1858 Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	18th century – 19th century – 20th century
Decades:	1820s 1830s 1840s – 1850s – 1860s 1870s 1880s
Years:	1855 1856 1857 – 1858 – 1859 1860 1861

The year 1858 was a time of important changes and new ideas around the world. Big events happened in science, politics, and how countries were governed. Many people who would later become famous were also born in this year.

Big Events of 1858
- New Ideas in Science
- Political Changes Around the World
Important People Born in 1858
Images for kids
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Big Events of 1858

This year saw major shifts in how people understood the world and how nations were ruled.

New Ideas in Science

Charles Darwin suggested a new idea called natural selection. This idea explains how living things change and adapt over a very long time. It means that creatures with traits that help them survive and reproduce are more likely to pass those traits on.

Political Changes Around the World

In Mexico, a civil war began. A civil war is a fight between different groups within the same country. This war was between two main political groups: the Conservatives and the Liberals. They had different ideas about how Mexico should be run.
The British Empire took full control of India. This happened after the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, surrendered. The Mughal Empire had ruled parts of India for centuries. After 1858, India became a direct part of the British Empire.

Important People Born in 1858

Many individuals who would later make a big impact on the world were born in 1858.

Inventors and Scientists

March 18 – Rudolf Diesel was born. He was a German inventor who created the diesel engine. This engine is still used today in many vehicles and machines.
April 23 – Max Planck was born. He was a German physicist who made huge discoveries about how energy works. He won the Nobel Prize for his work.
August 11 – Christiaan Eijkman was born. He was a Dutch doctor and scientist. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for finding out that some diseases are caused by not having certain vitamins.
November 30 – Jagdish Chandra Bose was born. He was an Indian physicist and plant biologist. He made important discoveries in radio and microwave optics.

Leaders and Writers

June 16 – King Gustaf V of Sweden was born. He ruled Sweden for a very long time, from 1907 to 1950.
October 27 – Theodore Roosevelt was born. He became the 26th President of the United States. He was known for his strong leadership and for protecting nature. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize.
November 20 – Selma Lagerlöf was born. She was a Swedish writer and the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Other Notable Births

January 7 – Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who helped bring the Hebrew language back into everyday use.
January 11 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American who created modern department stores.
March 10 – Kokichi Mikimoto, a Japanese pioneer in growing pearls.
June 16 – William Dickson Boyce, who helped start the Boy Scouts of America.
December 22 – Giacomo Puccini, a famous Italian composer who wrote many popular operas.