismissed in May 1865.
The Battle of Camp Allegheny, also known as the Battle of Allegheny Mountain, took place on December 13, 1861, in Pocahontas County, Virginia (now West Virginia), about 3 miles from the mountainous...
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was...
The Battle of Dranesville was a small battle during the American Civil War that took place between Confederate forces under Brigadier General J. E. B.
Ernest Renshaw is born
Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Lankan bengali polymath, known for bengali polymath, was born on 1861-05-07.
Nellie Melba, Australian musician, known for australian opera singer, was born on 1861-05-19. Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano.
Edith Roosevelt is born
Richard Sears is born
James Naismith, American athlete, known for inventor of basketball, was born on 1861-11-06.
Albert B. Fall politician, known for american politician, was born on 1861-11-26. Albert Bacon Fall (November 26, 1861 – November 30, 1944) was a United States senator from New Mexico and secretary…
Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher, known for english mathematician and philosopher, was born on 1861-02-15.
Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, known for indian lawyer and politician, was born on 1861-05-06.