The large Massachusetts Republican Convention met in Worcester, Massachusetts.  It selected delegates for the national convention in Chicago, Illinois and the majority of those chosen supported William Seward for President.  A minority recorded their support for Representative Nathaniel Banks.  (By John Osborne)  

The regular mail stagecoach between Lock Haven and Tyrone in Pennsylvania caught fire on its run near Bellefonte when a passenger dropped a match.  The passengers and driver escaped but the horses took bolted and the coach, luggage, and the mail were all completely burned.  (By John Osborne) 

The Democratic Party of the Kansas Territory met in a stormy session at Atchison.  It selected delegates for the upcoming national convention in Charleston, South Carolina, reaffirmed the Cincinnati Platform, and directed delegates to vote for Stephen Douglas for president in the nominating process. (By John Osborne) 

The 1,079 ton ship De Witt Clinton, bound for New York from Liverpool completed her trans-Atlantic journey but was was driven ashore on the New Jersey coast eight miles south of Squan Inlet during a snow-storm.  New York tugboats and the New York Harbor pilot-boat Christian Bergh took all the passengers off safely and carried them to New York City.  (By John Osborne)

Fanny Kemble, the British actress, gave her last public performance in Boston and announced her intention to leave the stage.  She was famous for her abolitionist views and writings, developed during her marriage with Georgia politician and plantation owner Pierce Butler who she divorced in 1849.  She retired first to Lennox, Massachusetts to continue her writing career and in 1877 moved back to England where she died in 1893.  (By John Osborne) 

The Alfred Thomas, a steamship newly built in Easton, Pennsylvania to run on the Delaware River between Belvidere and Port Jarvis.  The riverboat was having one of its maiden runs and nearing the Easton Bridge around noon when the boiler exploded and reduced the vessel instantly to a floating wreck. The bridge was crowded with spectators who watched as ten people aboard were killed and fourteen others seriously hurt. (By John Osborne)

The Louisiana Democratic State Convention was held in Baton Rouge.  The gathering gave a vote of confidence to the Buchanan Administration but warned that should a Republican ticket be elected in November southern states should meet to assess their options.  The delegates selected for Charleston were instructed to vote for John Slidell, the Louisiana Senator, during the nomination process for President.  (By John Osborne)   

John Wentworth returned for a second term as mayor of Chicago, Illinois after municipal elections gave him a 1248 majority.  He replaced the Democratic incumbent John C. Haines who had become mayor after Wentworth's first term two years earlier.  The city council results showed Wentworth's fellow Republicans with twelve seats to Democrats eight.  (By John Osborne)

The paddle steamer Hickman took fire and quickly burned on the Arkansas River eighteen miles below Little Rock, Arkansas.  Two passengers were killed and the steamer completely destroyed.  (By John Osborne)

The clipper ship Andrew Jackson, with Captain John Williams in command, sailed from New York City on Christmas Day, 1859 and arrived at San Francisco after a 89 day voyage.  This broke the previous record set by the clipper Flying Cloud in 1854 by four hours.  The record was disputed, however, as the Andrew Jackson had experienced a delay in getting a pilot boat out of the harbor after lifting anchor in New York.  (By John Osborne)