Historical eventFebruary 171859
Cochinchina campaign
Cochinchina campaign: French Navy forces captured the Citadel of Saigon, defended by 1,000 Vietnamese soldiers of the Nguyễn dynasty.
In context
- When
- Thursday, February 17 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 before
Background Main articles: Tây Sơn wars , Gia Long , Pigneau de Behaine , and Citadel of Saigon Map of Cochinchina During the mid-nineteenth century, European powers quickly overran and annexed large portions of the world to their colonial empires . France was one such nation, and sought opportunities to expand its influence in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
What happened
The Cochinchina campaign was a series of military operations between 1858 and 1862, launched by a joint naval expedition force on behalf of the French Empire and the Kingdom of Spain against the Nguyễn period Vietnamese state. It was the opening conflict of the French conquest of Vietnam.
February 17 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1859Cochinchina campaign
- 1995Cenepa War
- 1996NASA
- 1996Philadelphia
- 19961996 Biak earthquake
- 20062006 Southern Leyte mudslide
- 2008Kosovo
- 2011Bahrain
- 2011Arab Spring
- 20152015 Haiti Carnival stampede
- 2016February 2016 Ankara bombing
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Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Cochinchina campaign”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/cochinchina-campaign-1859-february-17, 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 Cochinchina campaign happen?
February 17 1859 — 167 years ago, on a Thursday.
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.
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