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19th Century

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Events

19th Century Timeline

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1888

Technology 19th Century North America

George Eastman Patents Roll Film and Kodak Trademark

Photography in the nineteenth century remained cumbersome, requiring heavy equipment and chemical processing that limited it to professionals. Rochester inventor George Eastman sought to simplify the process after earlier experiments with dry plates. He developed a flexible roll film system and a lightweight camera. On September 4, 1888, Eastman received a U.S. patent for the roll-film camera and registered the Kodak trademark, chosen for its distinctive sound and ease of spelling. The company marketed the camera with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest,” shifting photography toward mass consumer use and amateur enthusiasts.

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1889

Culture 19th Century Europe

Eiffel Tower Officially Opens in Paris

The 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris celebrated the centennial of the French Revolution and showcased industrial achievements. Engineer Gustave Eiffel designed a 300-meter wrought-iron lattice tower as the fair's centerpiece, despite initial public skepticism about its aesthetics and safety. Construction began in 1887 and faced engineering challenges including wind resistance and precise assembly of prefabricated parts. On March 31, 1889, Eiffel personally raised the French tricolor from the summit during the official inauguration ceremony attended by French officials and dignitaries. The tower immediately became the world's tallest structure and a symbol of modern engineering prowess.

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1889

Economics 19th Century North America

Oklahoma Land Rush Begins at High Noon

Following the Indian Removal Act and subsequent treaties that relocated Native American tribes to Indian Territory, the U.S. government designated certain unassigned lands for settlement. President Benjamin Harrison's proclamation opened nearly two million acres of former Creek and Seminole lands in what became Oklahoma. On April 22, 1889, at noon, a cannon signaled the start, drawing an estimated 50,000 settlers who raced on foot, horseback, and in wagons to claim 160-acre homesteads or town lots. Chaos ensued as "boomers" and illegal "sooners" competed fiercely, leading to instant towns like Guthrie and Oklahoma City emerging by nightfall. The event followed the Homestead Act's principles of encouraging westward agricultural development amid post-Civil War expansion pressures.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1889

Disaster 19th Century North America

Johnstown Flood Devastates Pennsylvania Valley

In the late 19th century, the South Fork Dam above Johnstown, Pennsylvania, had been sold to a private fishing club and received inadequate maintenance despite its history of leaks. Heavy rains throughout May 1889 swelled rivers and strained the structure. On May 31 the dam gave way, releasing a wall of water up to 60 feet high that raced 14 miles downstream. The torrent smashed through the industrial town of Johnstown, sweeping away homes, factories, and bridges in minutes. More than 2,200 people perished, making it one of the deadliest floods in U.S. history at the time. Rescue and recovery efforts stretched for weeks amid widespread destruction of property valued in the tens of millions of dollars.

Event Detail Disaster Kit Pro

1889

Economics 19th Century North America

Wall Street Journal Publishes First Edition

During the late 19th century, New York’s financial district expanded rapidly amid industrialization and railroad growth, yet investors lacked a dedicated, reliable source of daily market information. Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser, already experienced publishers of a financial newsletter, decided to launch a full newspaper. The inaugural issue of The Wall Street Journal appeared on July 8, 1889, featuring stock tables, corporate news, and editorial commentary aimed at brokers and businessmen. Printed on a modest scale at first, the paper quickly established itself as the authoritative voice of American finance.

Event Detail Free Speech Atlas

1889

Technology 19th Century North America

Edison Demonstrates Early Motion Picture

In the late 19th century, inventors sought ways to capture and display moving images to complement the phonograph's success with sound. Thomas Edison's laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, under assistant William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, developed the Kinetograph camera and experimented with flexible celluloid film. On October 6, 1889, Edison viewed the first test footage known as Monkeyshines No. 1, showing lab workers gesturing before the camera in a brief sequence. This marked one of the earliest successful recordings of motion on photographic film in the United States. The demonstration confirmed the viability of strip film for sequential images viewed rapidly to create the illusion of movement.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1889

Politics 19th Century North America

Washington Becomes 42nd U.S. State

Following years of territorial growth fueled by railroads, logging, and settlement, Washington Territory prepared for statehood under an enabling act passed by Congress earlier in 1889. Voters ratified a state constitution in the summer, and President Benjamin Harrison reviewed the documents. On November 11, 1889, Harrison issued a proclamation formally admitting Washington as the 42nd state. The new state joined others admitted that year from the former Dakota, Montana, and Washington territories, completing a wave of Western expansion. Its admission reflected the rapid population increase and economic development in the Pacific Northwest. The timing aligned with broader national efforts to organize the remaining territories.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1889

Politics 19th Century Latin America & Caribbean

Brazil Proclaimed a Republic After Coup

The Empire of Brazil under Emperor Pedro II had faced growing republican sentiment, military discontent, and economic pressures following the abolition of slavery in 1888. Agrarian elites and positivist officers sought a more modern, centralized government. On November 15, 1889, Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca led troops in a nearly bloodless coup in Rio de Janeiro, seizing government buildings and deposing the emperor without significant resistance. Pedro II was exiled, and a provisional republican government was immediately established with Fonseca as president. The monarchy ended after nearly seven decades, and Brazil transitioned to a federal republic. The event was formalized the next day through official declarations.

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1890

Other 19th Century North America

U.S. Congress Creates Yosemite National Park

By the late nineteenth century, growing awareness of environmental damage from logging, grazing, and tourism prompted conservation advocates like John Muir to push for federal protection of California's Sierra Nevada landscapes. Earlier state-level efforts had preserved Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove, but surrounding areas remained vulnerable. On October 1, 1890, Congress passed legislation signed by President Benjamin Harrison that established Yosemite National Park, encompassing over 1,500 square miles of wilderness including towering granite cliffs and giant sequoias. The act transferred oversight to the federal government while initially leaving the valley and grove under California control. This created America's third national park and set a model for preserving natural wonders for public use.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1890

Civil Rights 19th Century North America

Lakota Leader Sitting Bull Killed on Reservation

By the late 19th century, U.S. government policies of forced assimilation and land reduction had confined many Native American tribes, including the Lakota Sioux, to reservations amid ongoing resistance to white settlement. Sitting Bull, a prominent Hunkpapa Lakota holy man and leader who had defeated Custer at Little Bighorn, lived on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. Indian police, acting on federal orders to arrest him over fears of renewed resistance linked to the Ghost Dance movement, confronted him at his cabin. During the December 15, 1890, arrest attempt, a struggle erupted, and Sitting Bull was fatally shot. His death intensified tensions that contributed directly to the Wounded Knee Massacre two weeks later.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1890

Civil Rights 19th Century North America

Wounded Knee Massacre Ends Major Native Resistance

In the winter of 1890, U.S. authorities grew alarmed by the Ghost Dance movement among Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation, fearing it signaled renewed resistance. On December 28, the 7th Cavalry intercepted a band led by Chief Big Foot (Spotted Elk) and escorted them to Wounded Knee Creek. The following morning, December 29, soldiers attempted to disarm the approximately 350 Lakota, including many women and children. A scuffle over a rifle triggered indiscriminate firing from Hotchkiss guns and rifles, killing between 150 and 300 Lakota while 25 soldiers also died, many from friendly fire. The massacre marked the final major armed clash between the U.S. Army and Plains tribes.

Event Detail US Military Atlas

1891

Politics 19th Century Oceania

Liliuokalani Becomes Queen of Hawaii

Hawaii in the late nineteenth century faced increasing foreign influence and internal political strains under the constitutional monarchy established after the 1887 Bayonet Constitution. Upon the death of her brother, King Kalākaua, on January 20, 1891, Liliʻuokalani was proclaimed queen regnant on January 29. As the last monarch and only queen to rule in her own right, she sought to restore traditional Hawaiian authority and resist further concessions to American sugar interests. Her brief reign ended with the 1893 overthrow that led to annexation.

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1892

Culture 19th Century Europe

The Nutcracker Ballet Premieres

Commissioned by Imperial Theatres director Ivan Vsevolozhsky after the success of Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty, the ballet adapted E.T.A. Hoffmann's story via Alexandre Dumas, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography initially by Marius Petipa, completed by Lev Ivanov. On December 18, 1892, it premiered as a double bill with the opera Iolanta at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, featuring a cast including Antonietta Dell'Era as the Sugar Plum Fairy and real children in many roles. The performance occurred on Christmas Eve in the Russian calendar and introduced innovative elements like the celesta in the score. Despite mixed initial reviews criticizing the libretto and some choreography, Tchaikovsky's music received praise for its richness and melody. The...

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1893

Politics 19th Century Oceania

Americans Overthrow Hawaiian Monarchy

By the late 19th century, American sugar planters and businessmen held significant economic power in the Kingdom of Hawaii under Queen Liliʻuokalani. Tensions rose as the queen sought to restore monarchical authority and limit foreign influence through a new constitution. On January 17, 1893, a Committee of Safety composed of American and European residents, supported by U.S. Minister John L. Stevens and marines from the USS Boston, staged a coup d'état. The queen yielded under protest to avoid bloodshed, and the provisional government led by Sanford B. Dole was established. The immediate result ended the Hawaiian monarchy after nearly a century of independent rule. The event paved the way for U.S. annexation five years later.

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1893

Culture 19th Century North America

World's First Ferris Wheel Opens in Chicago

The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago sought to showcase American innovation and rival Europe's engineering feats, such as the Eiffel Tower. Engineer George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. proposed a massive rotating wheel as the fair's centerpiece on the Midway Plaiside. Construction faced challenges but was completed in time for the June 21, 1893, public opening. The 264-foot structure featured 36 cars carrying up to 60 passengers each and was powered by steam. It immediately drew crowds, offering panoramic views and becoming a sensation that operated through the fair's duration. The wheel carried over two million riders before its eventual demolition in 1906.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1893

Civil Rights 19th Century Oceania

New Zealand Enacts Women's Suffrage as First Nation

In the late nineteenth century New Zealand's Liberal government faced sustained pressure from suffragists led by Kate Sheppard, who organized massive petitions signed by nearly a quarter of adult women. Parliament debated an electoral bill amid opposition from some conservatives concerned about social change. On September 19, 1893, Governor Lord Glasgow signed the Electoral Act into law, granting all women aged twenty-one and older, including Māori women, the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The measure passed the upper house narrowly after last-minute political maneuvering. Women participated in the November 1893 election, with high turnout demonstrating the reform's success.

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1894

Economics 19th Century North America

U.S. Congress Establishes Labor Day Holiday

Industrialization in late 19th-century America led to growing labor unrest, including major strikes and demands for worker recognition amid rapid economic expansion. The violent Pullman Strike of 1894 heightened tensions between workers and employers. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation declaring the first Monday in September a federal holiday to honor American workers. The move aimed to acknowledge labor contributions while responding to union pressures following recent conflicts. It created an annual observance focused on the achievements of the labor movement.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1895

Politics 19th Century East Asia

Treaty of Shimonoseki Ends First Sino-Japanese War

By 1895 Japan had modernized rapidly under the Meiji Restoration and defeated Qing China in a decisive campaign that exposed Chinese military weaknesses. Negotiations occurred at Shunpanrō hall in Shimonoseki, Japan, involving Japanese envoys Itō Hirobumi and Mutsu Munemitsu facing Chinese representatives Li Hongzhang and his son. On April 17, 1895, the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed, requiring China to recognize Korean independence, cede Taiwan, the Penghu Islands, and Liaodong Peninsula, pay a massive indemnity, and open additional ports to Japanese trade. The terms reflected Japan's emergence as an imperial power and ended China's traditional tributary relationship with Korea.

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1895

Science 19th Century Europe

Röntgen Discovers X-Rays in Germany

In late 19th-century Germany, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was experimenting with cathode rays in vacuum tubes at the University of Würzburg. On November 8, 1895, while testing a new setup with a cardboard-covered tube, he observed a fluorescent screen glowing several feet away despite the barrier, revealing invisible rays that penetrated materials. Röntgen spent weeks investigating their properties, producing the first X-ray image of his wife's hand. He announced the discovery in December 1895, naming the rays X for unknown. The breakthrough immediately transformed medicine and physics worldwide.

Event Detail Guided Physics

1895

Other 19th Century Europe

Alfred Nobel Signs Will Establishing Nobel Prizes

By the late 19th century, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel had amassed a fortune through his invention of dynamite and other explosives, which found wide use in mining, construction, and warfare. Living primarily in Paris, Nobel drafted multiple wills over his lifetime reflecting evolving philanthropic intentions. On November 27, 1895, at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, he signed his final will, directing the bulk of his estate to a foundation that would award annual prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace to those conferring the greatest benefit on mankind. The document surprised relatives who had anticipated larger inheritances and sparked legal challenges after his death in 1896.

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1895

Culture 19th Century Europe

Lumière Brothers Hold First Commercial Movie Screening

In late 19th-century France, inventors Auguste and Louis Lumière developed the Cinématographe, a portable camera, printer, and projector. Earlier private demonstrations had occurred, but the brothers sought a paying public audience. On December 28, 1895, they presented ten short films depicting everyday scenes, such as workers leaving their factory, at the Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris. Approximately 40 paying spectators attended the roughly 20-minute program. The event is widely regarded as the birth of commercial cinema.

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1896

Culture 19th Century Europe

First Modern Olympic Games Open in Athens

Pierre de Coubertin and the International Olympic Committee revived the ancient Greek tradition after centuries of dormancy, organizing an international athletic festival to promote peace and physical education. The Games were scheduled to open in Athens, the historic site of the original Olympics. On April 6, 1896, King George I of Greece formally opened the competition before a large crowd at the Panathenaic Stadium, which had been refurbished for the event. Athletes from 14 nations competed in nine sports, including track and field, swimming, fencing, and gymnastics, with events spread over several days. American James Connolly won the first modern Olympic medal in the triple jump.

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1896

Law 19th Century North America

Supreme Court Upholds Separate but Equal in Plessy

In the post-Reconstruction era, Southern states enacted Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation in public facilities despite the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. Homer Plessy, a man of mixed race, challenged Louisiana's Separate Car Act by sitting in a whites-only train car in 1892, leading to his arrest. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which on May 18, 1896, ruled 7-1 in Plessy v. Ferguson that segregation was constitutional if facilities were equal. Justice Henry Billings Brown wrote the majority opinion, while Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented, arguing it violated the Constitution. The decision entrenched legal segregation for decades.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1896

Economics 19th Century North America

Dow Jones Industrial Average Debuts

In the 1890s American investors sought reliable benchmarks amid rapid industrial growth and fluctuating railroad stocks. On May 26, 1896, Charles Dow published the first Dow Jones Industrial Average in The Wall Street Journal, averaging the closing prices of twelve leading industrial companies. The initial value stood at 40.94. Unlike earlier transportation-focused averages, this index tracked manufacturing and production firms, providing a daily snapshot of the broader economy. The simple price-weighted calculation quickly became a standard reference for market performance.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas