1861

Year 1861 () was a (link will display the full calendar) of the  (or a  of the 12-day slower ).

January - March

 * - captures
 * - dies and is succeeded by.
 * - : votes not to secede from the.
 * - becomes the second state to secede from the, preceding the.
 * - : secedes from the.
 * - : secedes from the.
 * - : secedes from the.
 * - : resigns from the.
 * - : secedes from the.
 * - is admitted as the 34th.


 * - : secedes from the.
 * - : In the  is formed by delegates from six break-away.
 * - : The are formed.
 * - : is elected the Provisional President of the  by the Confederate convention at.
 * - : US House unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing non-interference with slavery in any state.
 * - End of the, last stronghold of the Neapolitan King , by Piedmontese forces. Francis goes into exile.
 * In  is inaugurated as the provisional president of the.
 * of becomes King of .  See:
 * of becomes King of .  See:
 * - dom is in.
 * - President-elect arrives secretly in  after an  attempt in.
 * - A crowd in protesting n rule over  is fired upon by Russian troops killing five protesters.
 * - is organized as a.


 * - is organized as a.
 * - Formal in.
 * President takes office, succeeding.
 * The "" is adopted as the.
 * -  seizes the city of, destroying the  of.
 * - :The of the  is adopted.
 * - Proclamation of the kingdom of with  as its king.
 * - ends in.
 * An earthquake completely destroys, a city on western.
 * Surrender of . End of the.
 * - announces his discovery of  (see ).
 * Surrender of . End of the.
 * - announces his discovery of  (see ).



April - June

 * - begins at,.
 * - surrenders to Southern forces
 * - The state of Virginia secedes from the Union.
 * - : resigns his commission in the  in order to command the forces of the state of.
 * - : The arrives in
 * suspends the in the.
 * secedes from.
 * - : secedes from the.
 * - : secedes from the.
 * - : is named the capital of the.
 * - : is named the capital of the.




 * issues a "proclamation of " which recognizes the as having belligerent rights.
 * -  (the "Great Comet of 1861") discovered in.
 * - The Canellas meteorite, an 859 chondrite type  struck earth near.
 * - : proclaims its  which will last until  when  forces enter the state.  secedes from the.
 * - separated from n administration and reunited under  governor with the approval of European powers.
 * - formally elected president of ; he temporarily stops the payments of.
 * -, of the  (-1861) dies and is succeeded by  (1861-).
 * -, of the  (-1861) dies and is succeeded by  (1861-).

July - September

 * - First issue of 's newspaper was published.
 * - lands on  and introduces the  church into.
 * - : Battle of takes place in Western Virginia
 * - : - At, the first major battle of the war begins ( victory).
 * - : The is passed by the  stating that the war is being fought to preserve the  and not to end.
 * - : assumes command of the  following a disastrous  defeat at the.
 * In order to help pay for the war effort, the issues the first  as part of the  (3% of all incomes over US $800; rescinded in ).
 * abolishes.
 * - Last in Britain for  - Martin Doyle in.
 * - :  General  invades neutral, prompting the state legislature to ask for  assistance.
 * - : Forces under General  bloodlessly capture, which gives the Union control the mouth of the.
 * - : Forces under General  bloodlessly capture, which gives the Union control the mouth of the.

October - December

 * - : the.
 * - : -  forces under Colonel  are defeated by  troops in the second major battle of the war. Baker, a close friend of, is killed in the fighting.
 * - The, the world's first ocean-going (all) iron-hulled armored battleship was completed and commissioned.
 * -The legislature took up a bill for Missouri's secession from the Union.
 * -The bill was passed for Missouri's secession from Union.
 * The Missouri's secession from the Union bill is signed by Governor Jackson
 * Citing failing health, General  resigns as Commander of the.
 * - : US President appoints  as commander of the, replacing the aged General.
 * - : Western Department General  is relieved of command and replaced by.
 * - : is elected president of the.
 * - First Racing of the Australian Melbourne Cup horse race.
 * - : - In,  forces led by General  overrun a  camp but are forced to retreat  when Confederate reinforcements arrive.
 * - : The "" - The  stops the mail ship Trent and arrests two  envoys,  and, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the UK and US.
 * - : President  appoints  secretary of war.
 * - A collapses in the Old Town of  and buries 50 - rescuers find 15 of them alive.
 * - Acting on the ordinance passed by the Jackson government, the Confederate Congress admitted Missouri as the 12th confederate state.
 * - : is accepted into the.
 * - : is accepted into the.

Undated

 * News of 's discovery of published.
 * In Britain, the death penalty is limited to, , , and acts of  perpetrated upon docks or ammunition depots.
 * establishes bases in to stop the slave trade.
 * published.
 * n national epic is published.

Ongoing events

 * (1861-)

January - June

 * -, (d. )
 * -, American composer (d. )
 * -, Russian-born author (d. )
 * -, French physicist, laureate (d. )
 * - King (d. )
 * -, Austrian philosopher (d. )
 * -, Korean nationalist (d. )
 * -, Canadian poet (d. )
 * -, Indian writer, laureate (d. )
 * -, American Scout, father of international scouting movement (d. )
 * -, English cricketer (d. )
 * - Doctor, Philippine national hero (d. )
 * -, English biochemist, recipient of the (d. )

July - December

 * -, Danish sculptor and ceramist (d. )
 * -, British poet and novelist (d. )
 * -, U.S. chewing gum industrialist (d. )
 * -, cowboy artist and sculptor (d. )
 * -, British historian (d. )
 * -, French sculptor (d. )
 * -, American singer and vaudeville star (d. )
 * -, Canadian inventor of basketball (d. )
 * -, French film director (d. )
 * -, Norwegian explorer, recipient of the (d. )
 * -, and  (d. )
 * -, French painter (d. )
 * -, Slovenian painter (d. )
 * 'date unknown''
 * - American founder of the (d. ?)
 * - Journalist and Short story writer (d. )
 * -  (d. )


 * See also .

January - June

 * -, King of Prussia (b. )
 * -, Irish-born dancer and mistress of King (b. )
 * -, Major in the (b. )
 * -, poet, nationalist, and founder of  (b. )
 * -, Polish nationalist historian (b. )
 * -, U.S. Senator from Illinois and Presidential candidate (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, English poet (b. )

July - December

 * - Frances Longfellow, second wife of
 * -, (b. )
 * -, gunsmith and founder of (b. )
 * -, American Politician (b. )
 * -, French geologist (b. )
 * -, Polish bishop (b. )
 * - King (b. )
 * -, husband of (b. )


 * See also .