1855
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 ( 1850s: )  1855    | |
|---|---|
 Lord Palmerston becomes British Prime Minister | |
| Year 1855 |
Events
- January 27 – The Panama Railway becomes the first railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
- January 29 – Lord Aberdeen resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, over the management of the Crimean War.
- February 5 – Lord Palmerston becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- March 2 – Alexander II ascends the Russian throne, upon the death of his father Nicholas I.
- March 17 – Taiping Rebellion: A Taiping army of 350,000 invades Anhui.
- March 30 – Elections are held for the first Kansas Territory legislature. Missourian 'Border Ruffians' cross the border in large numbers to elect a pro-slavery body.
- May 1 – Van Diemen's Land is separated administratively from New South Wales and granted self-government.
- May 22 – The province of Victoria is separated administratively from New South Wales.
- June 15 – Stamp duty is removed from British newspapers, creating mass media in the United Kingdom.
- June 29 – The Daily Telegraph newspaper begins publication in London.
- July – Bank of Toronto incorporated in Canada (in 1955 it will merge with The Dominion Bank to become Toronto-Dominion Bank)
- July 16 – The Australian Colonies are granted self-governing status by the United Kingdom.
- October 17 – Henry Bessemer files his patent in the United Kingdom for the Bessemer process of steelmaking.
- December 22 – The Metropolitan Board of Works is established in London.
Date unknown
- Samuel Colt incorporates his business as the Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and opens a new factory, the Colt Armory, in Hartford, Connecticut.
- The cocaine alkaloid is first isolated by German chemist Friedrich Gaedcke.
- Palm oil sales from West Africa to the United Kingdom reach 40,000 tons.
Events
| Event | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Pax Brittanica | 1815 | 1915 |
| Victorian era | 1840 | 1901 |
New Groups
| Group | Image | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of San Francisco |  | Military ranks Society of Jesus | A private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. |
| Pennsylvania State University |  | • Public • Flagship • State-related • Land-grant • Sea-grant • Space-grant • Sun-grant • Multi-campus | |
| Geelong Grammar School |  | Ruling class school. The school's fees are the most expensive in Australia. | |
| William Paterson University |  | ||
| ETH Zurich |  | Public | ETH Zurich is ranked among the top universities in the world. |
| The College of New Jersey |  | New Jersey college with emphasis placed on liberal arts |
A Death
| Title | Born | Died | Place of death | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Lehman | 1822 | 17 November 1855 | US Louisiana New Orleans | Businessperson |
Births
| Title | Born | Place of birth | Died | Summary | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Mellon | 24 March 1855 | United States Pennsylvania Pittsburgh | 26 August 1937 | Politician Banker | |
| Robert La Follette | 14 June 1855 | 18 June 1925 | Politician | La Follette stated that his chief goal was to break the "combined power of the private monopoly system over the political and economic life of the American people" | |
| Walter Page | 15 August 1855 | US North Carolina Cary | 21 December 1918 | Diplomat Journalist Deep state functionary | A US diplomat who received money from Woodrow Wilson's banker, Cleveland Dodge. |
| Eugene Debs | 5 November 1855 | United States Indiana Terre Haute | 20 October 1926 | Firefighter Grocer Union organizer | |
| Walter Cunliffe | 3 December 1855 | London England | 6 January 1920 | Central banker |
