Reform of Electoral System
Reform Bill, Introduces & loses the bill for extending the franchise
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1859 in Great Britain — Page 2
Explore 58 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1859.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1859
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 18 of 58 unique records.
58Unique records
2 of 2Page
16Named events on this page
10Named people on this page
4Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Reform of Royal Succession
Palmerston & Russell resolve their differences & found of the modern Liberal Party
Reform of Royal Succession
Palmerston & Russell resolve their differences & found of the modern Liberal Party
Resignation of Richard Cobden
Resigned in opposition to the Crimea War in 1857 but returns to office in 1859
Royal Albert Bowstring Tubular Principle Completed
Brunel combines tubular compression arches with suspension chains to create the bridge's distinctive bowstring structural system.
Royal Albert Bridge Cost Held below £225000
The completed bridge is recorded as costing under two hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds.
Royal Albert Engineering Inscription Added
The Cornish portal carries the prominent inscription 'I K BRUNEL ENGINEER 1859' as part of the completed bridge.
Royal Albert Main Spans Set at 135 Metres
The completed bridge uses two principal spans of about 135 metres each across the navigable Tamar.
Royal Albert Navigation Clearance Achieved
The bridge provides the high navigation clearance demanded by the Admiralty while carrying the railway across the Tamar.
Royal Albert Seventeen Approach Spans Completed
Seventeen approach spans connect Brunel's two main river spans with the railway on both banks.
Tale of Two Cities
Publication of "Tale of Two Cities"
The Rambler
Acton is appointed Editor of the Roman Catholic monthly paper, The Rambler, in 1859, on John Henry (later Cardinal) Newmans retirement from the editorship
Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform
Publication of "Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform". Publication of "On Liberty"
Three Bridges Engineering Work
The structure becomes one of Brunel's rare surviving iron bridges.
Treaty of Cobden
Michel Chevalier visits Gladstone to discuss Anglo-French free trade. Gladstone has a budget surplus & wishes to quell anti French feeling
Treaty of Cobden
Has a budget surplus & wishes to quell anti-French feeling. Chevalier visits Gladstone to discuss Anglo-French free trade
Vice President
Appointed Vice President of the Education Board
Windmill Bridge Opens
Completes the combined road, rail and canal crossing known as Windmill Bridge.
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.