January 21 » The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth by William Hill Brown, is printed in Boston.
April 21 » George Washington's reception at Trenton is hosted by the Ladies of Trenton as he journeys to New York City for his first inauguration.
July 9 » In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution.
July 12 » In response to the dismissal of the French finance minister Jacques Necker, the radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech which results in the storming of the Bastille two days later.
July 14 » French Revolution: Citizens of Paris storm the Bastille.
September 15 » The United States "Department of Foreign Affairs", established by law in July, is renamed the Department of State and given a variety of domestic duties.
Day of death May 12, 1868
The temperature on May 12, 1868 was about 20.4 °C. The air pressure was 1 kgf/m2 and came mainly from the west-southwest. The airpressure was 76 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 72%. Source: KNMI
From June 1, 1866 till June 4, 1868 the Netherlands had a cabinet Van Zuijlen van Nijevelt - Heemskerk with the prime ministers Mr. J.P.J.A. graaf Van Zuijlen van Nijevelt (AR) and Mr. J. Heemskerk Azn. (conservatief).
From June 4, 1868 till January 4, 1871 the Netherlands had a cabinet Van Bosse - Fock with the prime ministers Mr. P.P. van Bosse (liberaal) and Mr. C. Fock (liberaal).
March 5 » Mefistofele, an opera by Arrigo Boito, receives its premiere performance at La Scala.
March 23 » The University of California is founded in Oakland, California when the Organic Act is signed into law.
September 28 » The Battle of Alcolea causes Queen Isabella II of Spain to flee to France.
November 2 » Time zone: New Zealand officially adopts a standard time to be observed nationally.
November 30 » A statue of King Charles XII of Sweden is inaugurated in Stockholm's Kungsträdgården.
December 10 » The first traffic lights are installed, outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Resembling railway signals, they use semaphore arms and are illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Donald Staley, "Staley ancestry", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/staley-ancestry/P1893.php : accessed January 19, 2026), "Benjamin Zeliff (1789-1868)".
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