A year long battle of wills over the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York between its board of trustees and its scientific staff came to an end with the ejection of the director, Benjamin Gould. A rift between the trustees and the observatory's Scientific Council had developed over the previous year, culminating in Gould and his staff's occupation and blockading of the building. The trustees ultimately hired a group of former Albany policemen to evict Gould from both his observatory house and the observatory itself and the affair ended. (By John Osborne)

Saint James Cathedral, the recently built Roman Catholic cathedral on St. Dennis Street in Montreal, Canada was almost completely destroyed in a disastrous fire. The outbreak appeared to have started in the heating ducts. Damage was estimated at more than $100,000. (By John Osborne)

In a diplomatic speech delivered to the assembled foreign ambassadors on New Year's Day at the Tuileries Palace in Paris, Napoleon III gave strong indications that all was not well between France and Austria over the Italian question. In a personal aside to the Austrian minister he said, "I regret that our relations with your government are not so good as they were; but I request you to tell the Emperor that my personal feelings for him have not changed." The speech caused a sensation across Europe and the nations would be at war within months. (By John Osborne)

A gas leak caused a massive explosion in a two story engine-house on Pleasant Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. The building was completely destroyed and adjacent buildings, including a school-house, were badly damaged but no deaths or injuries resulted. (By John Osborne)

Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd of the United States and as a "free state." This, along with the admission nine months before of the free state of Minnesota, was a significant signal to many as to the future direction of the nation. (By John Osborne)

The Danubian provinces of Moldovia and Wallachia had long sought autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. When the European powers recognized the election of an army officer from Moldovia named Prince Alexandu Ion Cuza in the assemblies of both principalities, the effect was to create the state called officially the United Principalities of Moldo-Wallachia. In 1866, after further great power machinations, that state would become Romania. (By John Osborne)