Timeline April 1859

Events in April 1859 1

• 1859 Construction of the Suez Canal begins Ferdinand de Lesseps starts work on the Egypt waterway Work began on the Suez Canal under the direction of French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, aiming to link the Mediterranean and Red Seas through Egypt. The project relied heavily on forced Egyptian labor in its early years and took a decade to complete. It would ultimately transform global shipping routes between Europe and Asia.