General
Population: 1.22 Billion*
- Communication: First painted Christmas card designed by John C Horseley
- Entertainment: Writers include Poe The Raven, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Witter, Henry David Thoreay lives at Walden Pond,
Hans Christian Andersen (autobiography), Balzac, Dostoevsky Poor Folk, Jokai, Keller, Edward Lear Book of Nonsense, Herman Melville,
George Sand, Friedrich T Vischer, Theodor Waitz (psychology), WIlliam Whewell (morality)
Art includes Millet "Oedipus Unbound", GF Watts paints "Paolo and Francesca"
Music includes Berlioz "Damnation de Faust", Lortzing, Mendelssohn, Saxophone patented by Adolphe Sax
- Medicine: Ether used in operations and dental work by Morton
FGJ Henle writes about pathology
Semmelweiss introduces antiseptics in surgery
- Religion: Death of Pope Gregory XVI – succeeded by Cardinal Mastai-Ferretti as Pope Pius IX (Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti Senigallia)
First Vatican Council opened
- Science: H von Mohl identifies protoplasm
Sobrero prepares nitroglycerine
Remnants of primitive man discovered by Boucher de Perthes
Leidy identifies parasite that causes trichinosis
- Technology: Sewing Machine patented by Howe
Optical factory of Carl Zeiss founded
- Deaths: Abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, Artist BR Haydon, Economist Friedrich List, Pope Gregory XVI, Astronomer FW Bessel
Wilmot Proviso presented,
Africa
- South Africa: First act of segregation in South Africa with Zulu reserves in Natal
War between Kaffirs (Bantu) and British in South Africa – Bantu defeated
Americas
- Brazil: Height of slave trade with Africa
- Canada: Boundary west of Rockies established
- Mexico: Mexican-American War begins
Asia
- China: Famine
- India: East India Company defeats Sikhs at Aliwal and Sobraon
Britain annexes Sind and Punjab
Treaty of Lahore ends First Sikh War
Lt. Harry Lumsden dies cotton pajamas tannish and Khaki (Hindi word for cotton) born
Famine in Bengal
- Japan: US attempts to open trade with Japan - fails
Europe
- Austria: Propylaea in Munich built by Franz Klenze
- France: Louis Napoleon escapes from fortress of Ham to London
Electric arc lighting at Paris opera
- Great Britain: Irish Potato famine
Evangelical Alliance founded
British corn laws repealed
Growth of anti-British movement in Ireland
End of Sir Robert Peel as Lord John Russell serves as Prime Minister of England
English newspaper "Daily News" appears with Charles Dickens as editor
- Italian States: Pope begins losing Papal States to Italy through 1878
- Poland: Revolts in Poland
Austrian and Russian troops enter Krakow - Austria annexes Krakow
End of Republic of Kraków
Middle East
Pacific