On This Day

Haymarket riot in Chicago; bomb kills 7 policemen

The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor...

The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The rally began peacefully in support of workers striking for an eight-hour work day; it was held the day after a May 3 rally at a McCormick Harvesting Machine Company plant on the West Side of Chicago, during which two demonstrators had been killed and many demonstrators and police had been injured.

Historical Significance

The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Events Before

  1. King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as his personal colonial possession

    From 1885 to 1908, many atrocities were committed in the Congo Free State (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) under the absolute rule of King Leopold II of Belgium.

  2. Mark Twain publishes "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the US

    Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a picaresque novel by American author Mark Twain that was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885.

  3. Berlin Conference gives Congo to Belgium and Nigeria to the United Kingdom

    From 1885 to 1908, many atrocities were committed in the Congo Free State (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) under the absolute rule of King Leopold II of Belgium.

  4. W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's comic opera "The Mikado" premieres in London at the Savoy Theatre

    The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J.

  5. American socialite Edith Jones (23) weds American businessman Edward Robbins Wharton (35), at the Trinity Chapel, New Yo

    American socialite Edith Jones (23) weds American businessman Edward Robbins Wharton (35), at the Trinity Chapel, New York City, becoming Edith Wharton; divorce in 1913

Events After

  1. Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Otello" premieres at La Scala Teatro in Milan, Italy, Verdi's first new opera for over 15 years

    Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Otello" premieres at La Scala Teatro in Milan, Italy, Verdi's first new opera for over 15 years

  2. Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6-year-old blind-deaf Helen Keller

    Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6-year-old blind-deaf Helen Keller

  3. Business magnate Andrew Carnegie (51) weds Louise Whitfield (30) in NYC, New York

    Business magnate Andrew Carnegie (51) weds Louise Whitfield (30) in NYC, New York

  4. "Europe's first motoring competition" is 'won' by The Marquis de Dion on a steam-powered quadricycle built by French toy

    "Europe's first motoring competition" is 'won' by The Marquis de Dion on a steam-powered quadricycle built by French toymaker and engineer Georges Bouton; French newspaper Le Velocipede organized the 'test', and Bouton was the only participant

  5. Yellow River or Huáng Hé floods in China, killing between 900,000 and 2 million people, one of the deadliest natural dis

    Yellow River or Huáng Hé floods in China, killing between 900,000 and 2 million people, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history

More from the 1880s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 4, 1886?
The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The rally began peacefully in support of workers striking for an eight-hour work day; it was held the day after a May 3 rally at a McCormick Harvesting Machine Company plant on the West Side of Chicago, during which two demonstrators had been killed and many demonstrators and police had been injured.
Why is Haymarket riot in Chicago; bomb kills 7 policemen significant?
The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

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