April 1 » In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.
April 30 » On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.
June 20 » Deputies of the French Third Estate take the Tennis Court Oath.
July 27 » The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (it will be later renamed Department of State).
August 4 » France: Members of the National Constituent Assembly take an oath to end feudalism and abandon their privileges.
November 20 » New Jersey becomes the first U.S. state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
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).
June 10 » Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia is assassinated.
October 7 » Cornell University holds opening day ceremonies; initial student enrollment is 412, the highest at any American university to that date.
October 10 » The Ten Years' War begins against Spanish rule in Cuba.
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.
December 24 » The Greek Presidential Guard is established as the royal escort by King George I.
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 25, 2026), "Benjamin Zeliff (1789-1868)".
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