General
Population: 1.31 Billion*
- Entertainment: Writers include Karl Anzengruber, Disraeli, Ivan Goncharov, Jules Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea),
Art includes Corot ("La Perle"), Fanatin-Latour
Music includes Delibes, Tchaikovsky ("Romeo and Juliet"), Wagner marries daughter of Franz Liszt and composes "Die Walkure", Smetana's The Bartered Bride
- Religion: End of ghettoization of Jews by Papal state
Italy relegates Papacy to Vatican
First Vatican Council promulgates the dogma of papal infallibility
Office of inquisition loses policing power
- Science: TH Huxley writes "Theory of Biogenesis", Decade of Louis Pasteur
- Technology: Introduction of wood-pulp commercial paper
- Deaths: Alexander Dumas, Author Prosper Merimee, Author Charles de Montalembert, Charles Dickens, Poet Adam Lindsay Gordon, Author Jules de Goncourt,
General Robert E. Lee,
Africa
Americas
- Canada: End of Red River Rebellion – Manitoba becomes province
- Mexico: Earthquake in Oaxaca
- Paraguay: Almost annihilated in attacks on neighboring countries – end of Paraguayan War
- Venezuela: Antonio Guzman rules Venezuela 18 years
Asia
- Korea: End of King Kojong and his persecution of Christians
Europe
- General: Franco-Prussian War begins as Napoleon II abdicates - Napoleon III v. King Leopold
Smallpox outbreak
European countries begin to introduce protection for their goods against imports
Tunnel under Alps between Italy and France completed costing 15 million and 28 lives see 1907
- France: Large storm off coast of France kills 122
End of Napoleon II - Start Napoleon III - imprisoned ending second Empire and leading to German power
180,000 French soldiers surrender
Founding of National Music Society
- Germany: Baden district joins N German Confederation
Bismarck's "Ems Telegram" alterd to insult French king
Start of Second German Empire with defeat of French
Smallpox outbreak among German and French troops - Germans lose hundreds and French (who don't vaccinate) lose 23,000
- Great Britain: Irish Home Rule movement launched - Parliament encourages Brit landlords to sell Irish states back to Irish
England makes primary education compulsory
Keble College of Oxford founded
WG Grace and brothers found Gloucester Cricket Club
British act provides aid to local governments
- Greenland: Adolf Nordenskjold explores interior of Greenland
- Italy: Rome retaken by secular Italy - becomes capital instead of Florence
United Italy
Popes considered Italian captives until WWI
- Russia: Limited local government introduced in cities
- Spain: Prime Minister assassinated
Isabella abdicates in favor of Alfonso XII
Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern accepts Spanish throne but is forced to withdraw by the head of the House of Hohenzollern King William I – after French protests
Middle East
- Ottoman Empire: Heinrich Schliemann begins to excavate Troy (Modern Turkey)
Fire in Constantinople kills 900
Pacific
- General: Start of imperialism era
- Australia: Western Australia granted representative government
- New Caledonia: Gold Rush
- New Zealand: End of first Maori war
1870 
