What happened in 1865
20 entries recorded for 1865, listed by date. That was 161 years ago.
1865 at a glance
- Years ago
- 161 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 19th century
- Decade
- 1860s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 20
- Breakdown
- 20 historical events
January
- January 2
Uruguayan War
Uruguayan War: Brazilian and Colorado Party forces captured the city of Paysandú from its Uruguayan defenders.
- January 12
Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral
The foundation stone of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork was laid.
February
- February 6
Municipalities of Finland
Finland established its modern system of secular municipalities, separate from church parishes.
- February 7
Seattle
The trustees of Seattle enacted an ordinance that expelled Native Americans from the newly incorporated town.
March
- March 2
New Zealand Wars
New Zealand Wars: Carl Sylvius Völkner, a Protestant missionary, was killed by Hauhau militants in Ōpōtiki for working as an agent for New Zealand governor-general George Grey.
- March 19
American Civil War
American Civil War: The last battle of the Carolinas Campaign, the Battle of Bentonville, began, which contributed to the ultimate Union victory in the war.
- March 29
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Appomattox campaign opened with the Battle of Lewis's Farm, in which the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was forced into a series of retreats that would culminate in their surrender.
April
- April 1
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Union Army under Major General Philip Sheridan (pictured) inflicted more than 2,900 casualties on the Confederates at the Battle of Five Forks.
- April 2
American Civil War
American Civil War: On the third attempt, Union forces captured Petersburg, Virginia, although Confederate officials and most of their remaining troops were able to escape.
- April 14
Confederate States of America
Actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth fatally shot U.S. president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
- April 26
United States Army
U.S. Army soldiers cornered and fatally shot John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, ending a twelve-day manhunt.
May
- May 17
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union, which standardizes and regulates international radio and telecommunications, was founded as the International Telegraph Union in Paris.
- May 26
American Civil War
American Civil War: General Edmund Kirby Smith negotiated the surrender of his army, the only significant Confederate Army force remaining in the war.
June
- June 23
Stand Watie
Stand Watie became the last Confederate general of the American Civil War to surrender to Union forces.
July
- July 14
First ascent of the Matterhorn
A seven-man mountaineering team made the first ascent of the Matterhorn, marking the end of the golden age of alpinism.
- July 30
Crescent City, California
Off the coast of Crescent City, California, the steamer Brother Jonathan struck an uncharted rock and sank, killing 225 people; its cargo of gold coins was not retrieved until 1996.
October
- October 11
Morant Bay rebellion
The Morant Bay rebellion, led by Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, began in Jamaica; after protestors burned down the courthouse, it was brutally suppressed by Governor Edward John Eyre.
November
- November 10
Henry Wirz
Henry Wirz, the Confederate superintendent of Andersonville Prison, was hanged after a controversial conviction, becoming the only American Civil War officer executed for war crimes.
- November 18
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published, becoming the first great success of American author Mark Twain.
December
- December 24
Confederate States Army
Six Confederate veterans of the American Civil War founded a social club they named the Ku Klux Klan, which later became a white supremacist group.
Questions about 1865
What happened in 1865?
This site records 20 entries for 1865, including Uruguayan War on January 2. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1865?
161 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1865 turns 161 this year.
Which century is 1865 in?
1865 falls in the 19th century, in the 1860s.
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