Famous birthdays, deaths and events of 1861
Birthdays
- January 3 - William Renshaw, British champion tennis player (d. 1904)
- January 6 - George Exton Lloyd, Anglican bishop and theologian (d. 1940)
- January 13 - Max Nonne, German neurologist (d. 1959)
- January 14 - Mehmed VI, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1926)
- January 30 - Charles Martin Loeffler, German-born composer (d. 1935)
- February 2 - Solomon R. Guggenheim, American art collector and philanthropist (d. 1949)
- February 12 - Lou Andreas-Salome, Russian-born author (d. 1937)
- February 15 - Charles Edouard Guillaume, French physicist
- February 15 - Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1947)
- February 17 - Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany (d. 1922)
- February 26 - King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, (d. 1948)
- February 26 - Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya, Russian revolutionary
- March 19 - Lomer Gouin, Quebec politician (d. 1929)
- April 15 - Bliss Carman, Canadian poet (d. 1929)
- April 23 - Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, British general (d. 1936)
- May 3 - Emmett Dalton, American outlaw (d. 1937)
- May 6 - Motilal Nehru, Indian freedom fighter (d. 1931)
- May 7 - Rabindranath Tagore, Indian writer
- May 11 - Frederick Russell Burnham, father of the international scouting movement (d. 1947)
- May 19 - Dame Nellie Melba, Australian opera singer (d. 1931)
- June 10 - Pierre Duhem, French physicist (d. 1916)
- June 12 - William Attewell, English cricketer (d. 1927)
- June 17 - Pete Browning, American baseball player (d. 1905)
- June 17 - Omar Bundy, U.S. army general and soldier (d. 1940)
- June 19 - Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
- June 19 - José Rizal, Filipino poet and national hero (d. 1896)
- June 20 - Frederick Hopkins, English biochemist
- June 22 - Maximilian von Spee, German admiral (d. 1914)
- June 29 - William Mayo, American physician (d. 1939)
- August 1 - Sammy Jones, Former Australian cricketer (d. 1951)
- August 6 - Edith Roosevelt, American First Lady of the United States (d. 1948)
- September 10 - Niels Hansen Jacobsen, Danish sculptor and ceramist (d. 1941)
- September 20 - Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress (d. 1955)
- September 23 - Robert Bosch, German inventor and industrialist (d. 1942)
- September 27 - Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, sister of US President Theodore Roosevelt (d. 1933)
- September 28 - Amélie of Orléans, queen of Portugal (d. 1951)
- September 30 - William Wrigley Jr., American industrialist (Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company) (d. 1932)
- October 4 - Frederic Remington, American painter (d. 1909)
- October 4 - Walter Rauschenbusch, Christian Theologian and Baptist Minister (d. 1918)
- October 10 - Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorer
- October 14 - Artur Gavazzi, Croatian geographer (d. 1944)
- October 16 - J. B. Bury, Irish historian (d. 1927)
- October 29 - Andrei Ryabushkin, Russian painter (d. 1904)
- October 30 - Antoine Bourdelle, French sculptor (d. 1929)
- November 6 - James Naismith, Canadian inventor of basketball (d. 1939)
- November 7 - Jeff Milton, American lawman (d. 1947)
- November 18 - Dorothy Dix, pseudonym of US journalist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer (d. 1951)
- November 23 - Konstantin Korovin, Russian painter (d. 1939)
- December 4 - Lillian Russell, American singer and actress (d. 1922)
- December 8 - William C. Durant, American automobile pioneer (d. 1947)
- December 8 - Aristide Maillol, French sculptor (d. 1944)
- December 8 - Georges Méliès, French filmmaker (d. 1938)
- December 15 - Charles Duryea, American automobile pioneer (d. 1938)
- December 16 - Antonio de La Gandara, French painter (d. 1917)
- December 19 - Italo Svevo, Italian author (d. 1928)
- December 20 - Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter (d. 1926)
- December 25 - Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Indian founder of Banaras Hindu University (d. 1946)
Deaths
- January 2 - King Frederick William IV of Prussia , (b. 1795)
- January 17 - Lola Montez, Irish-born adventurer (b. 1821)
- March 10 - Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet (b. 1814)
- April 4 - John McLean, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1785)
- April 8 - Elisha Otis, American elevator builder (b. 1811)
- April 11 - Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet (b. 1824)
- May 9 - Peter Ernst von Lasaulx, German philosopher and writer (b. 1805)
- May 24 - Elmer E. Ellsworth, American Civil War officer (b. 1837)
- June 3 - Stephen A. Douglas, American politician (b. 1813)
- June 6 - Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1810)
- June 25 - Abd-ul-Mejid, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1823)
- June 29 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English poet (b. 1806)
- July 25 - Jonas Furrer, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1805)
- August 12 - Eliphalet Remington, American inventor
- August 17 - Alcée Louis la Branche, American Politician (b. 1806)
- August 22 - Xianfeng, Emperor of China (b. 1831)
- October 5 - Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski, Polish bishop (b. 1778)
- December 14 - Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, consort of Queen Victoria (b. 1819)
Events
- January 1 - Porfirio Díaz conquers Mexico City.
- January 3 - American Civil War: Delaware votes not to secede from the United States.
- January 9 - American Civil War: The "Star of the West" incident occurs near Charleston, South Carolina. It is considered by some historians to be the "First Shots of the American Civil War".
- January 9 - Mississippi becomes the second state to secede from the Union before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
- January 10 - American Civil War: Florida secedes from the Union.
- January 11 - Alabama secedes from the United States.
- January 18 - American Civil War
- January 21 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
- January 26 - American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
- January 29 - Kansas admitted as the 34th U.S. state.
- February 1 - American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.
- February 4 - American Civil War: In Montgomery, Alabama, Delegates from six break-away U.S. states meet and form The Confederate States of America.
- February 9 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is elected the Provisional President of the Confederate States of America by the Confederate convention at Montgomery, Alabama.
- February 11 - American Civil War: United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
- February 18 - In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
- February 18 - With the Italian unification almost complete, King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy.
- February 19 - Serfdom is abolished in Russia.
- February 23 - President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington, D.C., after an assassination attempt in Baltimore, Maryland.
- February 27 - A crowd in Warsaw protesting against Russian rule over Poland is fired upon by Russian troops, killing five protesters.
- February 28 - Colorado is organized as a United States territory.
- March 2 - Nevada Territory and Dakota Territory are organized as political divisions of the United States.
- March 2 - Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia: Tsar Alexander II signed the emancipation reform into law, abolishing Russian serfdom.
- March 3 - Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs.
- March 4 - First national flag of the Confederate States of America (the 'Stars and Bars') adopted.
- March 4 - Abraham Lincoln inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States.
- March 5 - The "Stars and Bars" is adopted as the flag of the Confederate States of America.
- March 8 - St. Augustine, Florida, surrenders to Union forces.
- March 10 - El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Segou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali.
- March 11 - American Civil War: The Constitution of the Confederate States of America is adopted.
- March 16 - Edward Clark became Governor of Texas, replacing Sam Houston, who was evicted from the office for refusing to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy.
- March 17 - The Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) is proclaimed.
- March 19 - The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand.
- March 20 - An earthquake completely destroys Mendoza, Argentina.
- April 12 - American Civil War: The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
- April 13 - American Civil War: Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederate forces.
- April 17 - American Civil War: Virginia secedes from the United States.
- April 19 - American Civil War: Baltimore riot of 1861, a pro-Secession mob in Baltimore, Maryland, attacks United States Army troops marching through the city.
- April 20 - American Civil War: Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the state of Virginia.
- April 25 - American Civil War: The Union Army arrives in Washington, D.C.
- April 27 - President of the United States Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus.
- April 29 - American Civil War: Maryland's House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union.
- May 6 - American Civil War: Arkansas secedes from the Union.
- May 8 - American Civil War: Richmond, Virginia is named the capital of the Confederate States of America.
- May 13 - American Civil War: Queen Victoria of Britain issues a "proclamation of neutrality" which recognizes the breakaway states as having belligerent rights.
- May 13 - The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia.
- May 14 - The Canellas meteorite, an 859-gram chondrite-type meteorite, strikes the earth near Barcelona, Spain.
- May 20 - American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state.
- May 24 - American Civil War: Union troops occupy Alexandria, Virginia.
- June 3 - Battle of Philippi (also called the Philippi Races)
- June 8 - American Civil War: Tennessee secedes from the Union.
- July 21 - American Civil War: First Battle of Bull Run
- July 25 - American Civil War: the Crittenden-Johnson Resolution is passed by the U.S. Congress stating that the war is being fought to preserve the Union and not to end slavery.
- July 26 - American Civil War: George B. McClellan assumes command of the Army of the Potomac following a disastrous Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run.
- August 5 - American Civil War: In order to help pay for the war effort, the United States government levies the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US $800; rescinded in 1872).
- August 5 - The United States Army abolishes flogging.
- August 6 - The British annex Lagos, Nigeria.
- August 10 - American Civil War: Battle of Wilson's Creek
- August 27 - Union (Northern) forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
- August 29 - American Civil War: US Navy squadron captures forts at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina.
- September 3 - American Civil War: Confederate General Leonidas Polk invades neutral Kentucky, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance.
- September 6 - American Civil War: Forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant bloodlessly capture Paducah, Kentucky, which gives the Union control of the mouth of the Tennessee River.
- October 9 - American Civil War: Battle of Santa Rosa Island
- October 21 - American Civil War: Battle of Ball's Bluff
- October 23 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus in Washington, D.C., for all military-related cases.
- October 24 - The First Transcontinental Telegraph line across the United States is completed, spelling the end for the 18-month-old Pony Express.
- October 25 - The Toronto Stock Exchange was created.
- October 26 - The Pony Express officially ceased operations.
- October 31 - American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
- November 1 - American Civil War: US President Abraham Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan as the commander of the Union Army, replacing the aged General Winfield Scott.
- November 2 - American Civil War: Western Department Union General John C. Fremont is relieved of command and replaced by David Hunter.
- November 4 - The University of Washington opens in Seattle, Washington as the Territorial University
- November 6 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is elected president of the Confederate States of America.
- November 7 - American Civil War: Battle of Belmont: In Belmont, Missouri, Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant overrun a Confederate camp but are forced to retreat when Confederate reinforcements arrive.
- November 8 - American Civil War: The "Trent Affair"
- November 9 - The first documented football match in Canada is played at University College, University of Toronto.
- November 20 - Secession ordinance is filed by Kentucky's Confederate government.
- November 21 - American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints Judah Benjamin secretary of war.
- December 9 - American Civil War: The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War is established by the U.S. Congress.
- December 10 - American Civil War: the Confederate States of America accept a rival state government's pronouncement that declares Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy.
- December 21 - Medal of Honor: Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor, is signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln.
- December 26 - American Civil War: The Trent Affair: Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and Britain.
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