February 7 – At the British Museum in London, a drunken visitor smashes the Portland Vase which takes months to repair.[1] It has since been reconstructed three times.
March – Honoré Daumier begins publishing the series of drawings Les Gens de justice ("The Men of Justice") in the satirical Paris magazine Le Charivari.
Heinrich Hoffmann anonymously publishes Lustige Geschichten und drollige Bilder mit 15 schön kolorierten Tafeln für Kinder von 3–6 Jahren ("Funny Stories and Whimsical Pictures with 15 Beautifully Coloured Panels for Children Aged 3 to 6", later known as Struwwelpeter) in Germany.
Brita Sofia Hesselius opens a photography studio in Karlstad, making her the first known Swedish female professional photographer.