What happened in 1850
10 entries recorded for 1850, listed by date. That was 176 years ago.
1850 at a glance
- Years ago
- 176 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 19th century
- Decade
- 1850s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 10
- Breakdown
- 10 historical events
January
- January 31
Ute Wars
Ute Wars: On behalf of Utah territorial governor Brigham Young, militia leader Daniel H. Wells drafted an order for the Utah Territorial Militia to exterminate Timpanogos men deemed hostile, leading to the Provo River Massacre.
March
- March 7
Daniel Webster
United States senator Daniel Webster (pictured) delivered a speech advocating compromise on slavery, which proved to be unpopular with abolitionists in his home state.
- March 27
San Diego
San Diego, the first European settlement in present-day California, was incorporated as a city.
June
- June 13
American League of Colored Laborers
The American League of Colored Laborers, one of the first labor unions for African Americans, was established in New York City.
July
- July 9
Zachary Taylor
Following Zachary Taylor's death, Millard Fillmore (pictured) became president of the United States, the last member of the Whig Party to hold that office.
- July 17
William Cranch Bond
William Cranch Bond and John Adams Whipple took a daguerreotype of Vega, the first astrophotograph of a star other than the Sun.
August
- August 7
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The first section of the Great Northern Railway, now the southern section of the East Coast Main Line, opened between London and Peterborough.
September
- September 18
United States Congress
The United States Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, decreeing that all escaped slaves be brought back to their masters.
October
- October 23
National Women's Rights Convention
The inaugural National Women's Rights Convention, presided over by American activist Paulina Wright Davis (pictured), began in Worcester, Massachusetts.
December
- December 16
Canterbury Association
Settlers of the Canterbury Association aboard Randolph and Charlotte Jane arrived to establish a colony at Christchurch, New Zealand.
Questions about 1850
What happened in 1850?
This site records 10 entries for 1850, including Ute Wars on January 31. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1850?
176 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1850 turns 176 this year.
Which century is 1850 in?
1850 falls in the 19th century, in the 1850s.
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.