All times in UTC ·
Dashed edge = started before, or continues beyond, this day
Events on Monday 25 April 1859 1
1859Construction of the Suez Canal beginsFerdinand de Lesseps starts work on the Egypt waterwayWork 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.