1856 Events January 8 - Borax is discovered (John Veatch). January 29 - Queen Victoria institutes the Victoria Cross February 18 - The American Party (Know-Nothings) convene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate their first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore. March 5 – Fire destroys Covent Garden Theatre March 30 - The Treaty of Paris (1856) is signed, ending the Crimean War April 7 - Foundation of Nelson College, Nelson, New Zealand May 21 - Lawrence, Kansas is captured and burned by pro-slavery forces. May 22 - Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beats Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made attacking Southerners who sympathized with the pro-slavery violence in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas"). Sumner was unable to return to duty for three years while he recovered. Brooks became a hero across the South. June 9 - 500 Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa and head west for Salt Lake City, Utah carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts. July 31 - Christchurch, New Zealand chartered as a city. August 11 – Hurricane in Last Island, Louisiana - 400 dead November - James Buchanan defeats John C. Fremont in the U.S. presidential election November 17 - American Old West: On the Sonoita River in present-day southern Arizona, the United States Army establishes Fort Buchanan in order to help control new land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase. British Country and Borough Police Act extends London police model to the entire country Western Union founded Kate Warner, the first female private detective, begins to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency Pre-human remains found in the Neanderthal valley in Germany Gregor Mendel starts his research on genetics. National Portrait Gallery in London opened. Births January 11 - Christian Sinding, composer (d. 1941) January 12 - John Singer Sargent, artist (d. 1925) January 20 - Harriot Eaton Stanton Blatch, women's rights activist (d. 1940) February 2 – Frederick William Vanderbilt, railway magnate (d. 1938) February 14 - Frank Harris, author and editor March 9 - Eddie Foy, singer, dancer, vaudeville performer (d. 1928) March 20 - Frederick Winslow Taylor, inventor, efficiency expert April 5 - Booker T. Washington, African-American educator (d. 1915) April 12 - William Martin Conway, British art critic and mountaineer (d. 1937) May 6 - Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychiatrist, founder of psychoanalysis May 6 - Robert Peary, explorer (d. 1920) May 15 - L. Frank Baum, author (d. 1919) June 14 - Andrey Markov, Russian mathematician (d. 1922) July 2 - Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Indian political activist (d. 1920) July 10 - Nikola Tesla, inventor (d. 1943) July 26 - George Bernard Shaw, writer (d. 1950) August 13 - Alfred Deakin, second Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1919) September 18 - Wilhelm von Gloeden, photographer (d. 1931) November 22 - Heber J. Grant, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1945) November 24 - Bat Masterson, "Wild West" legend (d. 1921) December 25 - Hans von Bartels, German painter December 25 - Sir Samuel William Knaggs, civil servant (West Indies) (d. 1924) Deaths February 17 - Heinrich Heine, writer July 9 - Amedeo Avogadro, chemist August 30 - Gilbert Abbott a Beckett, writer. (b. 1811) Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/1856