1851

( 1850s: ) 1851
( 1850s: ) 1851
	The Crystal Palace Exhibition opens in London

1841 < 1842 < 1843 < 1844 < 1845 < 1846 < 1847 <1848 < 1849 < 1850 < 1851 > 1852 > 1853 > 1854 > 1855 > 1856 > 1857 > 1858 > 1859 > 1860 > 1861

Events

January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion.
February 12 – Edward Hargraves claims to have found gold in Australia.
March 30 – A population census is taken in the United Kingdom. The population reaches 21 million. 6.3 million live in cities of 20,000 or more in England and Wales, and cities of 20,000 or more account for 35% of the total English population.
May 1 – The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London is opened by Queen Victoria (it runs until October 15).
May 15 – The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier.
- Alpha Delta Pi sorority, the first secret society for women, is founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia (U.S.)
August 3 – The filibustering Lopez Expedition sails from New Orleans, Louisiana heading to seize Spanish-ruled Cuba.
August 12 – Isaac Singer is granted a United States patent for his improved sewing machine.
September 1 – Narciso López was executed in Havana following the failure of his expedition in Cuba.
September 18 – The New York Times is founded in New York City.
October – The Reuters news service is founded in London.
November 1 – Saint Petersburg–Moscow Railway officially opened in Russia.
- The first protected submarine telegraph cable is laid, across the English Channel.
December 2 – French coup of 1851: In what amounts to a coup, President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte of France dissolves the French National Assembly, and declares a new constitution to extend his term. A year later he declares himself as Emperor Napoleon III, ending the Second Republic.

Events

Event	Start	End
Pax Brittanica	1815	1915
Victorian era	1840	1901

New Groups

Group	Type	Description
University of the Pacific	Military ranks	Private university in Stockton, California
University of Minnesota	Public Flagship University Land-Grant Sea-Grant Space-Grant	The Technical Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota was a US partner of the Integrity Initiative
Hope College	Military ranks Space-grant	Reformed Christian liberal arts college.
Florida State University	Research Public State university Space-grant university Sea-grant university	Research university in Tallahassee, Florida.
Albany Law School	Military ranks	Private law school in Albany, New York State, with a historically close relationship with the New York Court of Appeals.
Victoria University of Manchester		English university. Merged in 2004 with the University of Manchester.
Santa Clara University	Research Military ranks Non-profit Coeducational Society of Jesus	Private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California.
Scotch College	Military ranks School Presbyterianism Day school	Private Melbourne school.