On This Day
·

Gotthard railway tunnel between Switzerland & Italy completed

The Gotthard Tunnel (German: Gotthardtunnel, Italian: Galleria del San Gottardo) is a 15-kilometre-long (9.3 mi) railway tunnel that forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland.

The Gotthard Tunnel (German: Gotthardtunnel, Italian: Galleria del San Gottardo) is a 15-kilometre-long (9.3 mi) railway tunnel that forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Saint-Gotthard Massif in order to bypass the St Gotthard Pass. It was built as single bore tunnel accommodating a standard gauge double-track railway throughout. When opened in 1882, the Gotthard Tunnel was the longest tunnel in the world.

The tunnel rises from the northern portal at Göschenen (1,106 m or 3,629 ft) and the highest point (1,151 m or 3,776 ft) is reached after approximately eight kilometres (5 mi).

Historical Significance

The Gotthard Tunnel (German: Gotthardtunnel, Italian: Galleria del San Gottardo) is a 15-kilometre-long (9.

Events Before

  1. E. M. Forster is born

    E. M. Forster, English novelist and writer, known for english novelist and writer, was born on 1879-01-01. Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author.

  2. Dutch King William II marries Emma von Waldeck-Pyrmont

    William III (Dutch: Willem III, French: Guillaume III; 19 February 1817 – 23 November 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1849 until his death in 1890, and was also...

  3. Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa

    Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa

  4. Battle of Rorke's Drift: A British garrison of about 150 holds off 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. Eleven Victoria Crosses

    Battle of Rorke's Drift: A British garrison of about 150 holds off 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. Eleven Victoria Crosses and several other decorations are awarded to the defenders.

  5. Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific

    The War of the Pacific (Spanish: Guerra del Pacífico), also known by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884.

Events After

  1. Ridden by outstanding English jockey Fred Archer, Iroquois wins the Epsom Derby to become the first American-owned and b

    Ridden by outstanding English jockey Fred Archer, Iroquois wins the Epsom Derby to become the first American-owned and bred horse to win a European classic race

  2. Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull surrenders to US federal troops at Fort Buford in the Territory of Montana [1] [2]

    Sitting Bull was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. Sitting Bull was killed by Indian agency police accompanied by U.S.

  3. Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk, is erected in Central Park, New York [1]

    Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk, is erected in Central Park, New York [1]

  4. Union of Baptists Communities forms in Foxholl

    Union of Baptists Communities forms in Foxholl

  5. Battle at Laing's Neck Natal: Boers beat superior powered British

    Battle at Laing's Neck Natal: Boers beat superior powered British

More from the 1880s

The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic kno

The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge" [1]

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jers

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey

American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in

American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1916

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 29, 1880?
The Gotthard Tunnel (German: Gotthardtunnel, Italian: Galleria del San Gottardo) is a 15-kilometre-long (9.3 mi) railway tunnel that forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Saint-Gotthard Massif in order to bypass the St Gotthard Pass. It was built as single bore tunnel accommodating a standard gauge double-track railway throughout.
Why is Gotthard railway tunnel between Switzerland & Italy completed significant?
The Gotthard Tunnel (German: Gotthardtunnel, Italian: Galleria del San Gottardo) is a 15-kilometre-long (9.

Explore More

February 29 in HistoryYear 1880