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Events on Thursday 7 October 1858 1
1858Wilhelm becomes regent of PrussiaPrince Wilhelm assumes power as King Frederick William IV is incapacitatedPrince Wilhelm of Prussia was formally appointed regent after his brother, King Frederick William IV, suffered a series of strokes that left him unable to rule. The change ushered in a more liberal period known as Prussia's New Era and put Wilhelm on the path to becoming German Emperor in 1871. He appointed a more moderate cabinet than his brother's.