The world in
What happened in 1865?
14 events across 6 world regions, each with its sources.
North America
- Outbreak of the American Civil War
The American Civil War broke out in 1861, stemming from political conflicts between free states in the North and slave states in the South. Southern states seceded from the Union, forming the Confederate States of America, leading to a full-scale civil war.
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 ↗
- Founding of Lehigh University
In 1865, American businessman Asa Packer founded Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, initially as a technical institute; it later evolved into a private research university renowned for engineering.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- University of Maine founded
In 1865, the University of Maine was established in Orono as the land-grant college of Maine, later becoming the flagship institution of the University of Maine System.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Outbreak of the Paraguayan War
In late 1864, armed conflict erupted between Paraguay and Brazil over the situation in Uruguay. In 1865, Argentina and Uruguay joined Brazil to form the Triple Alliance against Paraguay. This war was the deadliest inter-state conflict in Latin American history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Uruguayan War
The Uruguayan War broke out in 1864–1865, originating from a civil war between Uruguay's Colorado Party and the governing Blanco Party. Colorado leader Venancio Flores launched an insurrection in 1863 aimed at toppling the coalition government led by Bernardo Berro. The Empire of Brazil supported the Colorados, with covert aid from Argentina, while Paraguay backed the Blancos. Brazil's military intervention helped the Colorados gain the upper hand, and the war ended with the Brazilian victory over the Aguirre government and Flores seizing power, though the region soon saw the outbreak of the War of the Triple Alliance.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Chilean occupation of Araucanía
Between 1861 and 1883, Chile incorporated the ancestral Mapuche territory of Araucanía through a series of military campaigns, agreements, and penetrations. Referred to by Chilean authorities as the 'Pacification of Araucanía'.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Europe
- 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 ↗
- Establishment of the Bargello National Museum
The Bargello National Museum was established in Florence in 1865, housed in the 13th-century Palazzo del Bargello. The building had previously served as a public building, police headquarters, and prison. The museum is dedicated to Italian Gothic and Renaissance sculpture, with masterpieces by Michelangelo, Donatello, and others, and is considered one of the most important collections of its kind in Italy and the world.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Inauguration of the Bataclan theatre
The Bataclan theatre was completed in 1865 in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Originally a café-concert with Chinese-inspired architecture, it was designed by the architect Charles Duval and named after Offenbach's operetta Ba-ta-clan.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Self-Strengthening Movement Begins
Qing officials launched the Self-Strengthening Movement in 1861, aiming to strengthen China by adopting Western military technology. Though lasting until 1895, its beginning marked the start of modern industrialization and military modernization in China.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Completion of Guia Lighthouse
The Guia Lighthouse was completed in the mid-19th century on Guia Hill, Macau, as part of the Guia Fortress complex. It became a significant heritage landmark, later named one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Macau and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.
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 1865
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.
- Second Industrial Revolution
- 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