What happened in 1854

26 events　World 4, North America 5, Europe 9, USSR / Russia 2, Middle East 1, Latin America 2, Africa 1, Oceania 2

Highlights of 1854

Feb 17AfricaThe British recognize the independence of the Orange Free State in Southern Africa; its official independence is declared six days later in the Orange River Convention.
Mar 20North AmericaThe Republican Party is formed by anti-slavery opponents of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in Ripon, Wisconsin.
Mar 27WorldCrimean War: The United Kingdom declares war on Russia.
Jul 13Middle EastMohamed Sa'id Pasha succeeds his nephew Abbas as the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, then a province of the Ottoman Empire.
Oct 9Latin AmericaUnited States diplomats in Europe meet and draft the Ostend Manifesto, setting out a rationale for the U.S. to acquire Cuba from Spain.
Dec 9EuropePope Pius IX in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus defines ex Cathedra the dogma of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin.

Mar 27Crimean War: The United Kingdom declares war on Russia.
Jul 17The Bienio progresista revolutionary coup occurs in Spain.
Nov 5Crimean War: Battle of Inkerman – The Russians are defeated.
Nov 14Great Storm of 1854 in the Black Sea: 19 British transport and other ships (plus 2 French) supporting the Crimean War are wrecked with the loss of at least 287 men.

Mar 20The Republican Party is formed by anti-slavery opponents of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in Ripon, Wisconsin.
May 30The Kansas–Nebraska Act becomes law (replacing the Missouri Compromise of 1820), creating the Kansas Territory and the Nebraska Territory, west of the State of Missouri and the State of Iowa. The Kansas–Nebraska Act also establishes that these two new Territories will decide either to allow or disallow slavery, depending on balloting by their residents (these areas would have been strictly "free territory" under the Missouri Compromise, which allowed slavery in the State of Missouri but disallowed it in any other new state north of latitude 36° 30', which forms most of the southern boundary of Missouri. This prohibition of slavery extended all the way from the western boundary of Missouri to the Pacific Ocean).
Jul 6In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the U.S. Republican Party is held.
Sep 27SS Arctic disaster: The American paddle steamer sinks after a collision with the much smaller French ship, 50 miles (80 km) off the coast of Newfoundland, with approximately 320 deaths.
The future Waterbury Clock Company (Incorporated on March 27, 1857) is founded as a department within the Benedict and Burnham Manufacturing Company in Waterbury, Connecticut, the predecessor of Timex Group USA in timepiece manufacturing.

Mar 1German psychologist Friedrich Eduard Beneke disappears; 2 years later his remains are found in the canal near Charlottenburg.
Apr 1Hard Times begins serialisation in Charles Dickens' magazine, Household Words.
May 18The Catholic University of Ireland (forerunner of University College Dublin) is founded.
Jun 21Battle of Bomarsund in Åland off the coast of Finland: British Royal Navy seaman's mate Charles Davis Lucas throws a live Russian artillery shell overboard by hand before it explodes, for which he is awarded the first Victoria Cross in 1857.
Aug 16Battle of Bomarsund: Russian troops on the island of Bomarsund, in Åland, surrender to French–British troops.
Aug 27English lawyer Alfred Wills and party set out for the first ascent of the Wetterhorn in Switzerland, regarded as the start of the "golden age of alpinism".
NovFlorence Nightingale and her team of 38 trained volunteer nurses, having set out on October 21 from England, arrive at Selimiye Barracks in Scutari in the Ottoman Empire, to care for British Army troops wounded in the Crimean War.
Dec 9Pope Pius IX in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus defines ex Cathedra the dogma of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin.
The French fashion label Louis Vuitton is founded.

Sep 20Crimean War: Battle of Alma – The French–British alliance wins the first major land engagement of the war.]]
Oct 25Crimean War: Battle of Balaclava – The allies gain an overall victory, except for the disastrous cavalry Charge of the Light Brigade, from which only 200 of 700 men survive.]]

Jul 13Mohamed Sa'id Pasha succeeds his nephew Abbas as the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, then a province of the Ottoman Empire.

Mar 1The Plan de Ayutla calls for liberal reforms and the ouster of President Antonio López de Santa Anna of Mexico.
Oct 9United States diplomats in Europe meet and draft the Ostend Manifesto, setting out a rationale for the U.S. to acquire Cuba from Spain.

Feb 17The British recognize the independence of the Orange Free State in Southern Africa; its official independence is declared six days later in the Orange River Convention.

Oct 17The Age newspaper is founded in Melbourne, Australia.
Dec 3The Eureka Stockade Miners' Rebellion breaks out in Ballarat, Victoria (Australia).