Historical eventDecember 181867

Angola, New York

In Angola, New York, the last coach of a Lake Shore Railway train derailed, plunged 40 feet (12 m) down a gully, and caught fire, resulting in approximately 49 deaths.

Everything on December 18Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, December 18 1867159 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1860s
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 1867.

What happened

In Angola, New York, the last coach of a Lake Shore Railway train derailed, plunged 40 feet (12 m) down a gully, and caught fire, resulting in approximately 49 deaths.

December 18 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1867Angola, New York
  2. 1999NASA
  3. 20022003 California gubernatorial recall election
  4. 2005Chadian Civil War (2005–2010)
  5. 20062006–2007 Southeast Asian floods
  6. 2006United Arab Emirates
  7. 2015Kellingley Colliery
  8. 2017Amtrak Cascades
  9. 2019First impeachment of Donald Trump
  10. 2022Argentina national football team
  11. 20232023 Serbian election protests

Also in 1867

  • March 30William H. SewardU.S. secretary of state William H. Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for US$7.2 million.
  • November 23Manchester MartyrsThe Manchester Martyrs were hanged in Manchester, England, for involvement in a scheme to free two Irish nationalists from custody in whi…
  • June 19Second French intervention in MexicoSecond French intervention in Mexico: Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by firing squad in Querétaro City.
  • October 21Medicine Lodge TreatyThe first and second of three treaties were signed near Medicine Lodge, Kansas, between the United States federal government and several…
  • July 20United States CongressThe United States Congress established the Indian Peace Commission to seek peace treaties with a number of Native American tribes.
  • February 13Covering of the SenneWork began on the covering of the Senne (pictured), burying the polluted main river of Brussels to allow for urban renewal in the centre…
  • January 15Regent's ParkIn Regent's Park, London, the ice on the lake broke, plunging skaters into the water and causing 40 deaths from drowning or hypothermia.

Everything we record for 1867 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Angola, New York”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/angola-new-york-1867-december-18, accessed October 29, 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 Angola, New York happen?

December 18 1867 — 159 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.

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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.