July 8
July 8
Commodore Perry sails into Tokyo Bay
Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, representing the U.S. government, sails into Tokyo Bay, Japan, with a squadron of four vessels. For a time, Japanese officials refused to speak with Perry, but…
A Year In History: 1853
This Year in History:
1853
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
July 25
July 25
California Rangers kill Joaquín Murrieta
In a macabre instance of rough frontier justice, California Rangers inspired by a $6,000 award bring in the severed head—preserved in whiskey—of outlaw Joaquín Murrieta. Or at least that’s what…
October 25
October 25
Native Americans attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah
On October 25, 1853, members of the Paiute Indian Tribe attack U.S. Army Captain John W. Gunnison and his party of 37 soldiers and railroad surveyors near Sevier Lake, Utah. Gunnison and…
December 30
December 30
Southern U.S. border established
James Gadsden, the U.S. minister to Mexico, and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the president of Mexico, sign the Gadsden Purchase in Mexico City. The treaty settled the dispute…
