On This Day

Britain's Dr. James Moore wins the first recorded bicycle race, a 2 km velocipede race at Parc de Saint-Cloud, Paris

James Moore (14 January 1849 – 17 July 1935) was an English bicycle racer. He is popularly regarded as the winner of the first official cycle race in the world in 1868 at St-Cloud, Paris, although...

James Moore (14 January 1849 – 17 July 1935) was an English bicycle racer. He is popularly regarded as the winner of the first official cycle race in the world in 1868 at St-Cloud, Paris, although this claim seems to be erroneous. In 1869 he won the world's first road race Paris–Rouen sponsored by Le Vélocipède Illustré and the Olivier brothers' Michaux Bicycle Company. Moore covered the 113 km (70 mi) in 10 hours and 25 minutes. He was one of the first stars of cycle racing, dominating competition for many years.

Historical Significance

James Moore (14 January 1849 – 17 July 1935) was an English bicycle racer.

Events Before

  1. Labor union leader Samuel Gompers (17) weds co-worker Sophia Julian (16) in Brooklyn, New York

    Labor union leader Samuel Gompers (17) weds co-worker Sophia Julian (16) in Brooklyn, New York

  2. Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky (45) weds Anna Snitkina at Trinity Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky (45) weds Anna Snitkina at Trinity Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia

  3. British North America Act is passed in the House of Commons, serves as Canada's constitution for more than 100 years

    Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest...

  4. Joseph Lister first outlines the discovery of antiseptic surgery in an article in "The Lancet"

    Joseph Lister first outlines the discovery of antiseptic surgery in an article in "The Lancet"

  5. The United States buys Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (109 million in 2018 dollars), roughly 2 cents an acre

    The United States buys Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (109 million in 2018 dollars), roughly 2 cents an acre

Events After

  1. US postage stamps featuring scenes are issued for the first time, depicting a post horse and rider, a locomotive, a shie

    US postage stamps featuring scenes are issued for the first time, depicting a post horse and rider, a locomotive, a shield, an eagle, and a ship, the Adriatic

  2. Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table of the elements to the Russian Chemical Society

    Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table of the elements to the Russian Chemical Society

  3. Cincinnati Red Stockings become baseball's first professional team with ten salaried players

    The Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869 were baseball's first all-professional team, with ten salaried players.

  4. US Abolitionist Harriet Tubman marries civil war veteran Nelson Davis in Auburn NY

    Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was an American abolitionist and political activist. Tubman escaped slavery and rescued approximately 70 enslaved people, including members of her family and friends.

  5. Hudson's Bay Company cedes its territory to Canada

    The Hudson's Bay Company (abbreviated HBC and colloquially Hudson's Bay) is a Canadian holding company of department stores and commercial property.

More from the 1860s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 31, 1868?
James Moore (14 January 1849 – 17 July 1935) was an English bicycle racer. He is popularly regarded as the winner of the first official cycle race in the world in 1868 at St-Cloud, Paris, although this claim seems to be erroneous. In 1869 he won the world's first road race Paris–Rouen sponsored by Le Vélocipède Illustré and the Olivier brothers' Michaux Bicycle Company.
Why is Britain's Dr. James Moore wins the first recorded bicycle race, a 2 km veloci... significant?
James Moore (14 January 1849 – 17 July 1935) was an English bicycle racer.

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