Births on May 18

Minakata Kumagusu, Japanese author, biologist, naturalist and ethnologist (d. 1941)

Minakata Kumagusu (南方熊楠, May 18, 1867 – December 29, 1941) was a Japanese author, biologist, naturalist and ethnologist.

29 Mar

British North America Act
Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent to the British North America Act which establishes the Dominion of Canada on July 1.
1 Apr

Crown colony
Singapore becomes a British crown colony.
15 May

Imperial Bank of Canada
Canadian Bank of Commerce opens for business in Toronto. The bank would later merge with Imperial Bank of Canada to become what is CIBC in 1961.
3 Nov

Battle of Mentana
Giuseppe Garibaldi and his followers are defeated in the Battle of Mentana and fail to end the Pope's Temporal power in Rome (it would be achieved three years later).
9 Nov

Meiji Restoration
Tokugawa shogunate hands power back to the Emperor of Japan, starting the Meiji Restoration.