Key events from 1859

1859

Charles Darwin publishes “On the Origin of Species,” revolutionizing scientific understanding of evolution and humanity’s place in nature.
John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry inflames tensions over slavery, making him a martyr to abolitionists and a terrorist to slaveholders.
The Suez Canal construction begins under Ferdinand de Lesseps, promising to transform global trade routes and European access to Asia.

Navigate to Year

Currently viewing: 1859

1850s

1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859

1860s

1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869

1870s

1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879

1880s

1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889

1890s

1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899

1900s

1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909

1910s

1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919

1920s

1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929

1930s

1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939

1940s

1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949

1950s

1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959

1960s

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

1970s

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

1980s

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

1990s

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

2000s

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009