Birthdays
John Taylor Cuddy
Turns 15 on this date
William Rainey Marshall
Turns 34 on this date
Elizabeth Van Lew
Turns 41 on this date
Events
| Battles/Soldiers | John Brown's attack on Harpers Ferry continues with the townspeople fighting back | 10/17/1859 |
| Foreign | Morocco rejects Spain's ultimatum setting the stage for a six month long war in northern Morocco | 10/17/1859 |
| US/the World | Prince of Wales begins his undergraduate career at Oxford University | 10/17/1859 |
Documents
| Newspaper | Chicago (IL) Press and Tribune, “Where will they Go?,” October 17, 1859 | 10/17/1859 |