* John Austin ( legal philosopher ) ( 1790 – 1859 ), English jurist

In 1859, Nobel's father left his factory in the care of the second son, Ludvig Nobel ( 1831 – 1888 ), who greatly improved the business.

* 1859 – Petroleum is discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania leading to the world's first commercially successful oil well.

* 1779 – Carl Ritter, German geographer ( d. 1859 )

* 1785 – Thomas De Quincey, English author ( d. 1859 )

* 1859 – Charles Comiskey, American baseball player and manager ( d. 1931 )

* 1859 – The Tuscan National Assembly formally deposes the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

* 1859 – Katharine Lee Bates, American poet ( d. 1929 )

* Alexander John Cuza, prince of Romania ( 1859 – 1866 )

* 1859 – A geomagnetic storm causes the Aurora Borealis to shine so brightly that it is seen clearly over parts of USA, Europe, and even as far away as Japan.

* 1859 – Matilda Howell, American archer ( d. 1938 )

* 1859 – Vittorio Sella, Italian photographer ( d. 1943 )

* 1917 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish creator of Esperanto ( b. 1859 )

* 1859 – Knut Hamsun, Norwegian writer, Nobel Prize laureate ( d. 1952 )

* 1859 – British and French engineers break ground for the Suez Canal.

* 1944 – William Stephens, American politician ( b. 1859 )

* 1803 – James Curtiss, American politician, Mayor of Chicago ( d. 1859 )

* 1859 – Walter Camp, American football player, coach, and writer ( d. 1925 )

* 1943 – Alexandre Millerand, French politician, President of France ( b. 1859 )

Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936 ), usually known as A. E. Housman, was an English classical scholar and poet, best known to the general public for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad.

* Page, Norman, ‘ Housman, Alfred Edward ( 1859 – 1936 )’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography ( Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004 )

His siblings included Sarah ( 1802 – 1859 ), Naphtali ( 1807 ), Ralph ( 1809 – 1898 ), and James ( 1813 – 1868 ).

The Viscount Palmerston, Prime Minister 1855 – 58, 1859 – 65

The northern provinces had remained loyal to the Emperor, and hoping to avoid a civil war, Sun Yat-Sen – already proclaimed " provisional president " by his supporters – had come to a compromise with the Emperor's key ally Yuan Shikai ( 1859 – 1916 ); the monarchy would be abolished, and Late Imperial China would be converted into a new Republic of China, but it would be the royalist Yuan and not the revolutionary Sun who would become its first President.

* 1859 – Joshua A. Norton declares himself " Emperor Norton I " of the United States.

* William II, German Emperor ( 1859 – 1941 )

* June 4 – Wilhelm II, last Emperor of Germany ( b. 1859 )

* Wilhelm II, German Emperor ( 1859 – 1941 ), son of Kaiser Friedrich III and was Kaiser during World War I ; abdicated the throne in 1918

Agew Niguse was defeated by Emperor Tewodros, and the commander of a French cruiser sent to Annesley Bay in 1859 found the country in a state of anarchy.

Yuan Shikai ( 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916 ) was an important Chinese general and politician, famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China ( following Sun Yatsen ), and his short-lived attempt to revive the Chinese monarchy, with himself as the " Great Emperor of China.

In 1859 Emperor Napoleon III and Camillo Cavour, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, signed a treaty of alliance against Austria: France would help Sardinia to fight against Austria and Sardinia, in return, would give Nice and Savoy to France.

The Battle of Solferino ( referred to in Italy as the Battle of Solferino and San Martino ) on 24 June 1859 resulted in the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Sardinian Army under Victor Emmanuel II ( together known as the Franco-Sardinian Alliance ) against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz Joseph I.

After a visit to the city by Emperor Pedro II of Brazil in 1859, the city acquired the title of " Imperial City ".

In 1859 Shamil wrote to one of his sons: " By the will of the Almighty, the Absolute Governor, I have fallen into the hands of unbelievers ... the Great Emperor ... has settled me here ... in a tall spacious house with carpets and all the necessities ".

In 1859 Emperor Dom Pedro II had ordered that a flag of the Empire be placed on the highest peak of the Serra do Caparaó.

However, by decree of the Emperor Napoleon III, 2 March 1859, the extinct Dalberg dukedom was revived and extended to the Emmerich de Dalberg's first cousin twice removed, Charles de Tascher de La Pagerie ( who was also a second cousin once removed of Napoleon III ), and redesignated as Duc de Tascher de La Pagerie.

When, in the summer of 1859, Emperor Napoleon III, together with Victor Emmanuel II King of Piedmont and Sardinia, tried to oust the Hapsburgs from their territories in northern Italy, Meissonier received a government commission to illustrate scenes from the campaign.

Another line ruled the Vorlande from 1803 to 1805, and Modena from 1814 to 1859, while Empress Marie Louise, Napoleon's second wife and the daughter of Austrian Emperor Francis, ruled over the Duchy of Parma between 1814 and 1847.

But he would continue to rule until 1859, when the Emperor of Russia would offer Shamil a peaceful surrender, he would even be a guest of the royal palace.

In 1859, Shamil wrote to one of his sons: " By the will of the Almighty, the Absolute Governor, I have fallen into the hands of unbelievers ... the Great Emperor ... has settled me here ... in a tall, spacious house with carpets and all the necessities.

McLane was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Mexico on March 7, 1859 and was charged to determine if the government of Benito Juárez, in opposition to the Emperor, was worthy of recognition.

With the return of peace, Tegetthoff accompanied Fredinand Maximilian on a voyage to Brazil to visit Emperor Pedro II during the winter of 1859 / 60.

The company was named after Joshua A. Norton, a San Francisco citizen noted for proclaiming himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859.

The Carte de Visite was slow to gain widespead use until 1859, when Disdéri published Emperor Napoleon III's photos in this format.

His younger brother Ferdinand Joseph ( who later became Emperor of Mexico ), served as his viceroy in Milan between 1857 and 1859.

Sarria, affectionately known as " Mama José " or similar among Imperial Court members, adopted the nickname " Widow Norton " as a reference to Joshua Norton, a much-celebrated citizen of 19th Century San Francisco who had declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859.