Home About us Products Services Contact us Bookmark
:: wikimiki.org ::
Henry Morton Stanley

Henry Morton Stanley

Sir Henry Morton Stanley (also known as Bula Matari (Breaker of Rocks) in Congo), born John Rowlands (January 29 1841 – May 10 1904), was a 19th-century Welsh-born American journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. He was born in Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales; his parents were unmarried, and he was brought up in a workhouse (now HM Stanley Hospital, St Asaph). He later worked his passage to the United States on a ship, and upon arriving in New Orleans, he became friendly with a wealthy trader named Stanley, whose name he assumed. New Orleans After military service with both sides in the American Civil War, Stanley became a journalist, arriving on the staff of the New York Herald in 1867. He became one of their overseas correspondents, and in 1869 was instructed to find the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, who was known to be in Africa but had not been heard from for some time. According to Stanley's no doubt romanticised account, he asked James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the paper's owner, how much he could spend. The reply was "Draw £1,000 now, and when you have gone through that, draw another £1,000, and when that is spent, draw another £1,000, and when you have finished that, draw another £1,000, and so on — BUT FIND LIVINGSTONE!" Stanley travelled to Zanzibar and outfitted an expedition with the best of everything, requiring no less than 2,000 porters. He located Livingstone on November 10 1871, in Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania, and famously greeted him (at least according to his own journal) by saying "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" (which was tongue-in-cheek because Livingstone was the only white person for hundreds of miles). Stanley joined him in exploring the region, establishing for certain that there was no connection between Lake Tanganyika and the river Nile. On his return, he wrote a book about his experiences. The New York Herald, in partnership with Britain's Daily Telegraph, then financed him on another expedition to the African continent, one of his achievements being to solve the last great mystery of African exploration by tracing the course of the river Congo to the sea. Controversy followed Stanley for most of his life. In later years he spent much energy defending himself against charges that his African expeditions had been marked by callous violence and brutality. Despite Stanley's efforts, the facts gradually emerged: his opinion was that "the savage only respects force, power, boldness, and decision." Stanley would eventually be held responsible for a number of deaths and was indirectly responsible for helping establish the rule of King Léopold over the Congo Free State. In 1886, Stanley led the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition to "rescue" Emin Pasha, the governor of Equatoria in the southern Sudan. After immense hardships and great loss of life, Stanley met Emin in 1888, discovered the Ruwenzori Range and Lake Edward, and emerged from the interior with Emin and his surviving followers at the end of 1890. On his return to Europe, he married Welsh artist Dorothy Tennant, and entered Parliament as Unionist member for the London Borough of Lambeth, serving from 1895 to 1900. He died in London on May 10 1904. His grave, in the graveyard of St. Michael's Church in Pirbright, Surrey, is marked by a large piece of granite.

References


- Hall, Richard : Stanley. An Adventurer Explored, London, 1974.
- Stanley, Henry M.(ed. Dorothy Stanley) : The Autobiography of Henry M. Stanley, New York, 1909, 1969.

Further reading


- Pakenham, Thomas: The Scramble for Africa. Abacus History, 1991. ISBN 0349104492
- Dugard, Martin: Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone, 2004. ISBN 0767910745
- Hochschild, Adam: King Leopold's Ghost, 2002. ISBN 0330492330

External links


-
  - Stanley, Henry Morton Stanley, Henry Morton Stanley, Henry Morton Stanley, Henry Morton Stanley, Henry Morton Stanley, Henry Morton Stanley, Henry Morton ko:헨리 모턴 스탠리

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo — also referred to as DRC, DRC Congo, DR Congo, Congo and Congo-Kinshasa — (formerly Zaire) is a nation in central Africa and the third largest country on the continent. It borders the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, and the Republic of the Congo on the west. The country enjoys access to the sea through a narrow forty kilometre stretch, following the Congo river into the Gulf of Guinea. The name "Congo" (meaning "hunter") is coined after the Bakongo tribe, living in the Congo river basin. Formerly, the Belgian colony of the Belgian Congo, the country's post-independence name was changed in 1971, from Congo-Kinshasa (after its capital, to distinguish it from the Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville) to Zaire, until 1997. Since 1998, the country has suffered greatly from the devastating Second Congo War (sometimes referred to as the African World War), the deadliest conflict since World War II.

History

Congolese pre-history

From 2000 BC to AD 500, waves of Bantu migrations moved into what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Although the term "Congo" usually encompasses neighboring Congo-Brazzaville as well) from the northwest, adding to and displacing the indigenous Pygmy populations into the southern regions of the modern DRC state. Subsequent migrations from the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan into the northeast, as well as East Africans migrating into the eastern Congo added to the mix of ethnic groups. The Bantus imported agriculture and iron-working techniques from West Africa into the area, as well as establishing the Bantu language family as the primary set of tongues for the Congolese. In the fifth century, a society began to develop in a region that initially encompassed only a 200 kilometre (125 mi) area along the banks of the Lualaba River in the modern day Katanga province. This culture, known as the Upemba, would eventually evolve into the more significant Luba kingdom. The process in which the original Upemba societies transitioned into the Luba kingdom was gradual and complex. This transition ran without interruption, with several distinct societies developing out of the Upemba culture prior to the genesis of the Luba. Each of these kingdoms became very wealthy due mainly to the region's mineral wealth, especially in ores. The civilization began to develop and implement iron and copper technology, in addition to trading in ivory and other goods. The Luba established a strong commercial demand for their metal technologies and were able to institute a primitive but long-range commercial net (the business connections extended over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi), all the way to the Indian Ocean). By the 1500s the kingdom had an established strong central government based on chieftainship.

Medieval kingdoms

The Kongo Empire

By the fifteenth century, the dominant political force of the Congo region was the Kongo Empire. The Kongo was a highly developed state located primarily in the southwest portion of the modern Congo, in addition to occupying portions of northern Angola and Cabinda. The state was particularly noted by Europeans on their arrival as having developed an intricate system of taxation. At its greatest extent, the empire reached from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Kwango River in the east, and from the Congo River in the north to the Loje River in the south. The kingdom was headed by a king known as the Manikongo who exercised his authority over the Bakongo (Kongo peoples) from his capital in Mbanza-Kongo, which grew into the present day city of Sao Salvador. The empire established itself as the hub of an extensive Central African trade network in which it traded slaves especially, along with other natural resources. The Kongo would eventually sell so many people into slavery that the empire collapsed due to lack of human resources and war with the Portuguese.

Other states

There were numerous other, but much smaller states scattered throughout the territory in the north and northeast of the basin, with Pygmies and other primarily hunter-gatherer populations located mostly in the southern portions of the region. Of particular note is that the populations of the Eastern regions of the premordial Congo were heavily disrupted by constant slaving, mainly from Zanzibari slave dealers. The slave trade in this portion of Africa was primarily Arab in nature (as opposed to the European or Atlantic slave trade) and captured persons were typically shipped off to the Middle East or holdings of Arabian kingdoms for labor.

European exploration and administration (1870–1960)

Arabian European exploration and administration took place from the 1870s until the 1920s. The area was first mapped by the British explorer Henry Morton Stanley. He prepared the region for European colonization. Stanley had undertaken his explorations mainly under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium, who desired what was to become the Congo as a colony. In a succession of negotiations Leopold, professing humanitarian objectives in his capacity as chairman of the Association Internationale Africaine, played one European rival against the other. The Congo territory was acquired formally by Leopold at the Conference of Berlin in 1885. He made the land his private property and named it the Congo Free State. Leopold's regime began undertaking various development projects, such as the railway that ran from the coast to Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) which took years to complete. Nearly all of these projects were aimed at increasing the capital Leopold and his cohorts could extract from the colony, leading to atrocious exploitation of Africans. In the Free State, the local population was brutalized in exchange for rubber, a growing market with the development of rubber tires. The selling of the rubber made a fortune for Leopold, who built several buildings in Brussels and Ostend to honour himself and his country. During the period between 1885 and 1908, between five and fifteen (the commonly accepted figure is about ten) million Congolese died as a consequence of exploitation and diseases. To enforce the rubber quotas, the Force Publique (FP) was called in. The FP was an army, but its aim was not to defend the country, but to terrorise the local population The Force Publique made the practice of cutting off the limbs of the natives as a means of enforcing rubber quotas a matter of policy; this practice was disturbingly widespread. However, there were international protests spearheaded mainly by E. D. Morel and British diplomat/Irish patriot Roger Casement, whose 1904 report on the Congo condemned the practice, as well as famous writers such as Mark Twain. Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness also takes place in Congo Free State. In 1908, the Belgian parliament bowed to international pressure in order to save their last bit of prestige in Europe, forcibly adopting the Free State as a Belgian colony from the king. From then on, it became the Belgian Congo, but in practical terms, things changed only slightly. During World War II the small Congolese army achieved several victories against the Italians in north Africa. The Belgian Congo, which was also rich in uranium deposits, supplied the uranium that was used to build the American atom bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, helping bring World War II to an end. Political Crises (1960-1965) In 1959,Patrice Lumumba, with the MNC party or Mouvement National Congolais, won the first free legislative elections. He was therefore appointed Prime Minister, while Joseph Kasavubu was elected President by the parliament. His party was the ABAKO (Alliance des Bakongo). Other partis that emerged include the PSA or Parti Solidaire Africain (Antoine Gizenga), the PNP or Parti National du Peuple (Albert Delvaux, Laurent Mbariko). Shortly after independence the provinces of Katanga (with Moise Tshombe) and South Kasai seceded. Subsequent events led to a crisis between the President and the Prime Minister. On September 5th 1960, the President dismissed the Prime Minister who will later be killed in Katanga on January 17th 1961. Several gouvernments successively took over in the widespread confusion. They were led by technicians (College des Commissaires), Joseph Ileo, Cyrille Adoula, Moise Tshombe, and Evariste Kimba.

Zaire (1965–1996)

Following five years of extreme instability and civil unrest, Mobutu, now Lieutenant General, overthrew Kasavubu in a 1965 coup d'état. A one-party system was established, and Mobutu declared himself head of state. He would occasionally hold elections in which he was the only candidate. Relative peace and stability was achieved, but Mobutu's government was accused of human rights violations, repression, a cult of personality (every Congolese bank note displayed his image, his portrait was displayed in all public buildings, most businesses, and on billboards, and it was common for ordinary people to wear his likeness on their clothing) and excessive corruption — in 1984 he was said to have four billion U.S. dollars, an amount close to the country's national debt, stashed away in personal Swiss bank accounts. In an effort to spread African national awareness, starting on June 1 1966, Mobutu renamed the nation's cities (Leopoldville became Kinshasa [the country was now Democratic Republic of The Congo–Kinshasa], Stanleyville became Kisangani, and Elisabethville became Lumbumbashi). This city-renaming campaign was completed in the 1970s. In 1971, he renamed the country the Republic of Zaire, its fourth name change in eleven years and its sixth overall. The Congo River became the Zaire River. In 1972, Mobutu renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko. Another way to promote the country's African heritage was to promote old African values and traditions. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. relations with Kinshasa cooled, as Mobutu was no longer deemed a necessary Cold War ally, and his opponents within Zaïre stepped up demands for reform. This atmosphere contributed to Mobutu declaring the Third Republic in 1990, whose constitution was supposed to pave the way for democratic reform. The reforms turned out to be largely cosmetic, and Mobutu's rule continued until conflict forced him to flee Zaire.

War (1996–present)

Since 1994, the Congo has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of Mobutu Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila in May, 1997; he changed the country's name back to Democratic Republic of The Congo-Kinshasa. But when it became clear that the country had exchanged one corrupt dictator for another, his regime was challenged by a Rwandan and Ugandan-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the new regime in Kinshasa. See Foreign relations of Congo and First Congo War. First Congo War A cease-fire was signed on July 10 1999; nevertheless, fighting continues apace especially in the eastern part of the country, financed by revenues from the illegal extraction of minerals such as coltan, cassiterite and diamonds. Kabila was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war. Fighting continued, even after an accord signed in South Africa in 2002. But by late 2003, a fragile peace prevailed. Kabila appointed four vice-presidents, two who had been fighting to oust him until July 2003.

Politics

2002 From the day King Leopold II established colonial authority in what is now Congo-Kinshasa to today, the country's government has been unstable. This is reflected in its seven name changes since 1885: (1) Congo Free State (1885–1908), (2) Belgian Congo (1908–60 [this, incidentally, was the longest period of tranquility the country has experienced]), (3) Republic of The Congo-Leopoldville (1960–64), (4) Democratic Republic of The Congo-Leopoldville (1964–66), (5) Democratic Republic of The Congo-Kinshasa (1966-71), (6) Republic of Zaire (1971–97), and (7) Democratic Republic of The Congo-Kinshasa (since 1997). The government of former president Mobutu Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent Kabila in May 1997, with the support of Rwanda and Uganda. They were later to turn against Kabila and backed a rebellion against him in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. Kabila was assassinated on 16 January 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state ten days later. In October 2002, the new president was successful in getting occupying Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern Congo; two months later, an agreement was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and set up a government of national unity. Elections currently planned for June 2005 appear to have been put on hold as Congolese politicians have yet to approve the newly created constitution. Despite the peace deal: "After eighteen months in power, the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains fragile, far from its goals of peace and effective administration of this huge central African nation. Installed after five years of civil war, the uneasy coalition of former belligerents is plagued by mistrust, dissatisfaction among troops not yet fully integrated in a new national army—including an aborted rebellion by some of them, and challenges from armed groups outside the peace process. It also faces continued interference from neighboring countries, in particular Uganda and Rwanda [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/congo9855.htm]." The presence of UN troops has not stopped most of the eastern portion of the country from the rule of tyranical warlords such as those of the Nationalist and Integrationist Front (NFI), who have committed well-documented human rights abuses in their own economic interests [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/02/congo11041.htm]. The NFI has been accused in the killing of nine UN peacekeepers in February 2005 [http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/26/international/africa/26congo.html&OP=179510d7Q2FQ5C5XQ2FQ5CknUp)nnQ5E_Q5C_ZZ-Q5CZ_Q5C_6Q5CM2Q5EX)2(Q5EMn2(Q22Q5C(F)MU(Q5C_6Un2Q3EnuQ23Q5EdQ22], in addition to massive exploitation of regional mineral wealth, particularly gold [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/02/congo11041.htm]. According to the Human Rights Watch, the east is a human rights disaster area with, "soldiers of the national army and combatants of armed groups continu(ing) to target civilians, killing, raping, and otherwise injuring them, carrying out arbitrary arrests and torture, and destroying or pillaging their property. Tens of thousands of persons have fled their homes, several thousand of them across international borders. After the attempted rebellion and a massacre of Congolese refugees in neighboring Burundi, ethnically-based fear and hatred have risen sharply, emotions that are amplified and manipulated by politicians and some civil society leaders [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/congo9855.htm]." Continuing violence amongst civilians, ethnic hostility, economic explotation, and the violation of civil and political rights are amongst the many human rights abuses that plague the area. The new government has almost no control militarily over the country, especially in the chaotic eastern regions and particularly the Ituri district. The revamped Congolese "military" is a hodge-podge of Kabila's allies coalitioned with former rebel militias. A hundred members of one of these militias went on a rampage in a major town near Kinshasa, killing a number of civilians [http://allafrica.com/stories/200507051015.html] in July 2005. [http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_de_la_R%C3%A9publique_d%C3%A9mocratique_du_Congo View the proposed constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is currently awaiting a referendum. (French)]

Political divisions

Provinces

July 2005 The Congo is divided into ten provinces, and one independent city (Kinshasa). #Bandundu #Bas-Congo # Equateur #Kasai-Occidental #Kasai-Oriental #Katanga(During the Mobutu years, it was called the Shaba Province) #Kinshasa #Maniema #Nord-Kivu #Orientale (Congo) (Formerly Haut-Zaire) #Sud-Kivu

Major cities

Sud-Kivu Sud-Kivu]

- Bandundu (Banningville)
- Bukavu (Constermansville)
- Djokupunda (Charlesvilles)
- Ilebo (Port-Francqui)
- Isiro (Paulis)
- Kalemie (Albertville)
- Kananga (Luluabourg)
- Kinshasa (Léopoldville)
- Kisangani (Stanleyville)
- Kolwezi
- Likasi (Jadotville)
- Lubumbashi (Élisabethville)
- Lukutu (Élisabetha)
- Lusanga (Leverville)
- Mbandaka (Coquilhatville)
- Mbanza-Ngungu (Thysville)
- Moba (Baudoinville)
- Mobaye-Mbongo (Banzyville)
- Mbuji-Mayi (Bakwanga)
- Ubundu (Ponthierville)

Geography

Ubundu The Congo is situated at the heart of the west-central portion of sub-Saharan Africa and is bounded by (Clockwise from the west) Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania across Lake Tanganyika, and Zambia. Its territory also straddles the Equator, with one-third to the north and two-thirds to the south. As a result of its equatorial location, the Congo experiences extremely high amounts of rainfall. The average rainfall for the entire country is about 1,070 millimeters (42 in), which have created the second largest rain forest in the world (after the Amazon). This massive expanse of lush jungle covers most of the vast, low-lying central basin of the river, which slopes toward the Atlantic Ocean in the west. This area is surrounded by plateaus merging into savannas in the south and southwest, by mountainous terraces in the west, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north. High mountains are found in the extreme eastern region. The tropical climate has also produced the Congo River system which dominates the region topographically along with the rainforest it flows through, (though they are not mutually exclusive). The name for the "Congo" state is derived from that of the river, along with that of the Kongo Empire which controlled much of the region in precolonial times. The river basin (meaning the Congo River and all of its myriad tributaries) occupy nearly the entire country and an area of nearly one million square kilometers (400,000 sq mi). The river and its tributaries (major offshoots include the Kasai, Sangha, Ubangi, Aruwimi, and Lulonga) form the backbone of Congolese economics and transportion, they have a drastic impact on the daily lives of the people. The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru. The river flows generally west from Kisangani just below Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwest, passing by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River, and running into the Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool). Kinshasa and Brazzaville are actually on opposite sides of the river at the Pool (see NASA image), then the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls), and then running past Boma into the Atlantic. The river also has the second-largest flow and the second-largest watershed of any river in the world (trailing the Amazon in both respects). The river provides the country's only outlet to the Atlantic, a narrow strip of land on its north bank, otherwise the Congo would be completely landlocked. The previously mentioned Great Rift Valley, in particular the Eastern Rift, plays a key role in shaping the Congo's geography. Not only is the northeastern section of the country much more mountainous, but due the rift's tectonic activities, this area also experiences low levels of volcanic activity. The rifting of the African continent in this area has also manifested itself as the famous Great Lakes which lie on the Congo's eastern frontier. The country is bordered in the east by two of these: Lake Albert and Lake Tanganyika. Perhaps most important of all, the Rift Valley has endowed most of the south and east of the Congo with an enormous amount of mineral wealth. These include cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, and coal. Unfortunately, this wealth has been both a blessing and a curse; the Congo people have not so far reaped the benefits of their country's tremendous mineral resources.

Economy

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo—a nation endowed with vast potential wealth—has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The two recent conflicts, which began in 1996, have dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, has increased external debt, and has resulted in the deaths from war, famine, and disease of perhaps 3.8 million people. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President Joseph Kabila has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data.

Demographics

The population was estimated at 56.6 million in 2003, growing quickly from 46.7 million in 1997. As many as 250 ethnic groups have been distinguished and named. The most numerous people are the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. Although 700 local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala. About 80% of the Congolese population are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic. Most of the non-Christians adhere to either traditional religions or syncretic sects. Traditional religions embody such concepts as monotheism, animism, vitalism, spirit and ancestor worship, witchcraft, and sorcery and vary widely among ethnic groups; none is formalized. The syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals. The most popular of these sects, Kimbanguism, was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu," now has about 3 million members, primarily among the Bakongo of Bas-Congo and Kinshasa. Kinshasa

Languages

Kinshasa There is an estimated total of 242 languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Out of these, only 4 have the status of national languages: Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili. Lingala was made the official language of the army under Mobutu, but since the rebellions the army also uses Swahili in the West. French is the official language of the country. It is meant to be an ethnically neutral language, to ease communication between all the different ethnic groups of the Congo. When the country was a Belgian colony, the four national languages were already used in primary schools, which makes the country one of the few to have had literacy in local languages during the occupation by Europeans.

Culture

Flora and fauna

French] The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species, including both species of chimpanzee: the Common chimpanzee and the bonobo (also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee), mountain gorilla, okapi and white rhino. Five of the country's national parks are listed as World Heritage Sites: the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and Virunga National Parks, and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The civil war and resultant poor economic conditions have endangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or could not afford to continue their work. All five sites are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage In Danger. Over the past century or so, the DRC has developed into the epicenter of what has been called the Central African "bushmeat" problem, which is regarded by many as a major environmental, as well as, socio-economic crisis. "Bushmeat" is another word for the meat of wild animals. It is typically obtained through trapping, usually with wire snares, or otherwise with shotguns or arms originally intended for use in the DRC's numerous military conflicts. The "bushmeat crisis" has emerged in the DRC mainly as a result of the poor living conditions of the Congolese people. A rising population combined with deplorable economic conditions has forced many Congolese to become dependent on bushmeat, either as a means of acquiring income (hunting the meat and selling), or are dependent on it for nutritional sustainance. Unemployment and urbanization throughout Central Africa have exacerbated the problem further by turning cities like the urban sprawl of Kinshasa into the prime market for bushmeat.Kinshasa This combination has caused not only widespread endangerment of local fauna, but has forced humans to trudge deeper into the wilderness in search of the desired animal meat. This overhunting results in the deaths of more animals and makes resources even more scarce for humans. The hunting has also been facilitated by the extensive logging prevelant throughout the Congo's rainforests (from corporate logging, in addition to farmers clearing out forest in order to create areas for agriculture), which allows hunters much easier access to previously unreachable jungle terrain, while simultaneously eroding away at the habitats of animals [http://www.bushmeat.org/pdf/19%20May%2001%20AM%2001%20Policy-Fotabong%20and%20Gartlan.pdf]. A particularly alarming case of bushmeat hunting is that of primates. The Congo is inhabited not only by two distinct species of chimpanzee, both belonging to the genus Pan, the Common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo (Pan paniscus), but gorilla as well. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the only country in the world in which bonobo are found in the wild. The two species of chimpanzees as well as gorillas are the closest living evolutionary relatives to humans. Both the Pan and Gorilla genuses are now considered to be part of the subfamily Homininae to which humans also belong and it has even been proposed that the chimpanzees should be recatagorized in the genus Homo as well. These apes are closely related to humans and are considered highly intelligent and much concern has been raised about Great ape extinction. Because of hunting and habitat destruction, the chimpanzee and the gorilla, both of whose population once numbered in the millions have now dwindled down to only about 200,000 per species. Gorillas and both incarnations of chimpanzee are classified as Endangered by the World Conservation Union.

See also


- List of writers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Wagenya,rapids on Congo River in Kisangani, interesting fishing method by the Wagenya people

Miscellaneous topics


- Communications in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Holidays in Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Transportation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Further reading


- Michela Wrong, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo

External links

News
- [http://allafrica.com/congo_kinshasa/ allAfrica - Congo-Kinshasa] news headline links
- [http://www.lecsf.org/ Le Congo Sans Frontieres] news headline links (in French)
- [http://www.lesoftonline.net/ Le Soft] government-supporting newspaper (in French)
- [http://news.yahoo.com/fc/democratic_republic_of_congo Yahoo! News Full Coverage - DR Congo] news headline links
- [http://www.rdc-humanitaire.net] DRC news for the humanitarian community Overviews
- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cg.html CIA World Factbook - Democratic Republic of the Congo]
- [http://www.guardian.co.uk/congo/0,12292,765616,00.html Guardian Unlimited - Special Report: Congo]
- [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/zrtoc.html Library of Congress Country Study - Zaire (Former)] data as of December 1993 Directories
- [http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317836/us317916/us559898/us559899/us10065674/us559914/ LookSmart - Democratic Republic of the Congo] directory category
- [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Congo,_Democratic_Republic_of_the/ Open Directory Project - Democratic Republic of the Congo] directory category
- [http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/zaire.html Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Democratic Republic of the Congo] directory category
- [http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Zaire.html University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Democratic Republic of Congo] directory category
- [http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Congo__Democratic_Republic_of_the/ Yahoo! - Congo, Democratic Republic of the] directory category Ethnic Groups
- [http://www.pygmies.info/ African Pygmies] Culture and music of the first inhabitants of Congo, with photos and ethnographic notes Tourism Other
- [http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/congojournal United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Ripples of Genocide: Journey Through Eastern Congo] The journal depicted in this Web site is compiled from the impressions and contributions of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, and two photographers.
- [http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engafr620342003 Amnesty International - Children at War] September 2003 report on child soldiers in DRC
- [http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/Africa/DRC.asp Globalissues.org - The Democratic Republic of Congo] last updated October 31, 2003
- [http://www.countrywatch.com/mi_topic.asp?vCOUNTRY=40&SECTION=COVER&TOPIC=POHIS&TYPE=TEXT Military.com - CountryWatch: Congo (DRC)] Category:African Union member states Category:Peace and Security Council zh-min-nan:Congo Bîn-chú Kiōng-hô-kok ko:콩고 민주 공화국 ms:Republik Demokratik Congo ja:コンゴ民主共和国

1841

1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar).

Events


- January 26 - The United Kingdom occupies Hong Kong. Later during the year, the first census of the island recorded a population of about 7,500.
- February 18 - The first ongoing filibuster in the United States Senate begins and lasts until March 11.
- March 4 - Martin Van Buren, President of the United States is succeeded by William Henry Harrison.
- March 9 - The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Amistad case that the Africans who seized control of the ship had been taken into slavery illegally.
- April 4 - President William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia becoming the first President of the United States to die in office and at one month, the elected president with the shortest term served. He is succeeded by Vice President John Tyler.
- August 16 - U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history.
- September 24 - United Kingdom annexes Sarawak from Brunei; James Brooke is appointed rajah
- November 13 - James Braid first sees a demonstration of animal magnetism, which leads to his study of the subject he eventually calls hypnosis.
- The two colonies of the Canadas are merged into the Province of Canada.
- Queen's University is founded in Kingston, Canada, by Rev. Thomas Liddell, who carried a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria and became the school's first Principal.
- Fordham University is founded in The Bronx by the Society of Jesus. Its name at founding is St. John's College.
- With the help of industrial espionage, August Borsig builds the first German locomotives.

Births


- January 7 - Bernadette Soubirous, a visionary from Lourdes. (d. 1879)
- January 14 - Berthe Morisot, French painter (d. 1895)
- January 25 - Jackie Fisher, British admiral (d. 1920)
- January 28 - Henry Morton Stanley, Welsh explorer and journalist (d. 1904)
- February 2 - François-Alphonse Forel, Swiss hydrologist (d. 1912)
- February 4 - Clément Ader, French engineer, inventor, and airplane pioneer (d. 1926)
- February 25 - Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French painter (d. 1919)
- March 8 - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1935)
- April 13 - Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor (d. 1905)
- May 10 - James Gordon Bennett, Jr., American newspaper publisher (d. 1918)
- August 25 - Emil Kocher, Swiss medical researcher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1917)
- September 8 - Antonin Dvorak, Czech composer (d. 1904)
- September 28 - Georges Clemenceau, French statesman (d. 1929)
- October 7 - King Nicholas I of Montenegro (d. 1921)
- October 16 - Prince Hirobumi Ito, Japanese governor of Korea (d. 1909)
- November 6 - Nelson W. Aldrich, Senator from Rhode Island (d. 1915)
- November 9 - King Edward VII of the United Kingdom (d. 1910)
- November 20 - Wilfrid Laurier, seventh Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1919)
- December 6 - Frédéric Bazille, French painter (d. 1870)
- December 20 - Ferdinand Buisson, French pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1932)

Deaths


- February 17 - Ferdinando Carulli, Italian guitarist
- March 1 - Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno, French marshal (b. 1764)
- April 4 - William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (b. 1773)
- April 28 - Peter Chanel, French Roman Catholic missionary (martyred) (b. 1803)
- May 20 - Joseph Blanco White, British theologian (b. 1775)
- May 23 - Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
- June 1 - David Wilkie, Scottish artist (b. 1785)
- August 24 - Theodore Edward Hook, English author (b. 1788) Category:1841 ko:1841년 ms:1841

May 10

May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). There are 235 days remaining.

Events


- 1291 - Scottish nobles recognize the authority of King Edward I of England.
- 1497 - Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World.
- 1503 - Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there.
- 1534 - Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland.
- 1768 - John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for the North Briton severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London.
- 1774 - Louis XVI becomes King of France.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: Fort Ticonderoga is taken by a small force led by Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: Representatives from the 13 colonies of the United States meet in Philadelphia and raise the Continental Army to defend the new republic. They place it under command of Cavalier George Washington of Virginia.
- 1796 - First Coalition: Napoleon I of France wins a decisive victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the River Adda in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men.
- 1801 - First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States.
- 1837 - Panic of 1837: New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels.
- 1857 - Indian Mutiny: In India, the Sepoys revolt against the British Army.
- 1865 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is captured by Union troops near Irwinville, Georgia.
- 1865 - American Civil War: Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill in Kentucky, who lingers until his death on June 6.
- 1869 - The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah).
- 1872 - Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
- 1877 - Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, recognized on March 26, 1881 after the end of the Romanian independence war.
- 1908 - Mother's Day is observed for the first time (Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, USA).
- 1924 - J. Edgar Hoover is appointed the Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and remains so until his death in 1972.
- 1933 - Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
- 1940 - World War II: The first German bombs of the war fall on England at Chilham and Petham, in Kent.
- 1940 - World War II: Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
- 1940 - World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1941 - World War II: The House of Commons in London is destroyed by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.
- 1941 - World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland in order to try and negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.
- 1954 - Bill Haley and the Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the charts.
- 1960 - The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth.
- 1969 - The first "Zip to Zap" rural outdoor rock concert at Zap, North Dakota, is ended prematurely as North Dakota National Guard is ordered to disperse the unruly crowd.
- 1979 - The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
- 1981 - François Mitterrand takes office as the first Socialist President of France.
- 1988 - Michel Rocard becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1993 - In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills 188 workers, mostly young women.
- 1994 - The U.S. state of Illinois executes serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murder of 33 young men and boys.
- 1994 - An annular eclipse of the sun is visible across much of North America.
- 1996 - A "rogue storm" near the summit of Mount Everest kills eight climbers, making this the deadliest day in the mountain's history. Among the dead are experienced climbers Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, both of whom were leading paid expeditions to the summit.
- 1997 - An earthquake near Ardekul in northeastern Iran kills at least 2,400 people.
- 1998 - National elections are held in Hungary.
- 2001 - In Ghana, a stampede at a football game kills over 120 spectators.
- 2002 - FBI agent Robert Hanssen is given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for selling American secrets to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
- 2002 - Lynda Lyon Block is executed in Yellow Mama, the electric chair of Alabama.
- 2003 - Record shattering tornado activity during the May 2003 Tornado Outbreaks.
- 2005 - A live hand grenade lands about 100 feet from United States President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but malfunctions and does not detonate. Vladimir Arutinian later admits throwing the grenade.

Births


- 1265 - Emperor Fushimi of Japan (d. 1317)
- 1604 - Jean Mairet, French dramatist (d. 1686)
- 1641 - Dudley North, English economist (d. 1691)
- 1727 - Anne Robert Turgot, French statesman (d. 1781)
- 1760 - Johann Peter Hebel, German poet (d. 1826)
- 1770 - Louis Nicolas Davout, French marshal (d. 1823)
- 1838 - John Wilkes Booth, American actor and assassin of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1865)
- 1841 - James Gordon Bennett Jr., American publisher (d. 1918)
- 1866 - Léon Bakst, Russian artist (d. 1924)
- 1872 - Marcel Mauss, French sociologist (d. 1950)
- 1878 - Gustav Stresemann, Chancellor of Germany, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1929)
- 1886 - Karl Barth, Swiss Protestant theologian (d. 1968)
- 1886 - Felix Manalo, first Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (d. 1963)
- 1888 - Max Steiner, Austrian composer (d. 1971)
- 1889 - Mae Murray, American actress (d. 1965)
- 1890 - Alfred Jodl, German general (d. 1946)
- 1897 - Einar Gerhardsen, Prime minister of Norway (d. 1987)
- 1899 - Fred Astaire, American singer, dancer, and actor (d. 1987)
- 1899 - Dimitri Tiomkin, Ukrainian-born composer (d. 1979)
- 1902 - Anatole Litvak, Ukrainian-born film director (d. 1974)
- 1902 - David O. Selznick, American film producer (d. 1965)
- 1909 - Maybelle Carter, American musician
- 1916 - Milton Babbitt, American composer
- 1927 - Nayantara Sahgal, Indian author
- 1928 - Arnold Rüütel, Estonian president
- 1930 - Pat Summerall, American football player and broadcaster
- 1933 - Barbara Taylor Bradford, English writer
- 1934 - Cliff Wilson, Welsh snooker player (d. 1994)
- 1936 - Gary Owens, American actor and announcer
- 1944 - Jim Abrahams, American film director
- 1946 - Donovan, Scottish musician
- 1946 - Dave Mason, English musician (Traffic)
- 1953 - John Diamond, British journalist (d. 2001)
- 1955 - Chris Berman, American sportscaster
- 1955 - Mark David Chapman, American assassin of John Lennon
- 1955 - Ashoka Jahnavi-Prasad, scientist
- 1956 - Vladislav Listyev, Russian television anchor and journalist
- 1957 - Sid Vicious, English bassist (The Sex Pistols) (d. 1979)
- 1958 - Rick Santorum, U.S. Senator
- 1960 - Bono, Irish singer ( U2)
- 1965 - Linda Evangelista, Canadian model
- 1966 - Jonathan Edwards, British athlete
- 1969 - Dennis Bergkamp, Dutch footballer
- 1970 - David Weir, Scottish footballer
- 1971 - Ådne Søndrål, Norwegian speed skater
- 1972 - Radosław Majdan, Polish footballer
- 1975 - Hélio Castroneves, Brazilian race car driver
- 1977 - Nick Heidfeld, German Formula 1 driver
- 1980 - Jørgen Scharling Rasmussen, Danish singer and cartoonist

Deaths


- 1290 - Duke Rudolph II of Austria (b. 1271)
- 1424 - Go-Kameyama, Emperor of Japan
- 1482 - Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1397)
- 1493 - Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, Scottish politician
- 1521 - Sebastian Brant, Alsatian humanist (b. 1457)
- 1566 - Leonhart Fuchs, German botanist (b. 1501)
- 1641 - Johan Banér, Swedish soldier (b. 1596)
- 1657 - Gustaf Horn, Swedish soldier and politician (b. 1592)
- 1691 - Colonel John Birch, English soldier (b. 1615)
- 1696 - Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (b. 1645)
- 1717 - John Hathorne, American magistrate (b. 1641)
- 1726 - Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier (b. 1670)
- 1733 - Barton Booth, English actor (b. 1681)
- 1737 - Nakamikado Emperor of Japan (b. 1702)
- 1774 - King Louis XV of France (b. 1710)
- 1787 - William Watson, English physician and scientist (b. 1715)
- 1792 - John Stevens, American delegate to the Continental Congress
- 1807 - Comte de Rochambeau, French soldier (b. 1725)
- 1818 - Paul Revere, American patriot (b. 1735)
- 1829 - Thomas Young, English physician and linguist (b. 1773)
- 1850 - Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French chemist and physicist (b. 1778)
- 1863 - Stonewall Jackson, American Confederate general (b. 1824)
- 1889 - Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian satirist (b. 1826)
- 1897 - Andrés Bonifacio, Filipino revolutionary leader (b. 1863)
- 1950 - Belle da Costa Greene, librarian, bibliographer, archivist (b. 1883)
- 1955 - Tommy Burns, Canadian boxer (b. 1881)
- 1960 - Yury Olesha, Russian novelist (b. 1899)
- 1977 - Joan Crawford, American actress (b. 1905)
- 1990 - Walker Percy, American author (b. 1916)
- 1994 - John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (executed) (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Shel Silverstein, American poet and composer (b. 1930)
- 2003 - Milan Vukcevich, Yugoslavian chemist and chess problem composer (b. 1937)
- 2005 - David Wayne, American singer (Metal Church) (b. 1958)

Holidays and Observances


- Feast Day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
  - Solange
  - Saint Alphius
  - Saint Aurelian
  - Saint William of Pontoise
  - Saint Calepodius
  - Saint Cataldus
  - Saint Comgall
  - Saint Dioscorides
  - Saint Epimachus
  - Gordianus
  - Isidore the Laborer
  - Saint John of Avila
  - Saint Quaratus and Quintus
  - Saint Peter Van
- Memorial Day of Blessed Damien of Moloka'i in Christianity
- Celebration of the Clandestine Retreat of Ma'at and Re in Ancient Egypt
- Confederate Memorial Day in North Carolina and South Carolina
- Constitution Day in the Federated States of Micronesia
- Inauguration Day in South Africa
- Sita Pujan in Hinduism
- Tin Han's Day in China
- Start of Tori no Mawari/Bird Week in Japan
- Mania (mythology) in Ancient Rome
- Dia de la Madre in Mexico
- Mother's Day - 1987, 1998, 2009
- Yom Ha'atzma'ut in Judaism - 2000
- Lag Ba'omer in Judaism - 2012

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/10 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050720.html The New York Times: On This Day]
- [http://www.thisdaythatyear.com/may/people10.htm ThisDayThatYear.com on May 10] ---- May 9 - May 11 - April 10 - June 10 – listing of all days ko:5월 10일 ja:5月10日 simple:May 10 th:10 พฤษภาคม

19th century

:Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) The 19th century lasted from 1801 to 1900 in the Gregorian calendar (using the Common Era system of year numbering). Historians sometimes define a "Nineteenth Century" historical era stretching from 1815 (The Congress of Vienna) to 1914 (The outbreak of the First World War).

Europe

For Europe, the period is marked with revolution, social upheaval, and the emergence of a united conservatism from the monarchs of Europe in response to the emerging republican firestorm spreading from revolutionary France. There were many revolutions in Europe in 1848. Furthermore, the later end of the century was dominated by what many call the New Imperialism, which was the rapid aquisition of colonies worldwide by European powers, most noteworthy is the Scramble for Africa. Many countries in Europe underwent an Industrial Revolution, especially Britain and Germany, that spread elsewhere by the end of the century, with factories and railway lines built all over the continent. The start of the 19th century there was a struggle between France and Britain and their allies for control of Europe and the world during the Napoleonic Wars, with Napoleon being finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. During the rest of the century, the British empire became the largest and most powerful empire in history, during the period known as the Pax Britannica.

Americas

In the Americas, the United States slowly grew economically, militarily, and politically, but nevertheless faced dramatic changes domestically, best seen in the Civil War, the end of slavery, and the expansion across the American continent known as Manifest Destiny. Industrially, America will explode following the Civil War, and would eventually begin expansion outward across the Pacific Ocean and in Latin America.

Other countries

For the rest of the world, there were few places not influenced by the West in some fashion, whether through colonialism, imperialism, or war. European powers gained increasing influence in China, where Qing control had weakened, and wars were fought by the western powers against China, such as the first and the second Opium wars and Sino-French War. Japan, which was forcibly opened to Western trade, began a rapid industrialisation. Africa which was largely free from European control at the start of the century, was almost completely dominated by Europe at the end of it, with the Scramble for Africa in the 1880s and 1890s. Large European settlement, especially British, of colonies such as Australia, New Zealand and the Cape Colony continued during the nineteenth century.

Events


- 1801: The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merge to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- 1803: The United States buys out France's territorial claims in North America via the Louisiana Purchase.
- 1804-06: Americans Meriwether Lewis and William Clark lead an expedition to the Pacific Coast and back.
- 1805-48: Muhammad Ali modernizes Egypt.
- 1806: Holy Roman Empire dissolved as a consequence of the Treaty of Lunéville.
- 1809: Napoleon strips the Teutonic Knights of their last holdings in Bad Mergentheim.
- 1813-1917: The contest between the British Empire and Imperial Russia for control of Central Asia is referred to as the Great Game.
- 1815: Congress of Vienna redraws the European map.
- 1815: Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo brings a conclusion to the Napoleonic Wars and marks the beginning of a Pax Britannica which lasts until 1870.
- 1816: Year Without a Summer
- 1816-28: Shaka's Zulu kingdom becomes the largest in Southern Africa.
- 1819: The modern city of Singapore is established by the British East India Company.
- 1820: Liberia founded by the American Colonization Society for freed American slaves.
- 1830: France invades and occupies Algeria.
- 1830: The Belgian Revolution in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands led to the creation of Belgium.
- 1833: Slavery Abolition Act bans slavery throughout the British Empire.
- 1834: Spanish Inquisition officially ends.
- 1835-36: The Texas Revolution in Mexico resulted in the short-lived Republic of Texas.
- 1837-1901: Queen Victoria's reign is considered the apex of the British Empire and is referred to as the Victorian era.
- 1845-49: Irish Potato Famine
- 1848: The Communist Manifesto published.
- 1848: Revolutions of 1848 in Europe
- 1848-58: California Gold Rush
- 1850: The Little Ice Age ends around this time.
- 1851-60s: Victorian gold rush in Australia
- 1851-64: The Taiping Rebellion in China
- 1854: The Convention of Kanagawa formally ends Japan's policy of Sakoku.
- 1855: Bessemer process enables steel to be mass produced.
- 1856: World's first oil refinery in Romania
- 1857-58: Indian rebellion of 1857
- 1859: The Origin of Species published.
- 1864-67: French intervention in Mexico
- 1865-77: Reconstruction in the United States
- 1866: Successful transatlantic telegraph cable follows an earlier attempt in 1858.
- 1866: Creation of the North German Confederation and the Austrian-Hungarian Dual Monarchy.
- 1866-69: Meiji Restoration in Japan
- 1867: The United States purchased Alaska from Russia.
- 1867: Canadian Confederation formed.
- 1869: First Transcontinental Railroad completed in United States.
- 1869: The Suez Canal opens linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
- 1870-71: Unifications of Germany and Italy.
- 1871-1914: Second Industrial Revolution
- 1870s-90s: Long Depression in Western Europe and North America
- 1872: Yellowstone National Park created.
- 1874: The British East India Company is dissolved.
- 1877: Great Railroad Strike in the United States may have been the world's first nationwide labor strike.
- 1877-78: The Balkans are freed from the Ottoman Empire after another Russo-Turkish War.
- 1878: First commercial telephone exchange in New Haven, Connecticut.
- 1880-1902: Great Britain conquers Dutch settlers in South Africa in two Boer Wars.
- 1882: First electrical power plant and grid in Manhattan.
- 1884-85: The Berlin Conference signals the start of the European Scramble for Africa. Attending nations also agree to ban trade in slaves.
- 1885: Unification of Bulgaria
- 1890: The Wounded Knee Massacre is the last battle in the American Indian Wars.
- 1894-95: After the First Sino-Japanese War, China cedes Taiwan to Japan and grants Japan a free hand in Korea.
- 1895-1896: Ethiopia defeated Italy in the First Italo-Abyssinian War.
- 1896: Olympic games revived in Athens.
- 1896: Klondike Gold Rush in Canada
- 1898: The United States gains control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War.
- 1898-1900: The Boxer Rebellion in China is suppressed by an Eight-Nation Alliance.

Wars

List of wars 1800–1899
- 1799-1815: Napoleonic Wars.
- 1801-15: Barbary Wars between the United States and the Barbary States of North Africa.
- 1806-12: Russo-Turkish War
- 1810-21: Mexican War of Independence.
- 1810s-20s: South American Wars of Independence.
- 1812-15: War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain.
- 1821-32: Greek War of Independence.
- 1828-29: Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829
- 1833-76: Carlist Wars in Spain.
- 1839-60: After two Opium Wars, Great Britain, France, the United States and Russia gain many concessions from China.
- 1854-56: Crimean War between Great Britain,