The world in
What happened in 1855?
16 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Crimean War
From 1853 to 1856, a war was fought between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom, and Sardinia. The conflict was sparked by Russian expansionism and the desire to preserve the Ottoman Empire to maintain the balance of power in Europe, with major fighting centered on the naval base of Sevastopol in Crimea. It ended with Russia's defeat, confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1856.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Unification of Italy
The 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 ↗
- Caucasian War
The 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.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian War
In 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 ↗
- Siege of Sevastopol
During the Crimean War, the Franco-British allies besieged Sevastopol for nearly a year, from October 1854 to September 1855. The stalemate ended in a costly allied victory with heavy casualties.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich was founded by the Swiss federal government in the 1850s as a public research university in Zurich, with a focus on science and technology. It later became one of Switzerland's two federal institutes of technology, located in the German-speaking region.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Appearance of the Devil's Footprints
In February 1855, after a heavy snowfall, trails of hoof-like marks appeared overnight around the Exe Estuary in Devon, England, covering up to 100 miles. Some locals attributed them to Satan, giving rise to the name 'Devil's Footprints'. The phenomenon remains unexplained.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- Founding of Michigan State University
Michigan State University was founded in 1855 in East Lansing as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first land-grant university in the United States, pioneering agricultural higher education.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Caste War of Yucatán
In 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.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Signing of the Treaty of Shimoda
On February 7, 1855, the Tokugawa shogunate and the Russian Empire signed the Treaty of Shimoda in Shimoda, Japan. As the first treaty between the two nations, it opened the ports of Nagasaki, Shimoda, and Hakodate to Russian vessels, defined borders, and established Russian consuls, further ending Japan's isolation.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Opium Wars
The 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.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple founded
The philanthropist Rani Rashmoni built the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in 1855 on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River near Kolkata. Dedicated to the goddess Kali, the temple later became associated with the mystics Sri Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Fremantle Prison Commences Operation
Fremantle Prison commenced operation in the mid-19th century in Fremantle, Western Australia, initially holding convicts transported from Britain. The complex includes cellblocks, a gatehouse, walls, cottages, and tunnels, and was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for local prisoners. It saw inquiries and reforms, but growing discontent led to a major riot in 1988. The prison closed in 1991, replaced by Casuarina Prison.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
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 ↗
North Africa
- French conquest of Algeria
Between 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.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Oceania
- New Zealand Wars outbreak
The 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 ↗
Around 1855
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