What happened in 1866

27 events　World 1, North America 7, Europe 14, Asia 1, Latin America 4

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Highlights of 1866

World1

  • Jun 14The Austro-Prussian War ("Seven Weeks War") begins when the Austrians and most of the medium-size German states declare war on Prussia.

North America7

  • Jan 1Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • Apr 10The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
  • May 1The Memphis massacre: a rebellion with a series of violent racial events.
  • Jun 2Fenian forces skirmish with Canadian militia at the battles of Ridgeway and Fort Erie.
  • Jun 8The Parliament of Canada meets for the first time in Ottawa.
  • Jul 24Reconstruction: Tennessee becomes the first U.S. state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.
  • Dec 18The College of Wooster is founded in Ohio.

Europe14

  • Jan 12The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed as The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain in London, the world's oldest such society.
  • May 7Student Ferdinand Cohen-Blind makes a failed attempt to assassinate Otto von Bismarck in Unter den Linden in Berlin.
  • May 30Bedrich Smetana's comic opera The Bartered Bride premiered in Prague.
  • Jun 27Battle of Langensalza: The Prussians defeat the Hanoverian army.
  • Jul 3Battle of Königgrätz: the Prussian army under King Wilhelm and Helmuth von Moltke defeats the Austrian army of Ludwig von Benedek, leading to a decisive Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War.
  • Jul 20Austro-Prussian War: Naval Battle of Lissa – The Austrian fleet under Wilhelm von Tegetthoff defeats the Italian fleet of Carlo di Persano.
  • Jul 22Austro-Prussian War: Battle of Blumenau – Austrians defend Bratislava against the Prussian army, concluding the fighting in the war.
  • Aug 23The Treaty of Prague formally ends the Austro-Prussian War. The German Federation is abolished (with the Duchy of Limburg and Luxemburg controlled by the Netherlands), the Habsburgs vow not to interfere in any reorganisation of Germany under Prussian leadership and cede Veneto.
  • Oct 12The Treaty of Vienna ends the war between Austria and Italy; it formalizes the annexation of Venetia by Italy.
  • Oct 14French troops under the command of Rear Admiral Pierre-Gustave Roze land at Ganghwa Island, Korea, as part of a punitive expedition against that kingdom for the execution of French Jesuit priests. It is the first military contact between Korea and a Western force.
  • Dec 12Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 383 miners and rescuers.
  • Foundation of the predecessors of Nestlé S.A., the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé.
  • The Famine of 1866–68 begins in Finland.
  • Magirus, as predecessor of a major worldwide commercial vehicles manufacturing brand, Iveco, is founded in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Asia1

  • Jun 11The Agra High Court is established (later shifted to the Allahabad High Court).

Latin America4

  • Feb 7Battle of Abtao: A Spanish naval squadron fights a combined Peruvian-Chilean fleet, at the island of Abtao, in the Chiloé Archipelago of southern Chile.
  • May 2Battle of Callao: Peruvian defenders fight the Spanish fleet.
  • May 24Battle of Tuyutí: 32,000 soldiers of the Triple Alliance defeat 24,000 Paraguayan soldiers few miles north of the Paraná, Argentina, in the Paraguayan War, with 16,000 casualties.
  • Sep 22Paraguay successfully defends Curupayty against the Triple Alliance in the Paraguayan War, killing more than 5,000 while sustaining just about 50 casualties.