The world in
What happened in 1852?
17 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Unification of ItalyThe unification of Italy, also known as the Risorgimento, was the 19th-century political and social movement that consolidated various states of the Italian peninsula into the single Kingdom of Italy. On 17 March 1861 the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in Turin, and the process completed in 1871 with Rome as the capital, following its capture in 1870.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Sebastiano De Albertis / Public domain ↗
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Caucasian WarThe Caucasian War was a 19th-century conflict of conquest by the Russian Empire against various peoples of the North Caucasus, lasting from 1817 to 1864. Imam Shamil led fierce resistance, repeatedly repelling Russian attacks, until the fall of Gunib and his capture in 1859. The war ended with the final subjugation of the Circassians and the annexation of the region in 1864.
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Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian WarIn 1763, the Russian Empire invaded Circassia and occupied Mozdok, prompting the Circassian people to organize a resistance movement to preserve their independence, marking the beginning of the Russo-Circassian War. This conflict became the longest war in the history of the Caucasus and of Russia, ending in 1864 with the defeat of Circassian forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Heinrich Ambros Eckert / Public domain ↗
Opening of London King's Cross railway stationIn 1852, London King's Cross railway station opened in Camden as the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, one of the UK's largest long-distance rail hubs, linking London with North East England, Yorkshire, and eastern Scotland.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: George Rex from London, England / CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
Great Irish FamineThe Great Irish Famine was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852, most severely affecting the Irish-speaking west and south. It constituted a major historical social crisis with a significant impact on Irish society and history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Illustrated London News, December 22, 1849 / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Parc MonceauParc Monceau was laid out in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, later becoming a renowned public green space of 8.2 hectares. It features a rotunda, serves as a tourist attraction, and has appeared in several films.
Construction of Marseille Cathedral beginsConstruction of Marseille Cathedral began in the mid-19th century. The cathedral serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Marseille in France. It was later designated a minor basilica in 1896 and is a national monument of France.
North America
Founding of Tufts UniversityTufts University was founded in 1852 by Christian universalists in Massachusetts, United States, as a nonsectarian higher education institution. Originally established as Tufts College, it later evolved into a prominent private research university.
Outbreak of the Caste War of YucatánIn 1847, the Indigenous Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula launched an armed revolt against the Hispanic population, known as the Caste War. The uprising stemmed from the latter's political and economic dominance since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, and it is considered one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. The conflict primarily unfolded between government forces in the northwest and independent Maya groups in the southeast, lasting nearly five decades.
Founding of Spring CitySpring City was incorporated in 1852 in Sanpete County, Utah. Located in the Sanpete Valley at an elevation of about 1,775 meters, it became an early Latter-day Saint pioneer settlement. Its town center features a concentration of 19th-century oolitic limestone architecture and was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Central & South America
- Dominican War of Independence
The Dominican War of Independence began on February 27, 1844, when the Dominican Republic declared independence from Haiti, and ended in 1856. Prior to the war, the island of Hispaniola had been unified under Haitian rule for 22 years. The conflict resulted in a Dominican victory, securing the nation's independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
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Battle of CaserosOn 3 February 1852, a coalition led by Justo José de Urquiza, governor of Entre Ríos, defeated the forces of Buenos Aires under Juan Manuel de Rosas near Caseros, Argentina. The battle ended Rosas's long dictatorship.
Outbreak of the Platine WarIn 1851, the Platine War broke out between the Argentine Confederation and an alliance of the Empire of Brazil, Uruguay, and the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes, with Paraguay participating as Brazil's ally. The conflict stemmed from a long-standing dispute over influence in Uruguay, Paraguay, and the Platine region, with the Uruguayan Civil War as a key factor. Fighting took place in Uruguay, northeastern Argentina, and along the Río de la Plata. The war lasted until 1852.
South Asia
Outbreak of the Second Anglo-Burmese WarIn 1852, the Second Anglo-Burmese War broke out, the second of three conflicts between Britain and Burma in the 19th century. The war ended in British victory, with more Burmese territory annexed to British India and further loss of Burmese sovereignty.
East Asia
Opium WarsThe Opium Wars were two military conflicts between the Qing dynasty and Western powers in the mid-19th century, beginning in 1839. The first conflict was triggered by the opium prohibition, and the second is considered a continuation of the first.
North Africa
French conquest of AlgeriaBetween 1830 and 1904, France launched a military invasion and prolonged war of conquest in Algeria. In June 1830, French forces landed near Algiers, quickly seizing the capital and coastal areas. Over the following decades, despite internal political strife, France repeatedly reinforced its military presence to suppress resistance in the interior, gradually extending control southward into the Sahara, and finalizing its colonial borders by 1904.
Oceania
New Zealand Wars outbreakThe New Zealand Wars broke out in 1845, a series of armed conflicts between the British colonial government and Māori. The root cause was disputes over the sale of Māori land to British settlers, with the conflicts lasting until 1872 across multiple campaigns.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: DO'Neil at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Around 1852
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Museum Island construction begins
- Completion of Dom Pedro V Theatre
- Establishment of Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage
- Construction of Hôtel Solvay begins
- Founding of Kulangsu as an International Settlement
- Construction of the Four Hydraulic Boat Lifts on the Canal du Centre begins
- Founding of Nelson's Dockyard