1855
Ansei 2 (安政二年)
Timeline of 1855
- Ansei 1/11/25 (Jan. 12) Commodore Perry arrives in New York.
- 1855/1/21 (March 9) The Ryûkyû-USA Treaty of Amity is ratified by the US Congress and officially announced by President Franklin Pierce.
- 1855/10 Ansei Earthquake strikes Edo.
- 1855/10/15 A Treaty of Amity is signed between France and the Kingdom of Ryûkyû.
Other Events of 1855
- Bernard Bettelheim publishes his translation of the Gospel of Luke into Okinawan.
- The Kyoto Imperial Palace is rebuilt.
- Paris hosts a World's Fair for the first time - the Exposition Universelle of 1855.
- Treaty of Shimoda - The shogunate and Russia complete the first of a number of agreements seeking to define geographical borders between the two countries' territories. The shogunate assumes direct administration of Ezo in order to more solidly claim the territory and repel Russian incursions. The Kuril Islands are officially given to Russia, but the status of Sakhalin is left undecided. This represents the first establishment of "modern" political borders for Japan.
- Yôgakusho (Bureau of Western Studies) is founded by the shogunate.
Births and Deaths
- Yûzen artist Nishimura Sozaemon XII is born (d. 1935).
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