The world in
What happened in 1866?
14 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 ↗
Austro-Prussian WarIn 1866, Prussia and Austria fought a war, each backed by allies within the German Confederation. The conflict formed part of the German unification struggle and the wider Prussia–Austria rivalry, and it was linked to Italy’s Third War of Independence through Prussia’s alliance with Italy. The outcome was a Prussian victory and Austrian defeat, securing Prussian dominance among the German states.
Battle of KöniggrätzThe Battle of Königgrätz took place on 3 July 1866 near Hradec Králové in Bohemia, and was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War. Prussian forces under Helmuth von Moltke defeated the Austrian Empire, decisively turning the war in Prussia's favour.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty of Vienna (1866)On 3 October 1866, the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire signed the Treaty of Vienna, concluding the hostilities of the Third War of Italian Independence and the concurrent Austro-Prussian War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: E. Hertslet, The Map of Europe by Treaty , vol. III, 1875 / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Peace of PragueOn 23 August 1866, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire signed the Peace of Prague, ending the Austro-Prussian War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / CC0 ↗
Central & South America
Outbreak of the Paraguayan WarIn 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.
- 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 ↗
East Asia
Self-Strengthening Movement BeginsQing 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 ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Completion of GoryōkakuIn 1866, the star fort Goryōkaku, built by the Tokugawa shogunate in Hakodate, Ezo (now Hokkaido), was completed. It later served as the main stronghold of the short-lived Republic of Ezo.
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.
Bahia Palace Construction BeginsThe Bahia Palace is a 19th-century palace in Marrakesh, Morocco. Its construction was initiated in the 1860s by Si Musa, Grand Vizier under the Alawi Sultan. It was later expanded by his son, Si Ahmed ibn Musa, between 1894 and 1900. The palace is a notable example of Moorish/Islamic architecture and now serves as a museum and historic monument.
South Asia
Founding of Darul Uloom DeobandDarul Uloom Deoband was founded in 1866 in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, India, through the efforts of scholars including Sayyid Muhammad Abid, with Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi regarded as its principal founder. It began under a pomegranate tree with the Dars-i Nizami curriculum and later grew into a leading center of Islamic learning in South Asia, giving rise to the Sunni Deobandi movement.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: محمد شعیب at Urdu Wikipedia / 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 ↗
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.
Around 1866
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