Historical eventJune 151859

San Juan Islands

The shooting of a pig in the San Juan Islands led to the so-called Pig War over the border between the United States and British North America.

Everything on June 15Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, June 15 1859167 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1850s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1859.

What came beforeAI-assisted

The 1846 Oregon Treaty between the US and Britain set the US-Canada border at the 49th parallel, but left the San Juan Islands' ownership ambiguous. Both nations claimed the islands, creating a decade of tension over settlement rights and resource access.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

On June 15, 1859, American settler Lyman Cutlar shot and killed a pig belonging to British-Canadian Charles Griffin. The pig had repeatedly damaged Cutlar's garden, sparking a dispute that escalated into an armed standoff between American and British forces.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

Key figures included American settler Lyman Cutlar, British-Canadian farmer Charles Griffin, and US military commander William S. Harney. British Royal Navy Captain Geoffrey Hornby and Hudson's Bay Company officials also played central roles in the crisis.

TimelineAI-assisted

June 15, 1859: Cutlar shot Griffin's pig. Late June: American militia and British naval forces mobilized on San Juan Island. August 1859: Both sides agreed to joint occupation pending arbitration. 1872: International tribunal awarded the islands to the United States.

What happened

The shooting of a pig in the San Juan Islands led to the so-called Pig War over the border between the United States and British North America.

June 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1859San Juan Islands
  2. 1977Death and funeral of Francisco Franco
  3. 1978Hussein of Jordan
  4. 1988Ariane 4
  5. 1991Mount Pinatubo
  6. 19911991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo
  7. 1992Supreme Court of the United States
  8. 19951995 Aigio earthquake
  9. 1996The Troubles
  10. 2006George W. Bush
  11. 2013June 2013 Quetta attacks

Also in 1859

  • September 17San FranciscoDisgruntled with the legal and political structures of the United States, Joshua Norton (pictured) distributed letters to various newspap…
  • August 27Edwin DrakeEdwin Drake successfully drilled for oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania, resulting in the Pennsylvania oil rush, the first oil boom in the U…
  • November 15Evangelos ZappasSponsored by Greek businessman Evangelos Zappas, the first modern revival of the Olympic Games took place in Athens.
  • March 2Great Slave AuctionThe Great Slave Auction, the largest single sale of slaves in U.S. history, with more than 400 people sold, began in Georgia.
  • September 1Carrington EventA powerful solar flare caused a coronal mass ejection that struck Earth a few hours later, generating the most intense geomagnetic storm…
  • February 16Musical noteThe French government passed a law setting the musical note A4 to a frequency of 435 hertz, in the first attempt to standardize concert p…
  • November 24Charles DarwinBritish naturalist Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was first published, and sold out its initial print run on the first day.
  • February 17Cochinchina campaignCochinchina campaign: French Navy forces captured the Citadel of Saigon, defended by 1,000 Vietnamese soldiers of the Nguyễn dynasty.

Everything we record for 1859 →

Sources

Cite this page

“San Juan Islands”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/san-juan-islands-1859-june-15, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did San Juan Islands happen?

June 15 1859 — 167 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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