MDCCCLIII

MDCCCLIII is the Roman numeral for the number 1853. It is formed by M (1000) + D (500) + CCC (300) + L (50) + III (3). In this form, the value is additive; there is no subtractive pair in this particular representation.

Year 1853 lies in the mid-19th century. Notable events associated with that year include the outbreak of the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance that would later include Britain and France; the United States signed the Gadsden Purchase with Mexico, acquiring territory that would become parts of present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico; and Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan, beginning direct contact between the United States and Japan. These events had lasting effects on international diplomacy, territorial borders, and the modernization of naval power.

Today MDCCCLIII appears primarily in historical inscriptions and as a stylized way to denote the year in Roman numerals on monuments, clocks, and documents. Roman numerals like this are still used in certain contexts, though Arabic numerals are dominant in everyday use.