Near Wolverton, a railway town north of London, a cattle train and a coal train on the London and North-Eastern Railway collided. The rear of the cattle train suffered heavily, especially the car carrying the cattle drovers.  One drover was killed and all the others seriously injured.  The coal train locomotive that hit the car was damaged and the driver and fireman were also hurt badly. (By John Osborne) 

The Jewish commemoration of the Passover begins for 1852.

In Northern Ireland, a passenger train and a freight train collided on the Portadown, Dungannan, and Armagh Railway.  One person on the passenger train was killed and six others injured.  (By John Osborne) 

The French attempt to conquer Mexico began in earnest with the attack of around 7000 troops under General Ferdinand Latrille on the town of Puebla on the road to Mexico City.  Mexican troops under General Ignacio Zaragoza repelled the overconfident French attack and Latrille was forced to retreat to Orizaba. The French reported their casualties as 177 killed and 305 wounded. "Cinco do Mayo" remains a celebration for Mexicans around the world today.  (By John Osborne) 

In January 1862, Britain, France, and Spain began an occupation of Mexican customs houses, beginning with Vera Cruz, to force continued payments on Mexico's foreign debt. After several months of occupation afflicted by fever, efforts to move inland revealed the full French intentions to overthrow the current Mexican government and the Spanish and British commissioners immediately began to withdraw their forces from the enterprise. (By John Osborne)