WHAT ALL HAPPENED JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1859
Find out what all happened January to December 1859

The first modern revival of the Olympic Games takes place in Athens, Greece. (15. November 1859)

Petroleum is discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania leading to the world's first commercially successful oil well. (27. August 1859)

Spain declares war on Morocco. (22. October 1859)

Daniel E. Sickles, a New York Congressman, is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This is the first time this defense is successfully used in the United States. (19. February 1859)

First ascent of Aletschhorn, second summit of the Bernese Alps. (18. June 1859)

The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time. (31. May 1859)

Italian Independence wars: In the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeat the Austrian army. (4. June 1859)

John Brown leads a raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. (16. October 1859)

The Codex Sinaiticus is discovered in Egypt. (4. February 1859)

Pig War: Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the "Northwestern Boundary Dispute" between United States and British/Canadian settlers. (15. June 1859)

The current Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse is lit for the first time. Its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for about 19 miles (31 km) in good conditions. (1. November 1859)

Bryant's Minstrels debut "Dixie" in New York City in the finale of a blackface minstrel show. (4. April 1859)

King Charles XV & IV accedes to the throne of Sweden–Norway. (8. July 1859)

Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species, the anniversary of which is sometimes called "Evolution Day" (24. November 1859)

Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexander John Cuza as the United Principalities, an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, which ushered the birth of the modern Romanian state. (5. February 1859)

A solar super storm affects electrical telegraph service. (2. September 1859)

Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales (Queensland Day). (6. June 1859)

Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. (24. June 1859)

First ascent of Grand Combin, one of the highest summits in the Alps. (30. July 1859)

A geomagnetic storm causes the Aurora Borealis to shine so brightly that it is seen clearly over parts of USA, Europe, and even as far away as Japan. (28. August 1859)