Holman Hunt, Millais and D.G. Rossetti found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. William Makepeace Thackeray, English novelist, publishes Vanity Fair. Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson Gaskell, English novelist, publishes Mary Barton , a realistic portrayal of Manchester factory life. Foster's song will be in the repertoire of every minstrel show and gold-seekers will sing it en route to California. Chicago Board of Trade has its beginnings in a commodity exchange opened at 101 South Water Street by 82 local businessmen.
Serfdom is abolished in Austria.
Pennsylvania enacts a child labor law March 28 to restrict the age of workers. The first Public Health Act is issued in Britain. The first settlers arrive in New Zealand. The New York News Agency is founded by Hale and Burnett. From 1851 on, it is known as the Associated Press.