Construction of Suez Canal
Opens construction work at Port Said, beginning the excavation of the Suez Canal.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1859 in France
Explore 38 historical events and records for France in 1859.
Historical records for France in 1859
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 38 of 38 unique records.
38Unique records
1 of 1Page
36Named events on this page
11Named people on this page
14Places on this page
April
Port Said
Work starts on the shore of the future Port Said
Suez Canal
Work starts on the shore of the future Port Said. The excavation takes some 10 years using forced labor (corvee) of Egyptian workers, sources estimate that over 30,000 people were working on the canal at any given period, that more than 1.5 million people from various countries were employed, and that thousands of laborers died
May
Declaration of War
France declares war Austria
Siege of Milan
French victory at Magenta is followed by the French liberation of Milan
Birth of Pierre Curie
Birth of Pierre Curie in Paris.
Marshal
Appointed Marshal after the Battle of Magenta
Peerage
Created Duke of Magenta, after the Battle of Magenta
June
Battle of Magenta
Transforms the battle into a French victory. MacMahon is created Duke of Magenta for his role in this battle, and later serves as President of the French Republic. French victory at Magenta is followed by the French liberation of Milan
Battle of Magenta
Napoleon IIIs army crossed the Ticino River and outflanked the Austrian right forcing the Austrian army under General Gyulai to retreat
Battle of Solferino
The Austrians are defeated by the French & Sardinians
July
Armistice
France & Austria agree an armistice
October
Birth of Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson is born in Paris to a Polish father and an English mother.
November
Peace
Under the peace of Villafranca Parma & Lombardy are ceded to France
Rule of Lombardy
Under the peace of Villafranca Parma & Lombardy are ceded to France
Rule of Parma
Under the peace of Villafranca Parma & Lombardy are ceded to France
Peace
The Treaty of Zurich confirms the peace of Villafranca
Treaty of Zurich
The Treaty of Zurich confirms the peace of Villafranca
December
Birth of George's Surat
Birth of George's Surat
Other events (month unknown)
Admiral Shifts Attention Toward Saigon
Rigault de Genouilly decided to redirect major effort toward southern Vietnam after the campaign at Tourane stagnated.
Alliance Napoleon III and Sardinia
Allies with Sardinia against Austria
Allied Soldiers Endure Cholera Outbreaks
Illness caused serious losses among French and Spanish personnel and undermined their ability to campaign beyond the coast.
Allies with Italian States in gaining unity
Allies with Italian States in gaining unity
Excavation Begins Near Port Said
Construction of the Suez Canal began near Port Said in April under the enterprise led by de Lesseps.
Faust Paris Premiere
Charles Gounod's Faust premiered in Paris, dramatizing a scholar's bargain and the tragic consequences for Marguerite.
French Command Weighs Tourane Withdrawal
The failure to defeat Vietnamese defences prompted renewed discussions about the value of maintaining the Tourane position.
French Troops Capture Kien Chan Forts
French forces captured the Kien Chan fortifications in November but failed to obtain decisive political concessions.
Kien Chan Victory Fails To End Siege
Despite taking new coastal defences Page could not overcome the strategic deadlock surrounding the expedition.
Mercury Perihelion Anomaly
Reports the unexplained advance of Mercury's perihelion, later explained by general relativity.
Negotiators Fail To Agree Terms
Page's attempts to reach a settlement foundered as the Vietnamese authorities resisted French demands.
Orbit of Mercury
Le Verrier was the first to report that the slow precession of Mercurys orbit around the Sun could not be completely explained by Newtonian mechanics and perturbations by the known planets
Page Explores Negotiations With Vietnam
Francois Page pursued discussions with Vietnamese representatives in an effort to end the costly military impasse.
Page Orders Kien Chan Bombardment
Admiral Page ordered an attack on the Kien Chan forts near Tourane after negotiations failed.
Page Takes Over Expeditionary Command
Admiral Francois Page assumed command of French operations in Vietnam while the stalemate around Tourane persisted.
Part Of Expedition Departs Tourane
Rigault de Genouilly transferred elements of his expedition away from Tourane for operations against Saigon.
Rigault De Genouilly Relinquishes Command
Rigault de Genouilly was replaced by Admiral Francois Page as French leadership reassessed the campaign in Vietnam.
Tourane Expedition Reassesses Objectives
Page considered the limited benefits of holding Tourane in comparison with the resources needed elsewhere.
Tourane Garrison Confronts Supply Problems
The isolated allied garrison faced logistical and medical difficulties while Vietnamese resistance continued.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.