January 9 Clipper Guiding Star disappears in Atlantic, 480 die January 31 Western railroads blocked by snow February 3 Wisconsin Supreme Court declares U.S. Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional February 4 Soldiers shoot Jewish families in Coro, Venezuela February 5 British government of Palmerston forms February 10 U.S. citizenship laws amended all children of U.S. parents born abroad granted U.S. citizenship February 24 U.S. Court of Claims forms for cases against government March 2 Aleksandr Romanov becomes tsar of Russia March 3 Congress approves $30,000 to test camels for military use March 3 Congress authorizes registered mail March 6 Gustave Flaubert writes goodbye to Louise Colet March 8 1st train crosses 1st U.S. railway suspension bridge, Niagara Falls March 15 Louisiana establishes 1st health board to regulate quarantine March 24 Manhattan Kansas founded as New Boston Kansas March 27 Abraham Gesner patents kerosene April 21 1st train crosses Mississippi River's 1st bridge, Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport Iowa April 26 Composer Gioacchino Rossini leaves Italy April 28 1st veterinary college in U.S. incorporated in Boston May 3 Antwerp-Rotterdam railway opens May 5 New York City regains Castle Clinton, to be used for immigration June 1 U.S. adventurer Wm Walker conquers Nicaragua, reestablishes slavery June 5 Anti-foreign anti-Roman Catholic Know-Nothing Party's 1st convention June 13 Opera "Les Vapres Sicilenne" is produced (Paris) June 17 Heavy French/British bombing of Sebastopol, 2000+ killed June 20 Commissioners appointed to lay out San Francisco streets west of Larkin July 20 1st train from Rotterdam to Utrecht in Netherlands July 31 Hottest July in Stockholm since at least 1756 (21.4 degrees C avg) August 1 Castle Clinton in New York City opens as 1st U.S. receiving station for immigrants August 3 Rotterdam-Gouda railway opens August 4 John Bartlett publishes "Familiar Quotations" August 9 Battle of Acapulco during Mexican Liberal uprising September 8 Crimean war - assault of Malakof Tower under Mac-Mahon September 27 George F Bristow's "Rip Van Winkle," 2nd American opera, opens in New York City October 9 Isaac Singer patents sewing machine motor October 9 Joshua Stoddard of Worcester, Mass patents 1st calliope October 17 Bessemer steelmaking process patented October 18 Franz Liszt's "Prometheus," premieres
