January 13 Vancouver Island granted to Hudson's Bay Co January 23 Mrs Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman physician in US January 23 Patent granted for an envelope-making machine January 31 Corn Laws abolished in Britain February 4 University of Wisconsin begins in 1 room with 20 students February 9 Roman Republic declared February 18 1st regular steamboat service to California starts February 28 1st boat load of gold rush prospectors arrives in San Francisco from east coast March 3 Gold Coinage Act authorizes $20 Double Eagle gold coin March 3 Home Department (Interior Department), forms March 3 Minnesota Territory is organizes March 3 Territory of Minnesota organizes March 3 U.S. Department of the Interior established by Congress March 4 U.S. had no president, Polks term ends on a Sunday, Taylor couldn't be sworn-in, Senator David Atchison (President pro tem) term ended March 3rd March 5 Zachary Taylor sworn in as 12th president March 9 Carl Nikolais opera "Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor," premieres March 10 Abraham Lincoln applies for a patent; only U.S. president to do so March 12 1st gold seekers arrive in Nicaragua en route to California March 23 Battle of Novara (King Charles Albert vs Italian republic) March 27 Joseph Couch patents steam-powered percussion rock drill March 28 Dutch princess Marianne and Prince Albert of Prussia separate March 29 Britain formally annexs Punjab after defeat of Sikhs in India March 31 Col John W Geary arrives as 1st postmaster of SF April 6 Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "Le Prophete," premieres in Paris April 10 Safety pin patented by Walter Hunt (New York City); sold rights for $100 April 13 Hungarian Republic proclaimed April 16 Opera "Il Profeta," premieres in Paris May 10 Pack destroys Astor Place opera house in New York City (22 killed) May 12 Willem Alexander PFL crowned king Willem III in Amsterdam May 15 Philadelphia Turngemeinde founded May 17 Fire destroy Centrum in St. Louis Missouri May 22 Abraham Lincoln patents a buoying device May 28 Princess WFLC Marianne and Albrecht of Prussia separate May 29 Lincoln says "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and of people some of time, but you can't fool all of the people all of time" May 29 Patent for lifting vessels granted to Abraham Lincoln May 31 Last edition of Orange sheet "Journal de La Haye" June 5 Danish National Day-Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy June 12 Gas mask patented by Lewis Haslett, Louisville, Kentucky June 21 Battle at Waghausel: Prussian troops beat Baden rebels June 22 Stephen C. Massett opens courthouse using only piano in California July 2 Garibaldi in Rome begins hunger strike July 8 St. Paul's Place in the Bronx named July 20 Start of 1st Lancashire-Yorkshire clash at Hyde Park, Sheffield July 28 Memmon is 1st clipper to reach San Francisco, 120 days out of New York July 31 Benjamin Chambers patents breech loading cannon August 9 Hungarian Republic crushed by Austria and Russia August 19 New York Herald reports gold discovery in California August 28 Venice under Daniele Manin surrenders to Austrians under Radetsky, after been under siege since July 20 after proclaiming independence September 1 California Constitutional Convention held in Monterey September 3 California State Constitutional Convention convenes in Monterey September 10 1st performance by U.S. actor Edwin Booth (Richard III) September 13 1st U.S. prize fight fatality (Tom McCoy) September 18 De Kempenaer's Dutch government resigns September 29 1st passenger train service to Peekskill New York (New Haven Railroad) October 16 Avery College establishes in Allegheny, Pennsylvania October 16 British seize Tigre Island in Gulf of Fonseca from Honduras October 19 Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman in U.S. to receive medical degree November 1 Dutch government of Thorbecke forms November 13 Peter Burnett elected 1st governor of California November 15 1st U.S. poultry show opens in Boston November 21 Friedrich Hebbel's "Der Rubin," premieres in Vienna December 6 Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery in Maryland December 8 Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Luisa Miller," premieres in Naples December 14 1st chamber music group in U.S. gives their 1st concert (Boston) December 18 William Bond obtains 1st photograph of Moon through a telescope December 21 1st U.S. skating club formed in Philadelphia December 28 M Jolly-Bellin discovers dry-cleaning, he accidentally upset lamp containing turpentine and oil on his clothing and sees cleaning effect
