Prime Minister: John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (Whig)
Thu 1st May
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in the
Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London, is opened by Queen Victoria (it runs until
October 15)
Thu 15th May
The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had
been made three months earlier
Mid-May to mid-July
Great Flood of 1851: extensive flooding sweeps across the Midwestern
United States. The town of Des Moines is virtually washed away, and many
rainfall records hold for 160 years