360The 1850s: the Great Exhibition and the origin of species
London's Great Exhibition of 1851 showcased industry from around the world. John Snow traced cholera to a water pump, founding modern epidemiology. Henry Bessemer found a cheap way to make steel, the first commercial oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania, and Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859.
In 1851, the Great Exhibition opened in London's Hyde Park, inside the Crystal Palace, a huge building of iron and glass. Over six million visits were made to see machines, inventions and goods from many countries. Its profits helped found museums in South Kensington.
During a cholera outbreak in London in 1854, the doctor John Snow mapped the deaths and traced them to a single water pump on Broad Street. When the pump handle was removed, cases fell. His work showed that cholera spreads through dirty water and founded the science of epidemiology.
In 1856, Henry Bessemer patented a process for making steel cheaply by blowing air through molten iron. Steel soon replaced iron in railways, bridges and ships.
In August 1859, Edwin Drake struck oil at Titusville, Pennsylvania, in what is considered the first commercial oil well in the United States, starting the modern oil industry.
On 24 November 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, explaining how species change over generations through natural selection. It became one of the most important books in the history of science.
- 1851
- Great Exhibition in London
- 1854
- Snow traces cholera to a water pump
- 1856
- Bessemer steel process
- 1859
- First commercial US oil well; On the Origin of Species
Sources: Britannica · Natural History Museum · Science Museum.