WHAT ALL HAPPENED MAY TO DECEMBER 1859
Find out what all happened May to December 1859

The first conformation dog show is held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. (28. June 1859)

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

The Royal Charter is wrecked on the coast of Anglesey, north Wales with 459 dead. (26. October 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)

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

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

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

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

The Tuscan National Assembly formally deposes the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. (16. August 1859)

Joshua A. Norton declares himself "Emperor Norton I" of the United States. (17. September 1859)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16 raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. (2. December 1859)

French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope. (30. June 1859)

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

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