Editing 1862 (section)

=== May ===
* [[May 1]]&ndash;[[November 1]] &ndash; The [[1862 International Exhibition]] is held at [[South Kensington]] in London; it is particularly noteworthy for an exhibit from Japan, influential in the development of [[Anglo-Japanese style]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Halen|first=Widar|title=Christopher Dresser|publisher=Phaidon|year=1990|isbn=0-7148-2952-8|page=34}}</ref>
* [[May 2]] &ndash; The [[California State Normal School]] (later [[San Jose State University]]) is created by an Act of the California legislature.
* [[May 5]] &ndash; [[Second French intervention in Mexico]]: [[Battle of Puebla]] &ndash; Mexican General [[Ignacio Zaragoza]] defeats the French Army; commemorated each year as ''[[Cinco de Mayo]]'' (Spanish for ''Fifth of May'').
* [[May 11]] &ndash; [[American Civil War]]: Ironclad {{ship|CSS|Virginia}} is scuttled in the [[James River]] northwest of [[Norfolk, Virginia]].
* [[May 15]] &ndash; U.S. President [[Abraham Lincoln]] signs a bill into law creating the U.S. Bureau of Agriculture (later renamed [[U.S. Department of Agriculture]]).
* [[May 20]] &ndash; U.S. President [[Abraham Lincoln]] signs the [[Homestead Act of 1862|Homestead Act]] into law.
* [[May 24]] &ndash; [[Westminster Bridge]] is opened across the Thames in London. This new iron bridge, designed by [[Thomas Page (engineer)|Thomas Page]], replaces the previous stone one.