What happened in 1863
27 entries recorded for 1863, listed by date. That was 163 years ago.
1863 at a glance
- Years ago
- 163 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 19th century
- Decade
- 1860s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 27
- Breakdown
- 27 historical events
January
- January 10
Metropolitan Railway
Service began on the Metropolitan Railway (construction depicted) between Paddington and Farringdon Street, today the oldest segment of the London Underground.
- January 11
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Battle of Arkansas Post concluded with the Union Army capturing a fort from Confederate forces near the mouth of the Arkansas River.
March
- March 30
George I of Greece
George I (pictured) became King of the Hellenes.
April
- April 29
Grand Gulf, Mississippi
Confederate forts at Grand Gulf survived a bombardment by Union gunboats, preventing Ulysses S. Grant's troops from crossing the Mississippi River at that point.
May
- May 12
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Confederates were routed in the Battle of Raymond, a small battle that had an inordinately large impact on the Vicksburg campaign.
- May 14
American Civil War
American Civil War: Union troops captured Jackson, the capital of Mississippi.
- May 17
American Civil War
American Civil War: At the Battle of Big Black River Bridge in Mississippi, Union forces under John A. McClernand defeated a Confederate rearguard and captured around 1,700 men.
- May 18
American Civil War
American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant led his Army of the Tennessee across the Big Black River in preparation for the Siege of Vicksburg.
June
- June 9
American Civil War
American Civil War: Union and Confederate forces fought the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest cavalry engagement to take place on American soil.
July
- July 2
American Civil War
American Civil War: On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg - the Battle of Little Round Top takes place and results in a Union victory after the Confederate troops unsuccessfully try to assault the Union left flank.
- July 3
Confederate States Army
Confederate forces were defeated by the Union Army on the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg (pictured), a turning point in the American Civil War.
- July 4
American Civil War
American Civil War: Confederate forces failed in an attempt to recapture the Union-occupied Helena, Arkansas.
- July 13
New York City draft riots
Four days of rioting began in New York City in response to laws passed by the U.S. Congress to draft men to fight in the American Civil War.
- July 17
New Zealand Wars
The New Zealand Wars resumed as British forces led by General Duncan Cameron began the invasion of the Waikato.
- July 18
American Civil War
American Civil War: Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American military units in the Union Army, spearheaded an assault (pictured) on Fort Wagner, South Carolina.
September
- September 6
John S. Marmaduke
General John S. Marmaduke fatally wounded his Confederate Army colleague Lucius M. Walker in a formal duel in Arkansas.
- September 14
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Little Rock campaign ended with the Union Army capturing Little Rock, Arkansas.
- September 19
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Battle of Chickamauga began in northwestern Georgia and would end in the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater.
- September 30
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet's opera Les pêcheurs de perles premiered at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris.
October
- October 26
The Football Association
The Football Association, world's first governing body of association football, was founded in London.
- October 29
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Battle of Wauhatchie, one of the few night battles of the war, concluded with the Union Army opening a supply line to troops in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- October 30
Athens
Seventeen-year-old Vilhelm, Prince of Denmark, arrived in Athens to become King George I of Greece (pictured).
November
- November 6
American Civil War
American Civil War: A Union brigade defeated a Confederate force at the Battle of Droop Mountain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
- November 19
American Civil War
American Civil War: Confederate forces began the Siege of Knoxville against Union fortifications, surrounding most of the city.
- November 24
American Civil War
American Civil War: As part of the Chattanooga campaign in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Union forces captured Lookout Mountain, helping them to begin breaking the Confederate siege of the city.
- November 25
American Civil War
American Civil War: Confederate forces were defeated at the Battle of Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, opening the door to the Union's invasion of the Deep South.
December
- December 14
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Battle of Bean's Station, the final battle of the Knoxville campaign, was fought in Grainger County, Tennessee.
Questions about 1863
What happened in 1863?
This site records 27 entries for 1863, including Metropolitan Railway on January 10. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1863?
163 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1863 turns 163 this year.
Which century is 1863 in?
1863 falls in the 19th century, in the 1860s.
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