Great Britain and the King of Lagos sign a treaty intended to abolish the Nigerian slave trade. (By Brian Bockelman)

The British practice of shipping convicts to the Australian island of Tasmania comes to an end. (By Brian Bockelman)

Gold is discovered in southern Australia, launching the Victorian Gold Rush, so named because the influx of prospectors leads to the creation of a separate colony of Victoria later in the year. (By Brian Bockelman)

Cambodia became a protectorate of France, extending French influence in southeast Asia. (By Brian Bockelman)

Japan and the United States signed the Treaty of Kanagawa. It was the first treaty between the United States and Japan and provided two coaling ports for the U. S. Navy and protected American whaling operations. (By Brian Bockelman)

U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry anchored his ships in Edo Bay near Tokyo and delivered a letter from President Millard Fillmore to the Japanese emperor requesting the opening of Japan's ports to American trade. (By Brian Bockelman)

As part of a larger push to expand its borders eastward, Russia obtains the Maritime Province, including the city of Vladivostok, from China. (By Brian Bockelman)

The conservative Chilean government declares a state of siege in response to the political agitation of the Society of Equality, a group of liberal reformers inspired by the European revolutions of 1848. (By Brian Bockelman)

Abraham Lincoln writes a letter to former congressman Richard Yates urging him to run for the state legislature as a way to increase the Republican Party's chances of controlling the legislature and aiding the party's nominee in his campaign to win a seat in the U.S. Senate. (By Matthew Pinsker)