November 1859 in History

Events in History

Nov 1 The current Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse was lit for the first time. Its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for about 19 miles (30 kilometers), in good conditions.

Murder of Interest

Nov 2 American abolitionist John Brown found guilty of murder, inciting slaves to revolt, and treason against the Virginia Territory during his raid of Harpers Ferry Armory, and sentenced to hang

Nov 12 Jules Leotard performs 1st Flying Trapeze circus act (Paris) He also designed garment that bears his name
Nov 16 Aleksandr Ostrovsky's play "Groza" (The Storm) premieres in Moscow

Historic Publication

Nov 24 English naturalist Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species" radically changing the view of evolution and laying the foundation for evolutionary biology

Historic Publication

Nov 26 Last weekly installment of Charles Dickens' "A Tale Of Two Cities" is published in literary periodical "All the Year Round"

Birthdays in History

Nov 1 Charles Brantley Aycock, 50th Governor of North Carolina (1901-05), born in Wayne County, North Carolina (d. 1912)
Nov 13 Georg Knorr, German engineer (brake system trains), born in Ruda bei Neumark, West Prussia (d. 1911)
Nov 14 Alexander Samsonov, Russian general (Battle of Tennenberg), born in Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1914)
Nov 15 Christopher Hornsrud, Prime Minister of Norway (3 weeks), born in Skotselv, Øvre Eiker, Norway (d. 1960)