The second Wheeling Convention of Virginia's western counties had passed on August 20, 1861 an ordinance "to provide for the formation of a new State out of a portion of the territory of this State." An elected constitutional convention met between November 26, 1861 and February 18, 1862, to produce a constitution. This document was put to a popular vote in April 1862.  After the final constitution was adjusted to include the gradual end of slavery, West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state of the Union on June 20, 1863.  (By John Osborne)  

The second Wheeling Convention of Virginia's western counties had assembled on June 11, 1861 and returned from a recess on this day.  The gathering then called for and passed an ordinance " to provide for the formation of a new State out of a portion of the territory of this State." An elected constitutional convention met between November 26, 1861 and February 18, 1862, and produced a constitution put to a popular vote in April 1862.  West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state of the Union on June 20, 1863.  (By John Osborne)  

Admiral Bonard had replaced Vice Admiral Léonard Charner as the head of French forces colonizing in south-east Asia. Charner had already secured three provinces in Cochinchina and Bonard continued this energetic action.  He captured Bien-Hoa in December 1861 and then took the key Mekong Delta town of My Tho after a three-day siege. Emperor Tu-Duc was forced to cede the provinces from Saigon to the Cambodian border as permanent French possessions at the Treaty of Saigon on June 5, 1862. (By John Osborne)

Admiral Bonard had replaced Vice Admiral Léonard Charner as the head of French forces. Charner had already secured three provinces in Cochinchina and Bonard attacked and captured the important provincial town of Bien-Hoa after a four-day seige. Eventually, Bonard intimidated Vietnamese Emperor Tu-Duc into ceding these provinces as permanent French possessions at the Treaty of Saigon on June 5, 1862. (By John Osborne)

Rear Admiral Louis-Adolph Bonard replaced Vice Admiral Léonard Charner as the head of French forces colonizing in south-east Asia. Charner had already secured three provinces in Cochinchina and Bonard continued this energetic action.  Despite not being able completely to succeed militarily, Bonard was able to intimidate Vietnamese Emperor Tu-Duc into permanently ceding these provinces, from Saigon to the Cambodian border, as permanent French possessions at the Treaty of Saigon on June 5, 1862. (By John Osborne)

Pedro had come to the throne aged sixteen at the death of his mother Maria II in 1857.  As a popular and diligent monarch he attempted modernization of Portuguese infrastructure, especially its roads and appalling sanitation.  Portugal's towns and  cities were constantly in the grip of cholera or typhoid epidemics.  Refusing to leave Lisbon during one such outbreak, Pedro V fell ill and died of cholera, aged twenty-four.  (By John Osborne)