David Robinson had discovered the potential of the massive murre bird colonies on the Farralon Islands, twenty miles out from San Francisco Harbor, as a food supply for the California Gold Rush and his Pacific Egg Company claimed control of the stocks.  A group of rival egg gatherers, led by a man named David Batchelder, attempted to encroach and shots were exchanged with Robinson's workers and a man on each side were killed. For his part in the "Egg War," Batchelder was later tried but acquited.  (By John Osborne)

A large group of working class demonstrators - mostly women suffering the effects of food prices and low wages on their families - assembled and then marched on the governor's mansion in Richmond, Virginia.  Governor Letcher met with them briefly but the disatisfied crowd became a mob and began looting shops and market stalls along Main Street.  Soldiers were called and only the intervention of President Jefferson Davis, who talked personally to the rioters, averted bloodshed.  (By John Osborne)

Carved out of Oregon and Washington Territories, Idaho became a territory in its own right on March 4, 1863 with Lewistown named as its provisional capital and President Lincoln naming William W. Wallace as its first governor.  Its area at first included much of what was to become Montana and Dakota Territories.  The seat of government was moved to the more central Boise in 1864. Idaho entered the Union as the 43rd state on July 3, 1890.   (By John Osborne) 

Two settlers named I. N. Coston and Ira Pearce had built cabins earlier in the year and a freighting station had been established a few months later.  The town, called Boise -following the French word for woods - was officially established on Independence Day, 1863.  The surrounding area became Ada County and Boise was named as the territorial capital the following year.  (By John Osborne) 

Charles Sherwood Stratton (Tom Thumb) was a little person born in Connecticut in 1838. He was a distant cousin of P.T. Barnum and famously performed in his circus under the name "General Tom Thumb."  He and Lavinia Warren, another little person, were married at Grace Church in Manhattan and held their reception at the Metropolitan Hotel before 10,000 guests. (By John Osborne)