What happened in 1866
8 entries recorded for 1866, listed by date. That was 160 years ago.
1866 at a glance
- Years ago
- 160 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 19th century
- Decade
- 1860s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 8
- Breakdown
- 8 historical events
February
- February 21
Lucy Hobbs Taylor
Lucy Hobbs Taylor (pictured) became the first woman to receive a doctorate from a dental college.
- February 25
Calaveras County, California
Miners in Calaveras County, California, discovered a human skull that was taken to show that humans had existed during the Pliocene, a thesis that was later disproved.
April
- April 10
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
- April 24
Max Bruch
German composer Max Bruch (pictured) conducted the premiere of his first violin concerto.
May
- May 16
Shield nickel
The United States Congress authorized the minting of the Shield nickel (example pictured), the country's first five-cent piece to be made of a copper–nickel alloy.
- May 30
Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana's comic opera The Bartered Bride (cover of score pictured) premiered in Prague.
July
- July 28
Vinnie Ream
Aged 18, Vinnie Ream became the youngest artist and first woman to receive a United States government commission for a statue—that of Abraham Lincoln currently in the Capitol rotunda.
December
- December 12
Oaks explosion
England's worst mining disaster occurred when a series of explosions (depicted) caused by flammable gases ripped through the Oaks Colliery, killing 361 people.
Questions about 1866
What happened in 1866?
This site records 8 entries for 1866, including Lucy Hobbs Taylor on February 21. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1866?
160 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1866 turns 160 this year.
Which century is 1866 in?
1866 falls in the 19th century, in the 1860s.
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