January 5 California Exchange opens January 18 British blockade Piraeus, Greece to enforce mercantile claims January 20 Investigator, 1st ship to effect northwest passage, leaves England January 22 Alta California becomes a daily paper, 1st such in Calif January 26 1st German-language daily newspaper in U.S. published, New York City January 29 Henry Clay introduces a comprise bill on slavery to U.S. Senate February 5 Adding machine employing depressible keys patented, New Paltz, New York February 12 Original Washington's Farewell Address manuscript sells for $2,300 February 18 California Legislature creates 9 Bay Area counties March 7 Daniel Webster endorses Compromise of 1850 March 11 Woman's Medical College of Penn (1st female medical school) March 12 1st U.S. $20 gold piece issued March 16 Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" published March 18 Henry Wells and William Fargo forms American Express in Buffalo March 29 Ireland's SS Royal Adelaide sinks in storm; 200 die March 31 U.S. population hits 23,191,876 (Black population: 3,638,808 (15.7%)) April 1 San Francisco County Government established April 4 City of Los Angeles incorporated April 15 City of San Francisco incorporated April 25 Paul Julius Reuter, use 40 pigeons to carry stock market prices May 1 John Geary becomes 1st San Francisco mayor May 11 Work starts on 1st brick building in San Francisco May 27 Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois destroyed by tornado June 4 Empire Engine Company No 1 organized June 4 Self deodorizing fertilizer patented in England June 6 Levi Strauss made his 1st blue jeans June 10 Millard Fillmore sworn-in as president of U.S. (replacing Taylor) June 14 Fire destroys part of San Francisco June 17 Paddle-wheeler "G P Griffith" burns off Mentor Ohio, 206 die June 19 Swedish/Norwegian crown prince Charles weds Dutch princess Wilhelmina June 29 British ex-premier sir Robert Peel falls off his horse July 1 At least 626 ships lie at anchor around San Francisco Bay July 2 Benjamin Lane patents gas mask with a breathing apparatus July 7 Scottish explorer Edward Eyre reaches Albany, W-Australia July 10 Vice President Fillmore becomes President following Zachary Taylor's death July 12 Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts establishment of Provincial States July 14 1st public demonstration of ice made by refrigeration July 15 John Wisden bowls all 10 South batsmen, North vs. South at Lord's July 17 Harvard Observatory takes 1st photograph of a star, Vega July 19 Airship Elizabeth leaves in storm for Fire Island, crashes (42 die) July 23 17th Postmaster General: Nathan K Hall of New York takes office July 25 Gold discovered in Oregon, Rogue River August 23 1st national women's rights convention convenes in Worcester Mass August 28 Richard Wagner's opera "Lohengrin" premieres at Weimar Germany August 30 Honolulu, Hawaii becomes a city September 9 California becomes 31st state September 9 Territories of New Mexico and Utah created September 11 "Swedish Nightingale" Jenny Lind gives 1st U.S. concert September 17 Great fire in San Francisco September 18 Congress passes Fugitive Slave Law as part of Compromise of 1850 September 20 Slave trade abolished in DC, but slavery allowed to continue September 24 Papal Bull issued, establishes Roman Catholic hierarchy in England September 28 U.S. Navy abolishes flogging as punishment October 12 1st women's medical school (Women's Medical College of Penns), opens October 17 Knickerbocker Engine Co Number 5 organized November 6 1st Hawaiian fire engine November 6 Yerba Buena and Angel Islands (SF Bay) reserved for military use November 19 Lord Tennyson becomes British poet laureate December 20 Hawaiian post office established December 27 Hawaiian Fire Department established December 28 Rangoon Burma, destroyed by fire
