The following lists events that happened during

1878 Events January–March * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Battle o ...

in the

Kingdom of Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the ...

Incumbents

* Monarch: Leopold II * Prime Minister:

Jules Malou Jules Edouard Xavier Malou (19 October 1810 – July 1886) was a Belgian statesman, a leader of the clerical party. Career Malou was born at Ypres. He was a civil servant in the department of justice when he was elected to the Chamber of Deput ...

(to 19 June); Walthère Frère-Orban (from 19 June)

Events

* May to November – Belgium participates in the

Paris Universal Exhibition The Exposition Universelle of 1889 () was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. T ...

. * 27 May – Provincial elections * 11-18 June – Partial legislative elections of 1878 (first with voting booths to ensure a

secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...

) * 19 June – Walthère Frère-Orban replaces

as Prime Minister * 22-25 August – Twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebrations of King Leopold II and Queen Marie-Henriette, including a parade of 23,000 school children on 23 August. * 13 November – Jules Guillery succeeds as Charles Rogier as Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives

Publications

;Periodicals * ''Almanach de Poche de Bruxelles'' (Brussels, H. Manceaux) * ''Annuaire de l'Observatoire royal de Bruxelles'', 46 (Brussels, F. Hayez) * ''Annuaire du Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles'', 2 (Brussels, Librairie Européenne C. Muquardt) * ''Bulletin de la Société belge de géographie'', 2 (Brussels, Secrétariat de la Société Belge de Géographie) * '' Bulletins de l'Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique'', 47 (Brussels, M. Hayez). * '' Le Moniteur Belge''. * ''Revue de l'horticulture belge et étrangère'' (Ghent, Bureaux de la Revue) * ''Revue du notariat belge'', 4 (Brussels, Bureau de la Revue) ;Books * Hendrik Conscience, ''De Schat van Felix Roobeek'' * Henri Guillaume, ''Histoire de l'infanterie wallonne sous la maison d'Espagne, 1500–1800'' (Brussels,

Académie Royale An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

)

Art and architecture

;Buildings *

Great Synagogue of Brussels The Great Synagogue of Europe, formerly known as the Great Synagogue of Brussels (french: Grande synagogue de Bruxelles; nl, Grote Synagoge van Brussel), is the main synagogue in Brussels, Belgium which was dedicated as a focal point for Europ ...

completed ;Paintings * Félicien Rops, '' Pornocrates''

Births

* 18 January –

Henri Baels Henri Louis Baels (18 January 1878 – 14 June 1951), was a Belgian Catholic Party politician, and ship-owner from Ostend. Early life Baels was born on 18 January 1878 in Ostend, Belgium. He was the son of Julius Ludovicus Baels (1851–189 ...

, politician (died 1951) * 19 February –

Henri Carton de Tournai Henri Joseph Georges Carton de Tournai (1878–1969) was a Belgian lawyer and Catholic Party politician who was a member of the Belgian Senate and Chamber of Representatives, and a government minister. Life Carton de Tournai was born in Tournai ...

, politician (died 1969) * 5 March – Gaston Salmon, fencer (died 1917) * 10 March – Karel van de Woestijne, author (died 1929) * 16 March – Émile Cammaerts, author (died 1953) * 29 March –

Jules Pire Jules Joseph Pire (1878-1953) was a Belgian career soldier and a leading figure in the Belgian Resistance during World War II. In this capacity, he led the Secret Army, the largest faction of the resistance, from January 1944. Career Pire was b ...

, resistance leader (died 1953) * 14 April –

August Borms August Borms (14 April 1878 – 12 April 1946) was a Flemish nationalist politician active in Belgium during the first half of the twentieth century. He belonged to the far-right of the Flemish movement. Borms collaborated with Germany during both ...

, quisling (died 1946) * 23 June – Gustave Strauven, architect (died 1919) * 1 July – Joseph Maréchal, Jesuit (died 1944) * 5 July –

Jean de Bosschère Jean de Bosschère (Uccle, 5 July 1878 – Châteauroux, 17 January 1953) was a Belgian writer and painter. Early life Bosschère was born in Uccle, the son of Charles de Bosschere and Nancy Marie Hélène Van der Stock. In 1884, the family m ...

, writer and painter (died 1953) * 6 July –

Charles Terlinden Charles Terlinden (1878—1972) was a Belgian historian, professor at the Catholic University of Louvain, and papal chamberlain.Henri Haag, "Terlinden, Charles", ''Nouvelle Biographie Nationale''vol. 3(Brussels, 1994), 323-325. Life Terlinden was ...

, historian (died 1972) * 15 July – Hendrik De Vocht, scholar (died 1962) * 13 September – Oscar Joliet, bishop (died 1969) * 20 November –

Joseph-Marie Canivez Dom Joseph-Marie, born Ovide Ernest Ursmer Ghislain Canivez (1878–1952), was a Belgian historian of the Cistercian order and a monk of Scourmont Abbey. Life Canivez was born in Binche on 20 November 1878. He was educated at Bonne-Espérance junio ...

, Trappist (died 1952)

Deaths

* 18 January –

Frans de Cort Frans Jozef de Cort (21 June 1834, in Antwerp – 18 January 1878, in Elsene), was a Flemish writer. Life De Cort was born and brought up in Antwerp, where he became a shipping clerk, in 1861 moving to Brussels to serve as clerk of the militar ...

(born 1834), writer * 9 July –

Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier (; 3 April 1797 in Tournai – 9 July 1878) was a Belgian who conducted a parallel career of botanist and Member of Parliament. Biography Barthélemy Dumortier was a son of the merchant and city councillor Ba ...

(born 1797), botanist and politician * 7 August – Joseph Gustave Ernest Allard (born 1840), politician * 16 November –

Charles Vilain XIIII Viscount Charles Ghislain Guillaume Vilain XIIII (15 May 1803 – 16 November 1878) was a Belgian politician, serving as governor of East Flanders, Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium. Early ...

(born 1803), politician

References

{{Year in Europe, 1878 1870s in Belgium Belgium Years of the 19th century in Belgium Belgium