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  • Massachusetts, U.S.
    1859
    Incandescent light bulb

    An Electric Incandescent Light bulb using a Platinum Filament

    Massachusetts, U.S.
    1859

    In 1859, Moses G. Farmer built an electric incandescent light bulb using a platinum filament. He later patented a light bulb which was purchased by Thomas Edison.




  • Italy
    1859
    Unification of Italy

    Sardinia eventually won the Second War of Italian Unification

    Italy
    1859

    Sardinia eventually won the Second War of Italian Unification through statesmanship rather than armies or popular election. The final arrangement was ironed out by "back-room" deals instead of on the battlefield.




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    1859
    The palace of Westminster England

    Big Ben

    London, England, United Kingdom
    1859

    At the north end of the Palace rises the most famous of the towers, Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben. At 96 metres (315 ft), it is only slightly shorter than Victoria Tower but much slimmer. Originally known simply as the Clock Tower (the name Elizabeth Tower was conferred on it in 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II), it houses the Great Clock of Westminster, built by Edward John Dent on designs by amateur horologist Edmund Beckett Denison.




  • Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Saturday Mar 12, 1859
    Frederick Douglass

    Douglass met with radical abolitionists

    Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Saturday Mar 12, 1859

    On March 12, 1859, Douglass met with radical abolitionists John Brown, George DeBaptiste, and others at William Webb's house in Detroit to discuss emancipation.




  • Italy
    Apr, 1859
    Unification of Italy

    Battle of Magenta

    Italy
    Apr, 1859

    The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai.




  • Italy
    1859
    Unification of Italy

    The Second War of Italian

    Italy
    1859

    The Second War of Italian Independence began in April 1859 when the Sardinian Prime Minister Count Cavour found an ally in Napoleon III.




  • Italy
    May, 1859
    Unification of Italy

    The Austrians planned to use their army to beat the Sardinians

    Italy
    May, 1859

    The Austrians planned to use their army to beat the Sardinians before the French could come to their aid. Austria had an army of 140,000 men, while the Sardinians had a mere 70,000 men by comparison.


  • Illinois, U.S.
    May, 1859
    Abraham Lincoln

    Illinois Staats-Anzeiger

    Illinois, U.S.
    May, 1859

    In May 1859, Lincoln purchased the Illinois Staats-Anzeiger, a German-language newspaper that was consistently supportive; most of the state's 130,000 German Americans voted Democratic but the German-language paper mobilized Republican support. In the aftermath of the 1858 election, newspapers frequently mentioned Lincoln as a potential Republican presidential candidate, rivaled by William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Simon Cameron. While Lincoln was popular in the Midwest, he lacked support in the Northeast, and was unsure whether to seek the office.


  • Magenta, Milan, Italy
    1859
    Unification of Italy

    The Austrians were defeated

    Magenta, Milan, Italy
    1859

    The Austrians were defeated at the Battle of Magenta on 4 June and pushed back to Lombardy. Napoleon III's plans worked and at the Battle of Solferino, France and Sardinia defeated Austria and forced negotiations; at the same time, in the northern part of Lombardy, the Italian volunteers known as the Hunters of the Alps, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, defeated the Austrians at Varese and Como.


  • Milan, Italy
    Jun, 1859
    Unification of Italy

    Napoleon III's plans was succeed

    Milan, Italy
    Jun, 1859

    Napoleon III's plans worked and at the Battle of Solferino, France and Sardinia defeated Austria and forced negotiations; at the same time, in the northern part of Lombardy, the Italian volunteers known as the Hunters of the Alps, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, defeated the Austrians at Varese and Como.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    1859
    Library of Congress

    Congress transferred the library's public document distribution activities to the Department of the Interior

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    1859

    In 1859, Congress transferred the library's public document distribution activities to the Department of the Interior and its international book exchange program to the Department of State.


  • U.S.
    Monday Jul 4, 1859
    Flag of the United States

    Star for Oregon

    U.S.
    Monday Jul 4, 1859

    The flag was changed to have 33 stars. (for Oregon)


  • U.S.
    1859
    Abraham Lincoln

    Defense of Simeon Quinn

    U.S.
    1859

    Leading up to his presidential campaign, Lincoln elevated his profile in an 1859 murder case, with his defense of Simeon Quinn "Peachy" Harrison who was a third cousin; Harrison was also the grandson of Lincoln's political opponent, Rev. Peter Cartwright. Harrison was charged with the murder of Greek Crafton who, as he lay dying of his wounds, confessed to Cartwright that he had provoked Harrison. Lincoln angrily protested the judge's initial decision to exclude Cartwright's testimony about the confession as inadmissible hearsay. Lincoln argued that the testimony involved a dying declaration and was not subject to the hearsay rule. Instead of holding Lincoln in contempt of court as expected, the judge, a Democrat, reversed his ruling and admitted the testimony into evidence, resulting in Harrison's acquittal.


  • Königsberg, East Prussia (Present Day Kaliningrad, Russia)
    1859
    Lothar Meyer

    Lothar took up the study of mathematical physics at the University of Königsberg

    Königsberg, East Prussia (Present Day Kaliningrad, Russia)
    1859

    Influenced by the mathematical teaching of Gustav Kirchhoff, Lothar took up the study of mathematical physics at the University of Königsberg under Franz Ernst Neumann and in 1859, after having received his habilitation (certification for university teaching), became Privatdozent in physics and chemistry at the University of Breslau.


  • Massachusetts, U.S.
    1859
    Incandescent light bulb

    An Electric Incandescent Light bulb using a Platinum Filament

    Massachusetts, U.S.
    1859

    In 1859, Moses G. Farmer built an electric incandescent light bulb using a platinum filament. He later patented a light bulb which was purchased by Thomas Edison.


  • Italy
    1859
    Unification of Italy

    Sardinia eventually won the Second War of Italian Unification

    Italy
    1859

    Sardinia eventually won the Second War of Italian Unification through statesmanship rather than armies or popular election. The final arrangement was ironed out by "back-room" deals instead of on the battlefield.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    1859
    The palace of Westminster England

    Big Ben

    London, England, United Kingdom
    1859

    At the north end of the Palace rises the most famous of the towers, Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben. At 96 metres (315 ft), it is only slightly shorter than Victoria Tower but much slimmer. Originally known simply as the Clock Tower (the name Elizabeth Tower was conferred on it in 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II), it houses the Great Clock of Westminster, built by Edward John Dent on designs by amateur horologist Edmund Beckett Denison.


  • Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Saturday Mar 12, 1859
    Frederick Douglass

    Douglass met with radical abolitionists

    Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Saturday Mar 12, 1859

    On March 12, 1859, Douglass met with radical abolitionists John Brown, George DeBaptiste, and others at William Webb's house in Detroit to discuss emancipation.


  • Italy
    Apr, 1859
    Unification of Italy

    Battle of Magenta

    Italy
    Apr, 1859

    The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai.


  • Italy
    1859
    Unification of Italy

    The Second War of Italian

    Italy
    1859

    The Second War of Italian Independence began in April 1859 when the Sardinian Prime Minister Count Cavour found an ally in Napoleon III.


  • Italy
    May, 1859
    Unification of Italy

    The Austrians planned to use their army to beat the Sardinians

    Italy
    May, 1859

    The Austrians planned to use their army to beat the Sardinians before the French could come to their aid. Austria had an army of 140,000 men, while the Sardinians had a mere 70,000 men by comparison.


  • Illinois, U.S.
    May, 1859
    Abraham Lincoln

    Illinois Staats-Anzeiger

    Illinois, U.S.
    May, 1859

    In May 1859, Lincoln purchased the Illinois Staats-Anzeiger, a German-language newspaper that was consistently supportive; most of the state's 130,000 German Americans voted Democratic but the German-language paper mobilized Republican support. In the aftermath of the 1858 election, newspapers frequently mentioned Lincoln as a potential Republican presidential candidate, rivaled by William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Simon Cameron. While Lincoln was popular in the Midwest, he lacked support in the Northeast, and was unsure whether to seek the office.


  • Magenta, Milan, Italy
    1859
    Unification of Italy

    The Austrians were defeated

    Magenta, Milan, Italy
    1859

    The Austrians were defeated at the Battle of Magenta on 4 June and pushed back to Lombardy. Napoleon III's plans worked and at the Battle of Solferino, France and Sardinia defeated Austria and forced negotiations; at the same time, in the northern part of Lombardy, the Italian volunteers known as the Hunters of the Alps, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, defeated the Austrians at Varese and Como.


  • Milan, Italy
    Jun, 1859
    Unification of Italy

    Napoleon III's plans was succeed

    Milan, Italy
    Jun, 1859

    Napoleon III's plans worked and at the Battle of Solferino, France and Sardinia defeated Austria and forced negotiations; at the same time, in the northern part of Lombardy, the Italian volunteers known as the Hunters of the Alps, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, defeated the Austrians at Varese and Como.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    1859
    Library of Congress

    Congress transferred the library's public document distribution activities to the Department of the Interior

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    1859

    In 1859, Congress transferred the library's public document distribution activities to the Department of the Interior and its international book exchange program to the Department of State.


  • U.S.
    Monday Jul 4, 1859
    Flag of the United States

    Star for Oregon

    U.S.
    Monday Jul 4, 1859

    The flag was changed to have 33 stars. (for Oregon)


  • U.S.
    1859
    Abraham Lincoln

    Defense of Simeon Quinn

    U.S.
    1859

    Leading up to his presidential campaign, Lincoln elevated his profile in an 1859 murder case, with his defense of Simeon Quinn "Peachy" Harrison who was a third cousin; Harrison was also the grandson of Lincoln's political opponent, Rev. Peter Cartwright. Harrison was charged with the murder of Greek Crafton who, as he lay dying of his wounds, confessed to Cartwright that he had provoked Harrison. Lincoln angrily protested the judge's initial decision to exclude Cartwright's testimony about the confession as inadmissible hearsay. Lincoln argued that the testimony involved a dying declaration and was not subject to the hearsay rule. Instead of holding Lincoln in contempt of court as expected, the judge, a Democrat, reversed his ruling and admitted the testimony into evidence, resulting in Harrison's acquittal.


  • Königsberg, East Prussia (Present Day Kaliningrad, Russia)
    1859
    Lothar Meyer

    Lothar took up the study of mathematical physics at the University of Königsberg

    Königsberg, East Prussia (Present Day Kaliningrad, Russia)
    1859

    Influenced by the mathematical teaching of Gustav Kirchhoff, Lothar took up the study of mathematical physics at the University of Königsberg under Franz Ernst Neumann and in 1859, after having received his habilitation (certification for university teaching), became Privatdozent in physics and chemistry at the University of Breslau.


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