January 1 1st practical fire engine (horse-drawn) in U.S. enters service January 8 1st U.S. bronze equestrian statue (of Andrew Jackson) unveiled, Wash January 10 Charles Reade's "Gold," premieres in London January 19 Napoleon III marries Eugenie de Montijo January 19 Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore," premieres in Rome January 21 Envelope-folding machine patented by Russell Hawes, Worcester, Mass January 30 Emperor Napoleon III marries Eugenie Maria de Montijo y de Guzman February 21 U.S. authorizes minting of $3 gold pieces March 2 Territory of Washington organized after separating from Oregon Territory March 3 Transcontinental railroad survey is authorized by Congress March 3 U.S. Assay Office in New York City authorized March 4 Pope Pius IX recovers Catholic hierarchy in Netherlands March 4 William Rufus de Vane King (D) sworn in as 13th U.S. Vice President March 6 Giuseppe Verdi's Opera "La Traviata," premieres in Venice April 1 Cincinnati became 1st U.S. city to pay fire fighters a regular salary April 14 Harriet Tubman began her Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape April 15 Protestant church questions king Willem III RC bishops April 17 Thorbecke government resigns April 17 U.S. Marine Hospital at Presidio San Francisco forms April 18 1st train in Asia (Bombay to Tanna, 36 km) April 19 Netherlands Van Hall government forms April 20 Harriet Tubman starts Underground Railroad April 26 Dutch King William III disbands 2nd Chamber April 29 Comet C/1853 G1 (Schweizer) approaches within 0.0839 AUs of Earth May 1 Argentina adopts it's constitution May 2 Franconi's Hippodrome opens (New York City) May 6 1st major U.S. rail disaster kills 46 in Norwalk, Connecticut May 17 Thorbeckes liberals win 2nd-Parliamentary election May 19 Dutch prince Henry marries princess Amalia of Saxony-Weimar May 23 Buenos Aires gains independence from Argentina (reunited 1859) May 31 Elisha Kane's Arctic expedition leaves New York aboard Advance July 3 Commodore Matthew Perry reach Japan July 6 National Black convention meets, Rochester New York July 6 William Wells Brown publishes "Clotel," 1st novel by black American July 8 Commodore Matthew Perry sails his frigate Susquehanna into Tokyo Bay July 9 Admiral Perry and U.S. Navy visit Japan July 14 1st U.S. World's fair opens, Crystal Palace New York July 14 Commodore Perry requests trade relations with Japan July 18 Completion of Grand Trunk Line, trains begin running over 1st North American railroad between Portland, Maine and Montreal August 8 Russian fleet appears at Nagasaki, Japan August 24 1st potato chips prepared by Chef George Crum (Saratoga Springs New York) September 6 Women's Right's Convention met (New York City) September 11 1st electric telegraph used (Merchant's Exchange to Pt Lobos) September 15 1st U.S. woman ordained a minister, Antoinette Blackwell September 24 1st round-the-world trip by yacht (Cornelius Vanderbilt) September 24 France annexes Caledonia September 24 Northern Daily Times, 1st provincial daily newspaper, starts in London September 29 Emigrant ship "Annie Jane" sinks off Scotland, drowning 348 October 2 Austrian law forbids Jews from owning land October 12 John Morrissey wins boxing title, when Yankee Sullivan leaves ring after 36th round to slug Morrissey's fans October 19 1st flour mill in Hawaii begins operations October 23 Maastricht-Aken railway in Netherlands opens November 9 Origin of Carrington rotation numbers for rotation of Sun November 17 Street signs authorized at San Francisco intersections November 28 Olympia forms as capital of Washington Territory December 30 Gadsden Purchase 45,000 mi (120,000 km) by Gila River from Mexico for $10 million, area is now southern Arizona and New Mexico
