On This Day
·

American yacht Columbia beats the Shamrock challenge from Royal Ulster Yacht Club in the 11th America's Cup

The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.

The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known as the defender) and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup (the challenger). The winner is awarded the America's Cup trophy, informally known as the Auld Mug. Matches are held several years apart on dates agreed between the defender and the challenger. There is no fixed schedule, but the races have generally been held every three to four years.

Any yacht club that meets the requirements specified in the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup has the right to challenge the yacht club that currently holds the cup.

Historical Significance

The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.

Events Before

  1. Brooklyn merges with New York City to form the present-day City of New York

    The City of Greater New York was the consolidation of the City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Island, which took effect on January 1, 1898.

  2. Painter Henri Matisse (28) weds Amélie Noellie Parayre

    Painter Henri Matisse (28) weds Amélie Noellie Parayre

  3. Australian cricketer Joe Darling hits the first six in Test cricket (out of the ground)

    Australian cricketer Joe Darling hits the first six in Test cricket (out of the ground)

  4. Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (25) weds political activist and poet Alice Ruth Moore (22) in New York

    Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (25) weds political activist and poet Alice Ruth Moore (22) in New York

  5. Battle of Atbara River: Anglo-Egyptian forces defeat 15,000 Sudanese during the Mahdist War, a turning point in the reco

    Battle of Atbara River: Anglo-Egyptian forces defeat 15,000 Sudanese during the Mahdist War, a turning point in the reconquest of Sudan

Events After

  1. Compulsory primary school education in the Netherlands goes into effect

    Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is oriented toward the needs and background of the pupil.

  2. Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, premieres at Teatro Costanzi in R

    Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, premieres at Teatro Costanzi in Rome, Italy

  3. The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Repres

    The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Representative Committee and eventually the modern UK Labour Party in 1906

  4. Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics

    Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics

  5. US Secretary of State John Hay announces that all nations to whom he sent notes calling for an 'open door' policy in Chi

    US Secretary of State John Hay announces that all nations to whom he sent notes calling for an 'open door' policy in China have essentially accepted his stance

More from the 1890s

Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12

Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12 million people

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays

Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government

Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 20, 1899?
The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known as the defender) and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup (the challenger). The winner is awarded the America's Cup trophy, informally known as the Auld Mug.
Why is American yacht Columbia beats the Shamrock challenge from Royal Ulster Yacht ... significant?
The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.

Explore More

October 20 in HistoryYear 1899