What Happened in 1860

"Blind Tom" Wiggins is first African American to perform at White House

In 1860, Blind Tom performed at the White House before President James Buchanan. Read more

William Henry Johnson, aka 'Zip the Pinhead' Begins Performing at Barnum's American Museum

William Henry Johnson was born to a very poor African-American family. His parents were William and Mahalia Johnson, former slaves. As he grew his... Read more

Swan Patents Partial Vacuum, Carbon Filament Incandescent Lamp

In 1850 he began working on a light bulb using carbonized paper filaments in an evacuated glass bulb. By 1860 he was able to demonstrate a working... Read more

Scientist John Tyndall shows that gas molecules trap heat

Tyndall explained the heat in the Earth's atmosphere in terms of the capacities of the various gases in the air to absorb radiant heat, a.k.a.... Read more

Lenoir Patents First Internal Combustion Two-Stroke Engine

By 1859, Lenoir's experimentation with electricity led him to develop the first internal combustion engine, a single-cylinder two-stroke engine... Read more

Conjoined Twins Chang And Eng Bunker Appear At Barnum's American Museum

Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins from Siam (now Thailand), came to the U.S. in 1829 and toured the nation and the world over the next four... Read more

"Blind Tom" Wiggins publishes "Oliver Gallop" and "Virginia Polka"

Tom Wiggins' piano pieces “Oliver Galop” and “Virginia Polka” were published in 1860. Read more

Pemberton Mill Collapse

What is likely the worst industrial accident in Massachusetts history occurred on January 10, 1860. A large mill located in Lawrence collapsed... Read more

Mathew Brady Photographs Abraham Lincoln Before His Pre-Presidential Speech

Mathew Brady photographed presidential aspirant Abraham Lincoln before his February 27, 1860 speech at Cooper Union in New York. Harper's Weekly... Read more

William Jennings Bryan Is Born

William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. Trained as a lawyer,... Read more

Will Keith W.K. Kellogg is Born

Will Keith Kellogg, usually referred to as W.K. Kellogg (April 7, 1860 – October 6, 1951) was an American industrialist in food manufacturing, best... Read more

Baltimore Sun reviews performance of "Blind Tom" Wiggins

TOM' the MUSICAL WONDER. We enjoyed an opportunity last night to hear the performance of the blind negro boy 'TOM' at Carrol Hall, and though... Read more

Florence Mabel Kling DeWolfe Harding Is Born

Florence Mabel Kling DeWolfe Harding, First Lady during the Warren Harding administration (1921-23), was born on August 15, 1860. An outspoken... Read more

Jane Addams Is Born

Social reformer and pacifist Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860 in Cedarville, Illinois. After graduating from Rockford College in 1881,... Read more

SS Lady Elgin Sinks in Lake Michigan

The Lady Elgin was a luxury steamship that sank in Lake Michigan on the stormy night of September 8, 1860. Returning late from Chicago to Milwaukee... Read more

Abraham Lincoln Elected 16th President of the United States

Lincoln was chosen as the Republican candidate for the 1860 election for several reasons. His expressed views on slavery were seen as more moderate... Read more

First State (South Carolina) Secedes from Union

On December 20, 1860, when it became clear that Lincoln would be the next president, South Carolina became the first state to declare its secession... Read more