Births on January 1

Michael Joseph Owens, American inventor (d. 1923)

Michael Joseph Owens (January 1, 1859 – December 27, 1923) was an inventor of machines to automate the production of glass bottles.

31 May

Big Ben
The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time.
30 Jun

Niagara Falls
French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope.
8 Jul

Union between Sweden and Norway
King Charles XV & IV accedes to the throne of Sweden-Norway.
16 Oct

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown leads a raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
24 Nov

On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species.