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January 9 - Earthquake at Fort Tejon, California with an estimated magnitude of 7.9

February 16 - The National Deaf Mute College (later renamed Gallaudet University) is established in Washington, DC becoming the first school for the advanced education of the deaf.

March 3 - France and the United Kingdom declare war on China in the Second Opium War

March 4 - End of term for President of the United States Franklin Pierce. He is succeeded by James Buchanan.

March 5 – In London, ex-solicitor James Towsend Saward is sentenced for transportation for forging number of cheques over the years.

March 6 - The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, driving the country further towards the American Civil War.

March 21 - Earthquake in Tokyo, Japan kills over 100,000.

March 23 - Elisha Otis' first elevator is installed (at 488 Broadway, New York City)

May 10 - Indian rebellion of 1857: In India, the Mutiny of XI Native Cavalry of the Bengal Army in Meerut, revolt against the British East India Company.

May 11 - Indian combatants capture Delhi from the East India Company.

June 6 - Sophia of Nassau marries the future King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway.

July 15 - Second Cawnpore massacre during the Indian rebellion of 1857.

August - Calcutta University established.

September 11 - Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah.

October 24 - Sheffield F.C., the world's first football (soccer) team, is founded in Sheffield, England.

November 30 - End of term for President of Mexico Ignacio Comonfort. He is succeeded by Félix María Zuloaga.

December 16 - An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.9 kills 11,000 people in Naples, Italy.

December 31 - Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa, Ontario as the capital of Canada.

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Divorce without parliamentary approval becomes legal in Britain

Speculation in U.S. railway shares causes financial crisis in Europe.

Russian serfs emancipated. (this happened in 1861)

The Mormons abandon Las Vegas.

Founding of Hollywood.

Restoration of the Mexican republic (see Mexico/History).

Discovery of La Tene culture artifacts in Switzerland by Hansli Kopp.

Philip Henry Gosse writes Omphalos text elaborating a Creationist school of thought.

University of Bombay established.

The Mughal Empire is finally destroyed by the British Empire.

The city walls of Vienna are demolished, allowing the construction of the Ringstraße.

Sweden lifts its ban on Danish language and Danish books in the formerly Danish provinces of Blekinge, Halland and Scania - 214 respectively 199 years after the annexion.

William Daniel, American politician proposes Local Option for prohibition.

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January 4 - Émile Courtet, French caricaturist and animator (d. 1938)

January 26 - the 12th Dalai Lama (d. 1875)

February 12 - Bobby Peel, English cricketer (d. 1943)

February 22 - Lord Robert Baden-Powell, English founder of the Scouting movement (d. 1941)

February 22 - Heinrich Hertz, German physicist (d. 1894)

March 7 - Julius Wagner-Jauregg, Austrian neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1940)

March 8 - Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (d. 1919)

March 30 - Leon Charles Thevenin, French telegraph engineer (d. 1926)

April 5 - Alexander of Battenberg, first Prince of Bulgaria (d. 1893)

May 7 - William A. MacCorkle, Governor of West Virginia (d. 1930)

May 13 - Ronald Ross, English physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1932)

May 15 - Williamina Fleming, Scottish astronomer (d. 1911)

May 19 - John Jacob Abel, American pharmacologist (d. 1938)

May 31 - Pope Pius XI (d. 1939)

June 2 - Edward Elgar, English composer (d. 1934)

June 2 - Karl Adolph Gjellerup, Danish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)

July 23 - Carl Meinhof, German linguist (d. 1944)

July 24 - Henrik Pontoppidan, Danish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)

July 28 - Ballington Booth, Salvation Army Officer and co-founder of Volunteers of America (d. 1940)

July 30 - Thorstein Veblen, Norwegian economist (d. 1929)

September 5 - Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Russian scientist and inventor (d. 1935)

September 8 - Georg Michaelis, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1936)

September 13 - Michał Drzymała, Polish peasant and revolutionary (d. 1937)

September 13 - Milton S. Hershey, American chocolate manufacturer (d. 1945)

September 15 - William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States (d. 1930)

October 24 - Ned Williamson, American baseball player (d. 1894)

November 17 - George Marchant, English-born inventor, manufacturer, and philanthropist (d. 1941)

November 26 - Ferdinand de Saussure, Swiss linguist (d. 1913)

November 27 - Charles Scott Sherrington, English physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1952)

November 28 - King Alfonso XII of Spain (d. 1885)

November 30 - Bobby Abel, English cricketer (d. 1936)

December 3 - Joseph Conrad, Polish-British novelist (d. 1924)

Joseph Tabrar, British songwriter (d. 1931)

Unknown date - Lucy Bacon, Californian Impressionist Painter

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February 10 - David Thompson, British-Canadian explorer (b. 1770)

February 15 - Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (b. 1804)

February 16 - Elisha Kent Kane, American explorer of Arctic regions (b. 1820)

March 26 - Thomas Peters, Dutch supercentenarian (b. 1745)

May 2 - Alfred de Musset, French poet (b. 1810)

May 11 - Eugène François Vidocq, French criminal and private detective (b. 1775)

May 23 - Augustin Louis Cauchy, French mathematician (b. 1789)

July 15 - Carl Czerny, Austrian composer (b. 1791)

July 19 - Stefano Franscini, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1796)

July 29 - Charles Lucien Bonaparte, French naturalist and ornithologist (b. 1803)

August 3 - Eugène Sue, French novelist (b. 1804)

September 3 - John McLoughlin, Canadian trapper (b. 1784)

November 26 - Joseph von Eichendorff, German poet (b. 1788)

December 3 - Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor (b. 1777)

December 15 - Sir George Cayley, English aviation pioneer (b. 1773)