Editing 1856 (section)

=== October–December ===
* [[October 8]] &ndash; The [[Second Opium War]] between several Western powers and China begins with the ''Arrow'' Incident on the [[Pearl River (China)|Pearl River]].
* [[October 12]] &ndash; [[1856 Heraklion earthquake]]: A powerful earthquake rocks the Mediterranean, killing hundreds on the island of Crete and many more in the Middle East.
* [[October 13]] &ndash; American mercenary [[William Walker (filibuster)|William Walker]] effectively takes control of [[Nicaragua]].
* [[November 1]] &ndash; [[Anglo-Persian War]]: War is declared between Great Britain and [[Persia]].
* [[November 4]] &ndash; [[1856 United States presidential election]]: [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[James Buchanan]] defeats former President [[Millard Fillmore]], representing a coalition of [[Know Nothing]]s and [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]], and [[John C. Frémont]] of the fledgling [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], to become the 15th [[President of the United States]].
* [[November 11]] &ndash; [[Taiping Rebellion]]: [[Shi Dakai]] arrives at the Heavenly Capital once more with 100,000 men, and demands that [[Wei Changhui]] and Qin Rigang be executed. Shi subsequently becomes head of the government.
* [[November 17]] &ndash; [[American Old West]]: On the [[Sonoita River]] in modern-day southern [[Arizona]], the [[United States Army]] establishes [[Fort Buchanan, Arizona|Fort Buchanan]], in order to help control new land acquired in the [[Gadsden Purchase]].
* [[November 21]] &ndash; [[Niagara University]] is founded in [[Niagara Falls, New York]].
* [[November 27]] &ndash; The [[Luxembourg Coup of 1856|Coup of 1856]] leads to [[Luxembourg]]'s unilateral adoption of a new, reactionary [[Constitution of Luxembourg|constitution]], as [[King-Grand Duke]] [[William III of the Netherlands|William III]] signs the new constitution without the [[Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg)|Chamber of Deputies]]' consent.
* [[December 1]] &ndash; Under the [[County and Borough Police Act 1856|County and Borough Police Act]], in any county or area of [[England and Wales]] where a police force has not already been established, the [[Justice of the Peace|Justices of the Peace]] must from this date take steps to create one according to nationally defined standards.<ref>{{cite book|first=Stephen|last=Friar|title=The Sutton Companion to Local History|edition=rev.|location=Stroud|publisher=Sutton Publishing|year=2001|isbn=0-7509-2723-2|page=243}}</ref>
* [[December 2]] &ndash; The [[National Portrait Gallery, London]], is established.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gallery history|url=http://www.npg.org.uk/about/history.php|publisher=National Portrait Gallery|access-date=2011-08-26|archive-date=September 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920220655/http://www.npg.org.uk/about/history.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[December 9]] &ndash; [[Bushehr]] surrenders to the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]].