Today in History - Historical Events - 1879

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Notable Historical Events - 1879

1879Madison Square Garden opens in New York, named after 4th President James Madison

1879Custer Battlefield National Monument, Mont established

1879Ulysses S. Grant and family go to SF for elaborate extended visit

1879Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi is awarded a patent for his design for the Statue of Liberty

1879Doc Holliday kills for the first time after a man shoots up his New Mexico saloon.

1879Thomas Edison perfects carbonized cotton filament light bulb

1879 Historical Events
Date Event
Jan 1
John Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major premieres in Leipzig 
Jan 2
1st Test match hat-trick, Fred Spofforth at the MCG 
Jan 2
British battleship Thunder explodes in Gulf of Ismid, 9 die 
Jan 2
Dr Benjamin E Mays, named president of Atlanta Board of Education 
Jan 2
Northwestern League (minor baseball league) organized, Rockford, Ill 
Jan 9
Cheyenne prisoners led by Dull Knife revolt at Ft Robinson 
Jan 9
Kirland Warbler discovered on Andros Island in Bahamas 
Jan 11
Zulu war against British colonial rule in South Africa begins 
Jan 12
British Zulu War begins: Lt-General Chelmsford invades Zululand 
Jan 16
January record 13" of snow falls in NYC (broken Jan 7, 1996) 
Jan 20
British troops under Lord Chelmsford set camp at Isandlwana 
Jan 21
Henrik Ibsen's "Et Dukkehjem," premieres in Copenhagen 
Jan 22
Zulus attack British Army camp in Isandhlwana South Africa 
Jan 22
James Shields (D) elected US senator from Missouri after previously serving as US senator from Illinois & Minnesota 
Jan 22
Battle at Rorkes Drift: British garrison of 150 holds off 3,000-4,000 Zulus 
Jan 23
US National Archery Association forms (Crawfordsville, Ind) 
Jan 25
The Bulgarian National Bank is founded. 
Jan 29
Custer Battlefield National Monument, Mont established 
Jan 30
French President MacMahon resigns 
Feb 5
Joseph Swan demonstrates light bulb using carbon glow 
Feb 8
Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute. 
Feb 10
1st electric arc light used (California Theater) 
Feb 10
Henry Morton Stanley departs for the Congo 
Feb 12
1st artificial ice rink in North America (Madison Sq Garden, NYC) 
Feb 12
News about slaughtering of Isandlwana reaches London 
Feb 14
Chilean troops occupy Antofagasta 
Feb 15
Congress authorizes women lawyers to practice before Supreme Ct 
Feb 18
Arabs capture Egyptian premier Nabar Pasha 
Feb 18
Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi is awarded a patent for his design for the Statue of Liberty 
Feb 22
1st 5 cent & 10 cent store opened by Frank W Woolworth (Utica NY) 
Feb 25
Congress passed 1st Timberland Protection Act 
Feb 27
Constantine Fahlberg discovers saccharin (artificial sweetener) 
Feb 28
"Exodus of 1879" southern blacks flee political/economic exploitation 
Mar 1
Library of Hawaii founded 
Mar 3
1st female lawyer heard by US Supreme Court (Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood) 
Mar 3
US Geological Survey director authorized in Dept of the Interior 
Mar 23
War of the Pacific was fought between Chile and the joints forces of Bolivia and Peru. Chile successfully took over Arica and Tarapacá which left Bolivia as a landlocked country. 
Mar 27
Longest championship fight (136 rounds) 
Mar 29
Tsjaikovski's opera "Jevgeni Onegin," premieres in Moscow 
Apr 5
Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific. 
Apr 8
Khedive Ismael of Egypt fires French/British ministers 
Apr 8
Milk was sold in glass bottles for 1st time 
Apr 18
Trial of Standing Bear-Crook on indians citizen rights begins 
Apr 20
1st mobile home (horse drawn) used in a journey from London & Cyprus 
May 8
George Selden files for 1st patent for a gasoline-driven automobile 
May 10
Meteor falls near Estherville, Iowa 
May 14
The first group of 463 Indian indentured labourers arrive in Fiji aboard the Leonidas. 
May 16
Antonin Dvorák's "Slavic Dancing" premieres 
May 16
Treaty of Gandamak to set up Afghan state between Russia & English 
May 20
5th Kentucky Derby: Charlie Shauer aboard Lord Murphy wins in 2:37 
May 21
Battle of Iquiquw 
May 21
War of the Pacific: Two Chilean ships blocking the harbor of Iquique (then belonging to Peru) battle two Peruvian vessels in the Battle of Iquique. 
May 24
7th Preakness: L Hughes aboard Harold wins in 2:40.5 
May 30
92°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in May 
May 30
Gilmore Garden (NYC) renamed Madison Square Garden 
May 30
An F4 tornado strikes Irving, Kansas, killing 18 and injuring 60. 
May 31
1st electric railway opens at Berlin Trades Exposition 
May 31
Madison Square Garden opens in New York, named after 4th President James Madison 
Jun 1
Napoleon Eugene, the last dynastic Bonaparte, is killed serving with British forces in the Anglo-Zulu War. He is buried in Farnborough, Hampshire. 
Jun 5
13th Belmont: George Evans riding Spendthrift wins in 2:42.75 
Jun 16
Gilbert & Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore" debuts at Bowery Theater NYC 
Jun 18
W H Richardson, a black inventor, patents the children's carriage 
Jun 21
F W Woolworth opens 1st store (failed almost immediately) 
Jun 26
Ismael Pasha resigns as khedive of Egypt 
Jun 30
Ex-khedive Ismael Pasha leaves Cairo with train full stolen goods 
Jul 1
Ex-khedive Ismael Pasha sails from Alexandria to Naples 
Jul 1
Charles Taze Russell publishes the first edition of the religious magazine The Watchtower. 
Jul 4
Africaner Union forms by Rev SJ du Toit at Cape colony 
Jul 4
Battle at Ulundi: Lord Chelmsford beats Zulu King Cetshwayo 
Jul 16
3rd Wimbledon Mens Tennis: John Hartley beats V Goold (6-2 6-4 6-2) 
Jul 17
1st railroad opens in Hawaii 
Jul 19
Doc Holliday kills for the first time after a man shoots up his New Mexico saloon. 
Jul 31
The first cable connection between South Africa and Europe is laid by the British electrical engineer Charles Tilston Bright as part of his project to link the British Empire with growing telecommunications technologies 
Aug 4
Pope Leo XIII publishes encyclical Aeterni Patris 
Aug 7
The opening of the Poor Man's Palace in Manchester. 
Aug 12
1st National Archery Association tournament (Chicago) 
Aug 17
Ferdinand de Lesseps forms French Panama Canal Company 
Aug 20
Government Kappeijne of Coppello resigns 
Aug 21
The Virgin Mary, along with St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, reportedly appears to the people of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland. 
Aug 23
Governor-general Charles Gordon of Sudan returns to Cairo 
Sep 5
George Washington De Long, American Arctic Explorer, and commander on board the Jeannette, becomes trapped with his crew in pack ice during his attempt to reach the North Pole 
Sep 15
Pim Mulier forms "Haarlem Football Club" 
Sep 19
Thomas Ray becomes youngest to break a world track & field record pole-vaulting 11' 2½" at age 17 years & 198 days 
Sep 19
The Blackpool Illuminations are switched on for the first time. 
Sep 20
Ulysses S. Grant and family go to SF for elaborate extended visit 
Sep 23
Baldwin steam motors tram 1st tried in Sydney Australia 
Sep 23
Richard Rhodes invented a hearing aid called the Audiophone 
Sep 28
Sydney Australia inaugurates steam motor tram route 
Sep 29
NL owners meeting in Buffalo adopt reserve clause, giving each team exclusive rights to their players 
Oct 1
Cincinnati Enquirer publishes 1st report on baseball reserve clause 
Oct 2
Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Musgrave Ritual" (BG) 
Oct 7
Germany & Austrian-Hungary sign Twofold Covenant 
Oct 8
War of the Pacific: the Chilean Navy defeats the Peruvian Navy in the Battle of Angamos, Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau is killed in the encounter. 
Oct 12
British troops occupy Kabul, Afghanistan 
Oct 19
Afghan's emir Mohammed Yakub forced to resign 
Oct 22
Thomas Edison perfects carbonized cotton filament light bulb 
Nov 2
In a 6-day footrace a Mr Weston loses to a horse, 900 to 885 km 
Nov 4
Elkins patents refrigerating apparatus 
Nov 4
James Ritty patents first cash register, to combat stealing by bartenders in his Dayton, Ohio saloon 
Nov 6
Canada celebrates 1st Thanksgiving Day 
Nov 19
Natl Association of Trotting Horse Breeders determines what "is" a trotter 
Nov 28
Battle at Lydenburg South Africa: Gen Wolseley beats Sekhukhenes Pedi-Zulu 
Dec 5
1st automatic telephone switching system patented 
Dec 13
1st federal fish hatching steamer lauched (Wilmington Delaware) 
Dec 20
Tom Edison privately demonstrated incandescent light at Menlo Park 
Dec 26
John Brahms' "Tragic Ouverture," premieres 
Dec 28
North British Railway's train falls as Tay bridge collapses (Scot) 
Dec 30
Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance," premieres 
Dec 31
Cornerstone laid for Honolulu's Iolani Palace (only royal palace in US) 
Dec 31
Edison gives 1st public demonstration of his incandescent lamp 
Dec 31
Gilbert and Sullivan's Opera "Pirates of Penzance," premieres in NYC 
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