1862

Years:
1859 1860 1861 - 1862 - 1863 1864 1865

Decades:
1830s 1840s 1850s - 1860s - 1870s 1880s 1890s

Centuries:
18th century - 19th century - 20th century

1862 in topic:
Humanities
Archaeology - Architecture - Art - Literature - Music
By country
Canada - Mexico - South Africa - U.S. - UK
Other topics
Rail Transport - Science - Sports
Lists of leaders
Colonial Governors - State leaders
Birth and death categories
Births - Deaths

1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar).

Events

January 1 - Britain annexes Lagos island in modern-day Nigeria
January 10 - End of term for John Gately Downey, 7th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Amasa Leland Stanford.
January 30 - The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor is launched.

February 1 - Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is published for the first time (Atlantic Monthly).
February 6 - American Civil War: Ulysses S. Grant gives the United States its first victory of the war, by capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee, known as the Battle of Fort Henry.
February 15 - American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee and captures it the next day.
February 22 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis officially inaugurated in Richmond, Virginia, to a six-year term as president of the Confederate States of America.

March 7 - American Civil War: Confederates shut out of Missouri at The Battle of Pea Ridge.
March 8 - American Civil War: The iron-clad CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack) is launched at Hampton Roads, Virginia.
March 9 - American Civil War: First battle between two ironclad warships USS Monitor v CSS Virginia
March 13 American Civil War: The US federal government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.
March 28 - American Civil War: Battle of Glorieta Pass - In New Mexico Union forces succeed in stopping the Confederate invasion of New Mexico territory. The battle began on March 26.

April 5 - American Civil War: Battle of Yorktown - The battle begins when Union forces under General George McClellan close in on the Confederate capital Richmond, Virginia.
April 6 - American Civil War: In Tennessee, the Battle of Shiloh begins.
April 7 - American Civil War: Battle of Shiloh - Union Army under General Ulysses S. Grant defeats the Confederates near Shiloh, Tennessee.

May 2 - The California State Normal School (now "San Jose State") is created by an Act of the California Legislature.
May 5 - Battle of Puebla, Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza defeats the French Army; commemorated as the Cinco de Mayo.
May 11 - American Civil War: The ironclad CSS Virginia is scuttled in the James River northwest of Norfolk, Virginia.
May 15 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture (later renamed USDA).
May 20 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law.