1853 – 1856★★★★★
Crimean War
An alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France and Sardinia defeats Russia, with fighting centred on the siege of Sevastopol in Crimea.
War· Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ukraine
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Events this year
July 8, 1853★★★★★
Perry Expedition arrives in Japan
U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's 'Black Ships' enter Edo Bay, pressing Japan to end its isolation policy.
PoliticsExploration· Japan, United States
Ongoing
c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★
The transatlantic slave trade
From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.
Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
1639 – 1853★★★★★
Japan's sakoku isolation policy
The shogunate expels the Portuguese and severely restricts foreign contact, allowing only Dutch and Chinese trade at Nagasaki.
PoliticsEconomy· Japan
November 3, 1839 – 1876★★★★★
Tanzimat reforms begin
The Edict of Gülhane opens the Tanzimat, a series of reforms modernising Ottoman administration, law and the army.
Politics· Turkey
1845 – 1872★★★★★
The New Zealand Wars
A series of armed conflicts between the colonial government and Māori iwi, chiefly over land and sovereignty, which led to large confiscations of Māori land.
War· New Zealand, United Kingdom
January 24, 1848 – 1855★★★★★
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill draws some 300,000 people to California from around the world, transforming the American West.
Economy· United States
1850 – 1864★★★★★
Taiping Rebellion
Hong Xiuquan's movement founds the 'Taiping Heavenly Kingdom'; the ensuing civil war causes tens of millions of deaths.
WarReligionRevolution· China