1853

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Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	18th century – 19th century – 20th century
Decades:	1820s 1830s 1840s – 1850s – 1860s 1870s 1880s
Years:	1850 1851 1852 – 1853 – 1854 1855 1856

1853 in topic:
Subjects: Archaeology – Architecture –
Art – Literature (Poetry) – Music – Science
Sports – Rail Transport
Countries: Australia – Canada – France – Germany – Ireland – Mexico – Netherlands – New Zealand – Norway – South Africa – Spain – UK – USA
Leaders: State leaders – Colonial governors
Category: Establishments – Disestablishments
Births – Deaths – Works v • d • e

Events of 1853

January 8 – Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan is ordered to assist the governor of Hunan in organising a militia force to search for local bandits.
January 12 – Taiping Rebellion: The Taiping army occupies Wuchang.
January 19 – Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore premieres in performance at Teatro Apollo in Rome.
February 10 – Taiping Rebellion: Taiping forces assemble at Hanyang, Hankou and Wuchang for the march on Nanjing.
February 12 – Puerto Montt is founded in the Reloncaví Sound, Chile.
February 22 – Washington University is founded as Eliot Seminary.

March 4 – Franklin Pierce succeeds Millard Fillmore as the 14th President of the United States.
March 20 – Taiping Rebellion: A rebel army of around 750,000 seizes Nanjing, killing 30,000 Imperial troops.
May – An outbreak of yellow fever kills 7,790 in New Orleans.
May 23 – The first plat for Seattle, Washington is laid out.
June 27 – Taiping Rebellion: The Northern Expeditionary Force crosses the Yellow River.

July 8 – U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Edo Bay with a request for a trade treaty.
July 25 Outlaw and bandit Joaquin Murietta is killed in California.
August 12 – New Zealand acquires self-government.
August 23 – The first true International Meteorological Organization is established in Brussels, Belgium.
August 24 – Potato chips are first prepared.
September 19 – Hudson Taylor first leaves for China.

The Battle of Sinop was the last major naval battle involving sailing warships.

October 4/October 5 – Crimean War: The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia.
October 28 – Crimean War: The Ottoman army crosses the Danube into Vidin/Kalafat in Wallachia.
October 30 – Taiping Rebellion: The Taiping Northern Expeditionary Force comes within three miles (5 km) of Tianjin.
November 3 – Troops of William Walker capture La Paz in Baja California and declare the (short-lived) Republic of Lower California.
November 4 – Crimean War – Battle of Oltenitza: Turkish victory over Russians.
November 15 – Maria II of Portugal is succeeded by her son Pedro.
November 30 – Crimean War – Battle of Sinop: The Russian fleet destroys the Turkish fleet.
December 6 – Taiping Rebellion: French minister de Bourboulon arrives at the Heavenly Capital aboard the Cassini.
December 30 – Gadsden Purchase: The United States buys land from Mexico to facilitate railroad building in the Southwest.

The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum is founded.
The American and German piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons is founded.
Alexander Wood invents the hypodermic syringe.
Donald McKay builds the Great Republic, the world's biggest sailing ship, which at 4,500 tons is too large to be successful.
The Isambard Kingdom Brunel begins work on the Great Eastern passenger steamer.
The Independent Santa Cruz Maya of Eastern Yucatan are recognized as an independent nation by the British Empire.
Iesada succeeds Ieoshi as Japanese Shogun.
The Late Tokugawa shogunate (the last part of the Edo period in Japan) begins.
Stephen Foster writes My Old Kentucky Home.
The University of Florida is established.
The Swiss watch company Tissot is founded.
Wheaton Academy founded in West Chicago, Illinois
1853–1873 – More than 130,000 Chinese laborers come to Cuba.
Manchester England granted city status