Arthur Conan Doyle was born in the Scottish city of Edinburgh to a poor Catholic family with Irish roots. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, opened a practice, and wrote stories in his spare time. In 1887, he introduced the world to his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, who appeared in fifty-six Conan Doyle short stories and four novels. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930. (By John Osborne)

King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden died in Stockholm four days after his sixtieth birthday after a long illness. The Paris born king was the son of Marshal of France Bernadotte who had been elected to the Swedish throne after the previous royal family had died out. Oscar had ruled since succeeding his father in March 1844 and was followed by his son Charles XV, who been serving as Regent since 1857 after his father had become incapacitated.  (By John Osborne)

Elected the previous summer, Governor John Whiteaker called the Oregon legislature to the capital city of Salem and immediately set about organizing the the new state. A new seal was adopted, state taxes were passed, a special election for a U.S. congressional representative set, along with other measures. (By John Osborne)

Impatient inhabitants of the counties south of Utah met in June, 1859 a constitutional convention for a new territory was held at Genoa, Nevada, and a document created. This "constitution" was ratified by referendum in September. A governor, Isaac Roop, was elected and a legislature assembled briefly, adjourned itself to reassemble in July, 1860 but never met again. The territory of Nevada would officially be created in March, 1861 by act of Congress. (By John Osborne)