Year

1890

5 sourced events from this year.

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1890 Timeline

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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

Culture Born On 19th Century North America

Groucho Marx Born in New York City

Julius Henry Marx, later celebrated by the stage name Groucho Marx, was born on October 2, 1890, in New York City, New York. Raised in a show-business family, he began performing with his brothers in vaudeville before the Marx Brothers reached Broadway and became film stars. Groucho's painted mustache, cigar, stooped walk, and rapid-fire wordplay made him the group's most recognizable figure. Films including Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera established his anti-authoritarian comic persona, while the radio and television quiz show You Bet Your Life later showcased his gift for spontaneous conversation with ordinary guests.

Event Detail

1890

Politics Born On 19th Century North America

Dwight Eisenhower Born in Denison

Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas, and grew up in Abilene, Kansas. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1915 and spent decades in Army staff and command assignments before becoming one of the leading Allied commanders of World War II. Eisenhower directed the Allied invasion of North Africa and later served as supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, overseeing preparations for the D-Day landings and the campaign that defeated Nazi Germany in the west. After the war he served as Army chief of staff, president of Columbia University, and NATO’s first supreme allied commander in Europe. Eisenhower won the 1952 presidential election as a Republican and served two...

Event Detail US Military 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