The world in
What happened in 1868?
15 events across 6 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 ↗
Glorious Revolution (Spain)In September 1868, the Glorious Revolution broke out in Spain, overthrowing Queen Isabella II, who subsequently went into exile in France. The revolution led to a six-year democratic interregnum and the establishment of a provisional government.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Tomás Padró Pedret / Public domain ↗
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Palais de Justice, Paris (ca. mid-19th century)The Palais de Justice is a courthouse complex on Paris's Île de la Cité that became a major judicial centre around the mid-to-late 19th century, later housing the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation, the highest ordinary court in France.
Founding of Hôtel-Dieu de ParisThe Hôtel-Dieu de Paris was founded around 651 AD by Saint Landry. It is the oldest hospital in France, located on the Île de la Cité next to Notre-Dame, and remained the city's only hospital until the early 17th century.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Cristian Bortes from Cluj-Napoca, Romania / CC BY 2.0 ↗
Opening of St Pancras railway stationIn 1868, the Midland Railway opened St Pancras station in London as the terminus of its main line. The station, located between the British Library and King's Cross, initially served trains from the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
East Asia
Meiji RestorationThe Meiji Restoration was a series of modernising reforms carried out in Japan between 1868 and 1889. It began with the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate and the warrior government that had ruled Japan for over six hundred years, and bringing an end to the feudal system. During the reforms, Japan actively adopted Western ideas, production methods and technology, rapidly industrialised, and underwent fundamental changes to its political and social structure, transforming the country into a modern power.
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 ↗
Battle of Toba–FushimiThe Battle of Toba–Fushimi, fought from 27 to 30 January 1868 near Kyoto, Japan, pitted pro-Imperial forces against the Tokugawa shogunate. The decisive victory for the Imperial side marked the beginning of the Boshin War, a pivotal event in modern Japanese history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Shōkōsai Kunihiro hitsu (signed on left sheet) / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Kyoto PrefectureKyoto Prefecture was established in the late 19th century as a prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region. Its territory covers the entirety of Yamashiro Province, most of Tanba Province, and all of Tango Province from the old province system. Southern Kyoto was the imperial capital from 794 until the Meiji era.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: WKC from Hong Kong / CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
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.
Outbreak of the Ten Years' WarOn 10 October 1868, planter Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and fellow independence advocates proclaimed Cuba's independence from Spain at his Demajagua sugar mill, initiating the Ten Years' War. This first major Cuban independence struggle, though unsuccessful, paved the way for later uprisings.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Ramon Padró i Pedret / Public domain ↗
- 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 1868
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