Births on March 17

Charles F. Brush, American businessman and philanthropist, co-invented the Arc lamp (d. 1929)

Charles Francis Brush (March 17, 1849 – June 15, 1929) was an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

13 Feb

Franz Joseph I of Austria
The delegation headed by Metropolitan bishop Andrei Șaguna hands out to the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria the General Petition of Romanian leaders in Transylvania, Banat and Bukovina, which demands that the Romanian nation be recognized.
29 Mar

Punjab region
The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab.
14 Apr

Lajos Kossuth
Hungary declares itself independent of Austria with Lajos Kossuth as its leader.
3 Jul

Italian unification
The French enter Rome in order to restore Pope Pius IX to power. This would prove a major obstacle to Italian unification.
17 Sep

Harriet Tubman
American abolitionist Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery.