Events in the year 1866 in Belgium.
Incumbents Monarch: Leopold II Head of government: Charles Rogier
Events January 7 January – Le Peuple (predecessor organisation of Belgian Labour Party) joins First International.Alain de Gueldre et al., Kroniek van België (Antwerp and Zaventem, 1987). 28 January – "Manifeste des ouvriers", drafted by Edmond Picard, calls for universal manhood suffrage.
March 6 March – Belgian-Chinese Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation ratified in Brussels.Dirk De Ruyver, "The First Treaty between Belgium and Japan", in Japan & Belgium: An Itinerary of Mutual Inspiration, edited by W.F. Vande Walle and David De Cooman (Tielt, 2016), pp. 21-111.
May 28 May – Provincial elections 31 May – Strikes and lock-outs decriminalised.
June Fresh outbreaks in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp of 1863–75 cholera pandemic. 12 June – Partial legislative elections of 1866 15 June – Contract signed for Covering of the Senne
August 1 August – Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Belgium, negotiated by Auguste t'Kint, signed in Edo. 27 August – Antwerp city council makes Dutch the official language of city business.
October 20 October – State banquet at Brussels for British Volunteers on visit to Belgium.Joseph Irving, The Annals of Our Time (London and New York, 1871), p. 755.
21 October – Risk Allah Bey brought to trial in Brussels on charges of murder and forgery.
December 20 December – Parliamentary enquiry into preparedness of armed forces begins. 27 December – Belgian-Japanese Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation ratified in Brussels.
Publications Periodicals Almanach royal officiel (Brussels, H. Tarlier)Almanach on Google Books. Collection de précis historiques, vol. 15, edited by Edouard Terwecoren S.J.On Google Books Messager des sciences historiques.Messager on Google Books.
Reference works Biographie Nationale de Belgique begins publication."Biographie nationale", Messager des sciences historiques (1866), pp. 512-514.
Books Charles Baudelaire, Les Épaves (Brussels) Louis Galesloot, Pierre-Albert et Jean de Launay, Hérauts d'Armes du Duché de Brabant, Histoire de leurs procès, 1643-1687 (Brussels)Pierre-Albert et Jean de Launay at Google Books. Victor Hugo, Travailleurs de la Mer (Brussels) Jules de Saint-Genois, Les Flamands d'autrefois
Maps Auguste Stessels, Carte générale des bancs de Flandres compris entre Gravelines et l'embouchure de l'Escaut [Map of the sandbanks of the Flemish coast between Gravelines and the mouth of the Scheldt], engraved by J. Nauwens (Antwerp, F. Bizolier)
Art and architecture
Buildings St John the Baptist's church, Ghent (Gothic Revival parish church)
Births 9 January – Albert Baertsoen, painter (died 1922) 25 January – Emile Vandervelde, politician (died 1938) 27 April – Émile Royer, politician (died 1916) 5 July – Maurice Houtart, politician (died 1939) 14 July – Juliette Wytsman, painter (died 1925) 2 August – Adrien de Gerlache, Antarctic explorer (died 1934) 14 August – Charles Jean de la Vallée Poussin, mathematician (died 1962) 10 December – Louise De Hem, painter (died 1922)
Deaths Date uncertain Joseph Abbeel (born 1786), veteran of Napoleon's Russian campaign
March 24 March – Jean-Baptist David (born 1801), literary scholar
References