William Walker (May 8, 1824 September 12, 1860) was an American physician, lawyer, journalist and mercenary who organized several private military expeditions into Mexico and Central America with the intention of occupying the local nations and establishing slave-hold colonies, an enterprise then known as "filibustering". Walker usurped the presidency of Nicaragua in July 1856 at the request of Liberal Democratic Party of Nicaragua and ruled until May 1, 1857, when he was forced out of the presidency and the country by a coalition of Central American armies. He returned in an attempt to re-establish his control of the region, but was captured and executed by the government of Honduras in 1860 while escaping the Costa Rican army after being defeated by General Caas in the battles of Rivas and Santa Rosa.
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with some potential for physical danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting or participating in extreme sports. Adventures are often undertaken to create psychological arousal or in order to achieve a greater goal such as the pursuit of knowledge that can only be obtained in a risky manner.
1855Jun, 1
The American adventurer William Walker conquers Nicaragua.
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Events on 1855
- 14Feb
Telegraphy
Texas is linked by telegraph to the rest of the United States, with the completion of a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas. - 22Feb
State College, Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania State University is founded in State College, Pennsylvania (as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania). - 1Jun
William Walker (filibuster)
The American adventurer William Walker conquers Nicaragua. - 4Jul
Leaves of Grass
The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published In Brooklyn. - 16Nov
Victoria Falls
David Livingstone becomes the first European to see the Victoria Falls in what is now Zambia-Zimbabwe.