Garfield assassination engraving cropped

Events

January–March

January 1 January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...

– 24 –

Siege of Geok Tepe The Battle of Geok Tepe in 1881 was the main event in the 1880/81 Russian campaign to conquer the Teke Turkomans. Its effect was to give the Russian Empire control over most of what is now Turkmenistan, thereby nearly completing the Russian co ...

: Russian troops under General

Mikhail Skobelev Mikhail Dmitriyevich Skobelev (russian: Михаил Дмитриевич Скобелев; 29 September 1843 – 7 July 1882), a Russian Empire, Russian general, became famous for his conquest of Central Asia and for his heroism during the Russo ...

defeat the Turkomans. *

January 13 Events Pre-1600 * 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years. * 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing ...

– War of the Pacific –

Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos The Battle of San Juan, also known as the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos, was the first of two battles in the Lima Campaign during the War of the Pacific, and was fought on 13 January 1881. This battle is really a group of smaller, yet fierce ...

: The Chilean army defeats Peruvian forces. *

January 15 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months. * 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...

– War of the Pacific – Battle of Miraflores: The Chileans take Lima, capital of Peru, after defeating its second line of defense in Miraflores. *

January 24 Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. *1438 – The Cou ...

– William Edward Forster, chief secretary for Ireland, introduces his Coercion Bill, which temporarily suspends

habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

so that those people suspected of committing an offence can be detained without trial; it goes through a long debate before it is accepted

February 2 Events Pre-1600 * 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law". * 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...

. *

January 25 Events Pre-1600 * 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate. * 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty ...

–

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...

and

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...

form the

Oriental Telephone Company The Oriental Telephone Company was established on January 25, 1881, as the result of an agreement between Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, the Oriental Bell Telephone Company of New York and the Anglo-Indian Telephone Company, Ltd. The company ...

. *

February 13 Events Pre-1600 * 962 – Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-sign the ''Diploma Ottonianum'', recognizing John as ruler of Rome. *1322 – The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th. *1462 – The ...

– The first issue of the feminist newspaper ''

La Citoyenne ''La Citoyenne'' (''The Citizeness'') was a French feminist newspaper published in Paris from 1881 through 1891 by Hubertine Auclert. It was first published on February 13, 1881, and appeared bi-monthly. The newspaper was a forceful and unrelent ...

'' is published by

Hubertine Auclert Hubertine Auclert (; 10 April 1848 – 4 August 1914) was a leading French feminist and a campaigner for women's suffrage. Early life Born in the Allier ''département'' in the Auvergne area of France into a middle-class family, Hubertine Aucle ...

. *

February 16 Events Pre-1600 * 1249 – Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khagan of the Mongol Empire. * 1270 – Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Livonian Order in the Battle of Kar ...

– The

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

is incorporated. *

February 18 Events Pre-1600 * 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. * 1268 &ndas ...

–

Carlos Finlay Carlos Juan Finlay (December 3, 1833 – August 20, 1915) was a Cuban epidemiologist recognized as a pioneer in the research of yellow fever, determining that it was transmitted through mosquitoes ''Aedes aegypti''. Biography Early life and ...

introduces his discovery of the transmission of

Yellow Fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

by mosquitoes ''

Aedes aegypti ''Aedes aegypti'', the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its legs ...

'', in the Fifth International Sanitary Conference held in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

February 19 Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...

–

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

becomes the first U.S. state to prohibit all

alcoholic beverage An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

s. *

February 24 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica. * 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence. * 13 ...

(February 12 Old Style) –

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

China signs the Treaty of Saint Petersburg with the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

providing for the return to China of the eastern part of the

Ili Ili, ILI, Illi may refer to: Abbreviations * Irish Life International, part of Irish Life and Permanent * Intuitive Logical Introvert, a personality type in socionics * Influenza-like illness * Iran Language Institute, a state-owned, non-profit ...

Basin. *

February 25 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor. * 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II. ...

–

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, is incorporated. *

March 1 Events Pre-1600 *509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first Roman triumph, triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia. * 293 – Emperor ...

– The

Cunard Line Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...

's , the first

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

transatlantic liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

, is launched at

Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Mil ...

in Scotland. *

March 4 Events Pre-1600 *AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title '' princeps iuventutis'' (head of the youth). * 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. * 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a st ...

–

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...

sworn in Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to giv ...

as the 20th president of the United States. *

March 12 Events Pre-1600 * 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius. * 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...

– Andrew Watson makes his

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

debut as the world's first black international football player. *

March 13 Events Pre-1600 *624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh. *1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War. *1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...

–

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...

is killed near his palace when a bomb is thrown at him, an act falsely blamed upon

Russian Jews The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

. He is succeeded by his son, Alexander III. * March 23 ** The First Boer War comes to an end. ** A fire caused by a gas explosion destroys the Opéra de Nice in the south of France with fatalities. * March 26 (March 14 Old Style) – The Principality of Romania is proclaimed the

Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...

April–June

* April 11 – Spelman College is established in Atlanta, Georgia. *

April 14 Events Pre-1600 * 43 BC – Legions loyal to the Roman Senate, commanded by Gaius Pansa, defeat the forces of Mark Antony in the Battle of Forum Gallorum. * 69 – Vitellius, commanding Rhine-based armies, defeats Roman emperor Otho ...

– The

Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight was a famous gun fight that occurred on April 14, 1881, on El Paso Street, in El Paso, Texas. Witnesses generally agreed that the incident lasted no more than five seconds after the first gunshot, though a ...

erupts in

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

. * April 15 ** Temuco,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, is founded. ** Anti-Semitic pogroms in Southern Russia begin. *

April 21 Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). * 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...

– The

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

is founded as the Storrs Agricultural School. * April 25 –

Caulfield Grammar School Caulfield Grammar School is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican, International Baccalaureate, day school, day and boarding school, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1881 as ...

is founded in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia. * April 28 – Billy the Kid escapes from his 2 jailers at the Lincoln County Jail in Mesilla,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, killing James Bell and Robert Ollinger, before stealing a horse and riding out of town. * May 12 – In North Africa,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

becomes a French protectorate by the

Treaty of Bardo The Treaty of Bardo (french: Traité du Bardo, ar, معاهدة باردو) or Treaty of Qsar es-S'id, Treaty of Ksar Said established a French protectorate over Tunisia that lasted until World War II. It was signed on 12 May 1881 between repre ...

. *

May 13 Events Pre-1600 *1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book '' Revelations of Divine Love''. * 1501 – Amerigo Vespu ...

– The Pacific island of Rotuma cedes to Great Britain, becoming a dependency of the

Colony of Fiji The Colony of Fiji was a Crown colony that existed from 1874 to 1970 in the territory of the present-day nation of Fiji. London declined its first opportunity to annex the Kingdom of Fiji in 1852. Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau had offered to cede ...

. *

May 16 Events Pre-1600 * 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. *1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. * 1364 ...

– The world's first regular electric

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

service is started in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, by Siemens & Halske. * May 21 ** The

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

is established by

Clara Barton Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then very ...

. ** The United States Tennis Association is established by a small group of tennis club members; the first U.S.

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

Championships are played this year. *

May 22 Events Pre-1600 * 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu. * 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt. * 11 ...

(May 10 Old Style) – Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is crowned King of

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

. *

June 12 Events Pre-1600 * 910 – Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors. * 1240 – At the instigation of Louis IX of Fr ...

– The USS ''Jeannette'' is crushed in an Arctic Ocean ice pack. * June 18 – The League of the Three Emperors is resurrected. *

June 20 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory. * 1180 – First Battle of Uji, starting ...

– The current

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

baseball team plays its first game. * June 26 – War of the Pacific –

Battle of Sangrar A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

: Peruvian and Chilean forces battle to a draw.

July–September

July 1 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– General Order 70, the culmination of the

Cardwell–Childers reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

's organization, comes into effect. * July 2 –

Assassination of James A. Garfield James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 2, 1881. He died in Elberon, New Jersey, 79 days later on September 19, 1881. T ...

: United States President

is shot by lawyer

Charles J. Guiteau Charles Julius Guiteau ( ; September 8, 1841June 30, 1882) was an American man who assassinated James A. Garfield, president of the United States, on July 2, 1881. Guiteau falsely believed he had played a major role in Garfield's election vic ...

in Washington, D.C. The wound becomes infected, killing Garfield on September 19. *

July 4 Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...

–

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

opens in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. * July 7 – The first episode of Carlo Collodi's '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' is published in Italy. *

July 14 Events Pre-1600 * 982 – King Otto II and his Frankish army are defeated by the Muslim army of al-Qasim at Cape Colonna, Southern Italy. * 1223 – Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II. * 1420 ...

– 20 – The International Anarchist Congress is held in London; delegates include

Marie Le Compte Marie Le Compte was an American journal editor and anarchist who was active during the early 1880s. Early career Marie Le Compte was of French origin but settled in the United States, where she joined the Socialist movement, speaking and writing ...

Peter Kropotkin Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin (; russian: link=no, Пётр Алексе́евич Кропо́ткин ; 9 December 1842 – 8 February 1921) was a Russian anarchist, socialist, revolutionary, historian, scientist, philosopher, and activis ...

Errico Malatesta Errico Malatesta (4 December 1853 – 22 July 1932) was an Italian anarchist propagandist and revolutionary socialist. He edited several radical newspapers and spent much of his life exiled and imprisoned, having been jailed and expelled from ...

Saverio Merlino Francesco Saverio Merlino (9 September 1856 – 30 June 1930) was an Italian lawyer, anarchist activist and theorist of libertarian socialism. Life Merlino was born on 9 September 1856 in Naples.Louise Michel, Nicholas Tchaikovsky and

Émile Gautier Émile Jean-Marie Gautier (19 January 1853 – 1937) was a French anarchist and later a journalist. He coined the term "social Darwinism". Life Émile Jean-Marie Gautier was born on January 19, 1853 in Rennes. His parents were Jean Marie Gautier ...

. *

– Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett, outside Fort Sumner,

. * July 20 – American Indian Wars:

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...

chief

Sitting Bull Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock I ...

leads the last of his people in surrender to United States troops at

Fort Buford Fort Buford was a United States Army Post at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in Dakota Territory, present day North Dakota, and the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881.Ewers, John C. (1988): "When Sitting Bull Surrendere ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

. * July 23 – The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina is signed in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

. *

August 3 Events Pre-1600 * 8 – Roman Empire general Tiberius defeats the Dalmatae on the river Bosna. * 435 – Deposed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Nestorius, considered the originator of Nestorianism, is exiled by Roman Emperor ...

– The Pretoria Convention peace treaty is signed, officially ending the war between the

Boers Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled this area ...

and Britain. * August 27 – The fifth hurricane of the Atlantic season hits Florida and the Carolinas, killing about 700. * September 5 – The

Thumb Fire The Thumb Fire took place on September 5, 1881, in the Thumb area of Michigan in the United States. The fire, which burned over a million acres (4,000 km²) in less than a day, was the consequence of drought, hurricane-force winds, heat, the af ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

destroys over a million acres (4,000 km²) and kills 282 people. * September 12 –

Francis Howell High School Francis Howell High School is a four-year public high school located in St. Charles, Missouri. Approximately 1800 students from Defiance, Foristell, New Melle, O'Fallon, Saint Peters, Saint Charles, Weldon Spring, and Wentzville attend sch ...

(Howell Institute) in

St. Charles, Missouri Saint Charles (commonly abbreviated St. Charles) is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 65,794 at the 2010 census, making St. Charles the ninth-largest city in Missouri. Situated on t ...

, and Stephen F. Austin High School in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, open on the same day, putting them in a tie for the title of the oldest public

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. * September 19 – President

dies eleven weeks after being shot. Vice President

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A ...

becomes the 21st president of the United States. * September 20 – President Chester A. Arthur is

. * September 26 –

Godalming Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...

in England becomes the first town to have its streets illuminated by

electric light An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

( hydroelectrically generated).

October–December

* October 5–

December 31 It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve or Old Years Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the followin ...

– The

International Cotton Exposition International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.) was a world's fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 4 to December 31 of 1881. The location was along the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks near the present-day King Plow Arts Center development in t ...

is held in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia, USA. * October 10 –

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...

's Savoy Theatre opens in London, the world's first public building to be fully lit by electricity, using Joseph Swan's

incandescent light bulb An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb with a vacuum or inert gas to protect the filament from oxida ...

s. The stage is first lit electrically on December 28. * October 13 – Determined to bring about the revival of the Hebrew language as a way of unifying

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda ( he, אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֵּן־יְהוּדָה}; ; born Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman, 7 January 1858 – 16 December 1922) was a Russian–⁠Jewish linguist, grammarian, and journalist, renowned as the lexicographer of ...

has what is believed to be the first conversation in

Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew ( he, עברית חדשה, ''ʿivrít ḥadašá ', , '' lit.'' "Modern Hebrew" or "New Hebrew"), also known as Israeli Hebrew or Israeli, and generally referred to by speakers simply as Hebrew ( ), is the standard form of the He ...

, with friends living in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. * October 26 – The

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a thirty-second shootout between lawmen led by Virgil Earp and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cowboys that occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in ...

occurs in Tombstone,

Cochise County, Arizona Cochise County () is a county in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named after the Native American chief Cochise. The population was 125,447 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Bisbee and the most populous city is ...

, USA. * October 29 – The satirical magazine ''

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

'' is first published in the United States. * November –

Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...

is founded in the northeast of England as Stanley F.C., with a further name change to Newcastle East End F.C. the following year. *

November 3 Events Pre-1600 * 361 – Emperor Constantius II dies of a fever at Mopsuestia in Cilicia; on his deathbed he is baptised and declares his cousin Julian rightful successor. *1333 – The River Arno floods causing massive damage in F ...

– The

Mapuche uprising of 1881 The last major rebellion of the indigenous Mapuches of Araucanía took place in 1881, during the last phase of the Occupation of Araucanía (1861–1883) by the Chilean state. It was planned by Mapuche chiefs in March 1881 to be launched in Nove ...

begins with an attack on Quillem, Chile. *

November 9 Events Pre-1600 * 694 – At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery. * 1277 – The Treaty of Aberconwy, a humiliating settlement f ...

– Brahms' '' Piano Concerto No. 2'' premieres in Budapest. *

November 11 Events Pre-1600 * 308 – At Carnuntum, Emperor ''emeritus'' Diocletian confers with Galerius, ''Augustus'' of the East, and Maximianus, the recently returned former ''Augustus'' of the West, in an attempt to end the civil wars of the T ...

– The

Clarkson Memorial The Clarkson Memorial in Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England commemorates Thomas Clarkson (1760–1846), a central figure in the campaign against the slave trade in the British empire, and a former native of Wisbech. It was erected ...

to an anti-slavery campaigner in

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...

(England) is completed and unveiled to the public. *

November 19 Events Pre-1600 * 461 – Libius Severus is declared emperor of the Western Roman Empire. The real power is in the hands of the ''magister militum'' Ricimer. * 636 – The Rashidun Caliphate defeats the Sasanian Empire at the Battle o ...

– A

meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...

strikes the Earth near the village of Großliebenthal, a few kilometers southwest of

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

, Ukraine. * December 8 – '':de:Ringtheaterbrand, Ringtheaterbrand'': At least 380 die in a fire at the Vienna Ringtheater. * December 25–December 27, 27 – The Warsaw pogrom (1881), Warsaw pogrom is carried out in Vistula Land,

. * December 28 – Virgil Earp is ambushed in Tombstone, Arizona, and loses the use of his left arm.

Date unknown

* Kinshasa (the capital of the modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) is founded by Henry Morton Stanley as a trading outpost called Léopoldville. * On the Isle of Man (an internally self-governing dependent territory of the United Kingdom), the House of Keys Election Act extends the franchise for the national legislature to spinsters and widows owning real estate of a certain value. * Edward Rudolf founds the ''Church of England Central Society for Providing Homes for Waifs and Strays'' (modern-day The Children's Society). * The Pali Text Society is founded by British scholar Thomas William Rhys Davids, for the study of Pali (Ceylonese) texts. * Some Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican archives are opened to scholars for the first time. * Abilene, Texas, is founded. * Rafaela, Argentina, is formed. * New York City's oldest independent school for girls, the Convent of the Sacred Heart (New York City), Convent of the Sacred Heart New York (91st Street), is founded. * Culford School, a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Suffolk, England, is founded as the East Anglian School for Boys. * Leyton Orient F.C. is founded in London. * Meiji Law School, as predecessor of Meiji University, founded in Yurakucho, Tokyo, Japan. * Tokyo Law College, as predecessor of Hosei University, was founded in Japan. * The Vocational and Technical College of Tokyo, later Tokyo Institute of Technology, was founded in Japan. * Hattori Watching Shop (服部時計店) founded by Kanetarō Hattori in Ginza, Tokyo, as predecessor of watch brand Seiko in Japan.

Births

January

* January 9 ** Lascelles Abercrombie, English poet, critic (d. 1938) ** Giovanni Papini, Italian essayist, poet and novelist (d. 1956) *

– Essington Lewis, Australian industrialist (d. 1961) *

– John Rodgers (naval officer, World War I), John Rodgers, American naval officer, naval aviation pioneer (d. 1926 * January 23 – Luisa Casati, Italian heiress, artistic muse and patron of the arts (d. 1957) * January 30 – Whitford Kane, Irish-born American actor (d. 1956) * January 31 – Irving Langmuir, American chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)

February

– Gustav Herglotz, German mathematician (d. 1953) * February 4 ** Eulalio Gutiérrez, President of Mexico (d. 1939) ** Fernand Léger, French artist (d. 1955) ** Kliment Voroshilov, Russian military officer, politician (d. 1969) * February 11 – Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (d. 1966) * February 12 – Anna Pavlova, Russian ballerina (d. 1931) *

– Eleanor Farjeon, English children's writer, poet (d. 1965) * February 17 – Bess Streeter Aldrich, American fiction writer (d. 1954) * February 21 – Kenneth J. Alford, British soldier, composer (d. 1945) *

– Alexei Rykov, Premier of Russia and Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1938) * February 27 – Sveinn Björnsson, 1st president of Iceland (d. 1952) * February 28 – Otto Dowling, United States Navy Captain (USN), Captain, 25th Governor of American Samoa (d. 1946)

March

** T. S. Stribling, American novelist (d. 1965) ** Richard C. Tolman, American mathematical physicist (d. 1948) * March 9 – Ernest Bevin, British labour leader, politician and statesman (d. 1951) * March 10 – Thomas Quinlan (impresario), Thomas Quinlan, English operatic impresario (d. 1951) * March 17 – Walter Rudolf Hess, Swiss physiologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973) * March 22 – Hans Wilsdorf, German-Swiss watchmaker, founder of Rolex (d. 1960) * March 23 ** Roger Martin du Gard, French writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958) ** Hermann Staudinger, German chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965) * March 25 ** Béla Bartók, Hungarian composer (d. 1945) ** Mary Webb, English novelist (d. 1927) * March 26 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founder of ''Gucci'' (d. 1953)

April

* April 1 – Octavian Goga, 37th prime minister of Romania (d. 1938) * April 3 – Alcide De Gasperi, Italian statesman, politician, 30th prime minister of Italy (d. 1954) * April 12 – Rudolf Ramek, 5th Chancellor of Austria (d. 1941) *

– Husain Salaahuddin, Maldivian writer (d. 1948) * April 16 – Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, British politician (d. 1959) * April 24 – Harald Giersing, Austrian painter (d. 1927) * April 27 – Móric Esterházy, 18th prime minister of Hungary (d. 1960)

May

* May 1 – Mary MacLane, Canadian writer (d. 1929) * May 4 – Alexander Kerensky, Russian politician (d. 1970) *

– Lima Barreto, Brazilian writer (d. 1922) * May 14 – George Murray Hulbert, American politician (d. 1950) * May 19 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of Turkey (official birthday; d. 1938) * May 20 – Władysław Sikorski, Polish general, politician (d. 1943) * May 26 – Adolfo de la Huerta, 38th President of Mexico (d. 1955) * May 30 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (d. 1968)

June

* June 3 – Juliusz Rómmel, Polish general (d. 1967) * June 9 – Marion Leonard, American silent film actress (d. 1956) * June 11 – Maggie Gripenberg, Finnish dancer and choreographer (d. 1976) * June 17 – Tommy Burns (Canadian boxer), Tommy Burns, Canadian boxer (d. 1955)

July

* July 3 – Leon Errol, Australian actor and comedian (d. 1951) *

– Ulysses S. Grant III, American soldier, planner (d. 1968) * July 22 – Kenneth Whiting, United States Navy officer, submarine and naval aviation pioneer (d. 1943) * July 27 – Hans Fischer, German chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1945) * July 28 – Günther Quandt, German industrialist, founder of the industrial empire that in modern times includes ''BMW'' and ''Altana'' (d. 1954) * July 30 – Smedley Butler, United States Marine Corps general (d. 1940)

August

* August 6 – Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish biomedical researcher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1955) * August 7 – François Darlan, French admiral and 81st prime minister of France from 1941 to 1942 (d. 1942) * August 8 – Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist, German field marshal (b. 1954) * August 12 – Cecil B. DeMille, American film director, producer (d. 1959) * August 19 – George Enescu, Romanian composer (d. 1955) * August 20 – Edgar A. Guest, English poet (d. 1959)

September

* September 5 **Otto Bauer, Austrian Social Democratic politician (d. 1938) **Henry Maitland Wilson, British field marshal (d. 1964) * September 8 ** Harry Hillman, American track athlete (d. 1945) ** Refik Saydam, 4th prime minister of Turkey (d. 1942) * September 11 – Asta Nielsen, Danish silent film star (d. 1972) * September 12 – Daniel Jones (phonetician), Daniel Jones, British Phonetics, phonetician (d. 1967) * September 15 – Ettore Bugatti, Italian car designer, founder of Bugatti (d. 1947) * September 16 – Clive Bell, English art critic (d. 1964) * September 17 – Aubrey Faulkner, South African cricketer (d. 1930) * September 25 – Lu Xun, leading figure of modern Chinese literature (d. 1936) * September 26 – Hiram Wesley Evans, American Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard (d. 1966) * September 29 – Ludwig von Mises, Austrian economist (d. 1973)

October

* October 1 – William E. Boeing, American engineer, airplane manufacturer (d. 1956) * October 4 – Walther von Brauchitsch, German field marshal (d. 1948) * October 11 – Hans Kelsen, Austrian legal theorist (d. 1973) * October 15 ** William Temple (bishop), William Temple, English Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1944) ** P. G. Wodehouse, English-born comic writer (d. 1975) * October 22 – Clinton Davisson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958) * October 25 – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter (d. 1973) * October 26 – Margaret Wycherly, English stage, film actress (d. 1956)

November

Ioannes XXIII, by De Agostini, 1958–1963

* November 4 – Gaby Deslys, French dancer, actress (d. 1920) * November 5 – George A. Malcolm, American lawyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and educator (d. 1961) * November 8 – Robert Esnault-Pelterie, French aircraft designer, pioneer rocket theorist (d. 1957) * November 12 – Maximilian von Weichs, German field marshal (d. 1954) * November 14 – Nicholas Schenck, Russian-born American film studio executive (d. 1969) * November 15 – Franklin P. Adams, American columnist, poet (d. 1960) * November 24 – Al Christie, Canadian-born director, producer (d. 1951) * November 25 ** Jacob Fichman, Romanian-born Israeli poet, essayist (d. 1958) ** Pope John XXIII (b. Angelo Roncalli), Italian pontiff (1958-1963) (d. 1963) * November 28 – Stefan Zweig, Austrian writer (d. 1942)

December

* December 2 – Heinrich Barkhausen, German physicist (d. 1956) * December 3 – Henry Fillmore, American composer, bandleader (d. 1956) * December 16 – Henri Dentz, French general (d. 1945) * December 23 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958) * December 30 – Wiktor Thommée, Polish general (d. 1962)

Deaths

January–June

– Louis Auguste Blanqui, French socialist, political activist (b. 1805) * January 3 – Anna McNeill Whistler, James Whistlers mother, subject of his painting (b. 1804) * January 18 – Auguste Mariette, French Egyptologist (b. 1821) * January 21 – Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1802) *

– Frances Stackhouse Acton, British botanist, archaeologist, writer and artist (b. 1794) * February 5 – Thomas Carlyle, Scottish writer, historian (b. 1795) * February 8 – Marie Jules Dupré, French admiral and colonial governor (b. 1813) * February 9 – Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian novelist (b. 1821) * February 14 – Fernando Wood, New York City mayor (b. 1812) * February 23 – Robert F. R. Lewis, American naval officer (b. 1826) * March 2 – John Cracroft Wilson, Sir John Cracroft Wilson, British civil servant, and politician in New Zealand (b. 1808) *

– Emperor

(assassinated) (b. 1818) * March 28 – Modest Mussorgsky, Russian composer (b. 1839) * March 31 – Lucy Virginia French, American blank verse poet (b. 1825) * April 19 – Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1804) * April 26 – Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, Bavarian general (b. 1815) * April 27 – Ludwig von Benedek, Austrian general (b. 1804) * May 24 – Samuel Palmer, English artist (b. 1805) * May 25 – Giuseppe Maria Giulietti, Italian explorer (b. 1847) * June 6 – Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian composer (b. 1820) * June 28 – Jules Armand Dufaure, 3-time prime minister of France (b. 1798) * June 30 – Gustav von Alvensleben, Prussian general (b. 1803)

July – December

** Baron Jules Dupotet de Sennevoy, French writer (b. 1796) ** Hermann Lotze, German philosopher and logician (b. 1817) *

– J. V. Snellman, Finnish statesman and an influential Fennoman philosopher (b. 1806)Johan Vilhelm Snellman
at the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' *

– Billy the Kid, American gunslinger (b. 1859) * July 17 – Jim Bridger, American explorer and trapper (b. 1804) *

– William Fargo, American expressman and politician, Mayor of Buffalo, New York (b. 1818) * August 11 – Jane Digby, English adventurer (b. 1807) * August 15 – Alexandru G. Golescu, 11th prime minister of Romania (b. 1819) * September 7 – Sidney Lanier, American writer (b. 1842) * September 8 – Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Dutch noble, general (b. 1797) * September 13 – Ambrose Burnside, American Civil War general, Burnside carbine, inventor, politician from Rhode Island (b. 1824) * September 19 –

, 20th President of the United States (b. 1831) * September 22 – Solomon L. Spink, U.S. Congressman from Illinois (b. 1831) * October 3 ** Orson Pratt, American religious leader (b. 1811) ** Princess Sumiko, Japanese princess (b. 1829) * October 31 – George W. De Long, American naval officer, explorer (starvation) (b. 1844) * December 4 – Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, American general, politician, and diplomat (b. 1836) * December 18 – George Edmund Street, British architect (b. 1824)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1881 1881,

Events

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Date unknown

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January–June

July – December

See also

References