January 1 1st U.S. public bath opens, in New York City Netherlands begins issuing postage stamps January 3 1st Chinese arrive in Hawaii January 17 British recognize independence of Transvaal (in South Africa) February 2 1st British public men's toilet opens (Fleet St. London) Alexandre Dumas Jr's "Le Dame aux Camelias," premieres in Paris February 11 1st British public female toilet opens (Bedford Street London) February 15 Great Ormond St. Hospital for Sick Children, London, admits 1st patient February 26 British frigate Birkenhead sinks off South Africa-458 die March 7 Dutch telegraph traffic regulated by law March 13 Uncle Sam cartoon figure made its debut in the New York Lantern weekly March 20 Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" published (Boston) March 25 Friedrich Hebbel's "Agnes Bernauer," premieres in Munich March 29 Ohio makes it illegal for children under 18 and women to work more than 10 hours a day April 19 California Historical Society forms April 29 1st edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus published April 30 Anton Rubinsteins opera "Dmitri Donskoi," premieres in St. Petersburg May 18 Massachusetts rules all school-age children must attend school July 3 Congress authorizes U.S.'s 2nd mint (San Francisco, California) July 9 Fire destroys 1,100 construction sites in Montreal Canada and no one die July 23 1st interment in U.S. National Cemetery at Presidio July 31 Hottest July in Netherlands since at least 1783 (68.4 degrees F (20.2 degrees C) avg) August 1 San Francisco Methodists establish 1st black church, Zion Methodist August 3 1st intercollegiate rowing race, Harvard beats Yale by 4 lengths August 20 Steamer "Atlantic" collided with fishing boat, sinks with 250 aboard September 3 Anti Jewish riots break out in Stockholm September 11 Olympia Columbian is 1st newspaper published north of Columbia R September 14 18th Postmaster General: Samuel D Hubbard of Connecticut takes office September 24 Henri Giffard, a French engineer, makes 1st dirigible flight September 27 George L Aiken's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," premieres in Troy, New York October 16 Dutch Government recognize Catholics right to organize November 2 Franklin Pierce elected as president of U.S. November 18 State funeral of duke of Wellington (London) November 20 Charles Reade/Tom Taylor's "Masks and Faces," premieres in London November 21 Duke U, founded in 1838 as Union Institute chartered as Normal College November 23 Just past midnight, a sharp jolt causes Lake Merced to drop 30' (9m) December 1 Telegraph company opens throughout Netherlands December 2 2nd French empire established; Louis Napoleon becomes emperor December 8 Gustav Freytag's "Die Journalisten," premieres in Breslau December 17 1st Hawaiian cavalry organized December 23 1st Chinese theater in U.S., Celestial John, opens in San Francisco December 29 Emma Snodgrass arrested in Boston for wearing pants December 31 Future president and Mrs. Rutherford B Hayes marry
