1859Jun, 15
Pig War: Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the "Northwestern Boundary Dispute" between United States and British/Canadian settlers.
The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between the United States and the United Kingdom over the British–U.S. border in the San Juan Islands, between Vancouver Island (present-day Canada) and the State of Washington. The Pig War, so called because it was triggered by the shooting of a pig, is also called the Pig Episode, the Pig and Potato War, the San Juan Boundary Dispute and the Northwestern Boundary Dispute. Despite being referred to as a war, there were no casualties on either side.
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Events on 1859
- 31May
Big Ben
The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time. - 30Jun
Niagara Falls
French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope. - 8Jul
Union between Sweden and Norway
King Charles XV & IV accedes to the throne of Sweden-Norway. - 16Oct
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown leads a raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. - 24Nov
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species.