The 188-foot, 1186-ton Boston-registered sailing vessel Golden Star, sailed from Mobile, Alabama on November 17, 1860 bound for Liverpool with 3,750 bales of cotton.  Ten weeks later, she was wrecked near Carnivan Head on the south-east coast of Ireland.  Captain William Staple, his wife, and sixteen of the crew drowned.  Eight lucky sailors escaped when cotton bales broke loose and formed a temporary bridge to shore. (By John Osborne)   

A massive gale blew all across southern England throughout the day causing death and destruction on land and around the coasts. In London, chimneys and church roofs were torn away and the 400 foot north wing of the Crystal Palace was destroyed at Norwood.  In Chichester, in Sussex, the entire 272 foot fourteenth century spire of the medieval cathedral was demolished.  Communications were wrecked as hundreds of telegraph poles went down. Coastal shipping also suffered and dozens of sailors were lost.  (By John Osborne)

Pressure on the Bank of England's bullion reserves had increased dramatically at the start of the year with the secession crisis in the United States. The pressure eased in February and April and the Bank was able to reduce its discount rate, the interest charged to smaller banks, from the emergency high of eight percent to five.  Within days, however, the outbreak of the American Civil War again drained Bank of England gold reserves, half a million pounds sterling  in April alone, and the rate was quickly raised once more to six percent. (By John Osborne) 

With the pressure on it bullion reserves easing, the Bank of England reduced its discount rate, the interest charged to smaller banks, from six to five percent,  This was the third one point reduction in a few weeks, down from the emergency high of eight percent seen during the onset of the secession crisis in the United States.  Stocks of bullion and reserve notes had increased significantly enough to bring normal rates but within weeks the outbreak of the American Civil War would again pressure Bank of England bullion and reserve notes. (By John Osborne) 

With the pressure on it bullion reserves easing, the Bank of England reduced its discount rate, the interest charged to smaller banks, from seven to six percent,  This was the second one point reduction in a few weeks, down from the emergency high of eight percent seen during the onset of the secession crisis in the United States.  Stocks of bullion and reserve notes had increased significantly enough to make the change, and a further reduction, to five percent, took place a week later. (By John Osborne) 

For the second time in five weeks, the Bank of England again raised the discount rate, the interest charged to smaller banks, this time by another percentage point to eight percent.  Demands for specie from India and the United States were continuing to drain the Bank's bullion reserves.  Conditions seemed to have improved enough, though, that by mid-April the rate was reduced to five percent. (By John Osborne) 

Four men working to clear obstacles and repair brickwork in the London sewers under the area of the Old Bailey failed to re-emerge.  A search found them all dead of suffocation along with a large number of rats.  The type and source of the gas were not known but it was not explosive as the men's open lamps were still burning and only filled the area where the victims were found. (By John Osborne)  

At the Coppice Pit Colliery in Staffordshire's Cannock Chase, an underground explosion killed seven miners who had been working on excavating a shaft. An investigation concluded that a naked flame the men were using ignited a dangerous accumulation of sulphur gas. Two of the seven were  young pit boys.  (By John Osborne)

At the Blaengaur Colliery in the Rhondda Valley of South Wales, an underground explosion killed fourteen and injured several others of the hundred men working in the pit.  Reports indicated that this was another fatal incident in a string of others for which the colliery was becoming notorious.  (By John Osborne)

At the Wyrley Colliery in the South Staffordshire coalfields in central England, an underground accident killed six miners, including two young pit boys.  The causes of the mishaps never were ascertained.   (By John Osborne)