At around six in the early evening a strong tremor lasting around fifteen seconds shook the town of Mytilene and surrounding areas on the Greek island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea.  This was followed soon after by a larger thirty second shock that did massive damage to almost all the structures in the town, including the castle and government buildings.  Hundreds of people were killed in the town and the villages in the northern parts of the island.  (By John Osborne) 

In the London borough of Kensington, watched by a reported 10,000 spectators under a giant canopy designed to house 7,000, Queen Victoria officiated at the laying of the cornerstone for the great concert and exhibition hall that would be named for her late husband, Prince Albert.  The completed "Royal Albert Hall" was formally opened on March 29, 1871.  (By John Osborne)

The annual review of the "Schuylkill Navy," the consortium of Philadelphia boat clubs, held its annual review on the Schuykill River opposite Fairmount, just north of Philadelphia.  The assembled boats, under the gathering's commodore, Charles Vezin, made there way downstream as far as the city's Girard Street Bridge and then returned.  The annual review helped ready the "navy" for its regatta days in June.  (By John Osborne)