Birthdays
Daniel Weisiger Adams
Turns 38 on this date
John W. Campbell
Turns 60 on this date
Nathan Fellows Dixon II
Turns 47 on this date
Augustus van Horne Ellis
Turns 32 on this date
William George Ferguson
Turns 27 on this date
George Franklin Fort
Turns 50 on this date
Thomas Harrison
Turns 36 on this date
William Young Conn Humes
Turns 29 on this date
John Bankhead Magruder
Turns 52 on this date
Events
| Foreign | Five Austrian army corps have crossed into Piedmont and occupy large areas north of the Po River | 05/01/1859 |
| Religion/Philosophy | Prayers of thanksgiving made in all British churches for the success in putting down the Indian Mutiny | 05/01/1859 |
| Lawmaking/Litigating | The trial of Oberlin-Wellington rescuer Charles Langston continues in the federal court in Cleveland, Ohio |
04/19/1859 to 05/09/1859 |
Documents
| Newspaper | New York Herald, “A Foreigner View of Black Republicanism,” May 1, 1859 | 05/01/1859 |