The world in
What happened in 1858?
15 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 ↗
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Founding of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of LourdesIn 1858, Bernadette Soubirous reported visions of the Virgin Mary at the grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France, leading to the gradual development of a major Catholic Marian shrine. The sanctuary, built around the apparition site, includes several basilicas and places of worship, becoming a renowned global pilgrimage destination.
Construction of Monserrate PalaceMonserrate Palace is an exotic palatial villa near Sintra, Portugal, built in 1858 for British baron Sir Francis Cook and designed by English architect James Knowles Jr. Its eclectic style, with unique Mughal details, exemplifies Sintra Romanticism alongside other palaces such as Pena Palace.
Founding of the Church of St. Peter and Paul in BernThe Church of St. Peter and Paul was founded in Bern's old town, Switzerland, as a Christian Catholic church. It later became the cathedral of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland and was designated a Cultural Property of National Significance.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Photo: Andreas Praefcke / CC BY 3.0 ↗
East Asia
Second Opium WarBetween 1856 and 1860, the United Kingdom and France waged a war against Qing China over disputes including opium trade rights. The war ended in another Qing defeat and the legalisation of the opium trade, seen as a continuation of the First Opium War and heightening China's sense of national crisis.
Signing of the Treaty of TientsinIn June 1858, after defeats in the Second Opium War, the Qing dynasty signed a series of unequal treaties with Russia, the United States, Britain, and France at Tianjin. These treaties opened more Chinese ports to foreign trade, permitted foreign legations in Beijing, allowed Christian missionary activity, and legalized opium imports. They ended the first phase of the war but were ratified only in 1860 by the Convention of Peking.
- 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.
North America
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.
Groundbreaking of St. Patrick's CathedralSt. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City had its groundbreaking in 1858. Serving as the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, it is located on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Designed by James Renwick Jr. in the Gothic Revival style, it later became the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America.
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.
South Asia
Indian Rebellion of 1857 beginsOn 10 May 1857, the Indian Rebellion began as a mutiny of sepoys in Meerut against the British East India Company. The uprising quickly spread to the upper Gangetic plain and central India, evolving into a major popular revolt that posed a serious military threat to British rule. Although the rebellion was suppressed by June 1858, it fundamentally undermined the East India Company and accelerated the transformation of British colonial policy in India.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author Cambridge University Press; Stanford's Geogl. Estabt.. / Public domain ↗
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 ↗
Central & South America
Inauguration of Central do Brasil StationOn 29 March 1858, the Central do Brasil station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was inaugurated. Originally the terminus of the Central Railway of Brazil, it later evolved into a major transport hub integrating rail, metro, and bus services.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Halley Pacheco de Oliveira / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Around 1858
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