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Prince Mutsuhito, 14, becomes Emperor Meiji of Japan (1867-1912)

Meiji (Mutsuhito; 3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912) was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912.

Meiji (Mutsuhito; 3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912) was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912. The Meiji Restoration proclaimed the Empire of Japan in 1868, beginning the Meiji era of his reign. Japan transformed from a feudal state under the Tokugawa shogunate into a major imperial power.

At the time of Mutsuhito's birth, Japan was a feudal and pre-industrial country dominated by the isolationist Tokugawa shogunate and the daimyō subject to it, who ruled over Japan's 270 decentralized domains.

Historical Significance

Meiji (Mutsuhito; 3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912) was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912.

Events Before

  1. US House of Representatives passes the 14th Amendment (Civil Rights)

    The Civil Rights Act of 1866 (14 Stat. 27, enacted April 9, 1866, reenacted 1870) was the first United States federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by...

  2. First transatlantic telegraph cable comes ashore at Heart's Content, Newfoundland, after being laid out 1,686 miles by I

    First transatlantic telegraph cable comes ashore at Heart's Content, Newfoundland, after being laid out 1,686 miles by Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Eastern steamship

  3. Tsarevich Alexander of Russia (later Alexander III) marries Princess Dagmar of Denmark at the Grand Church of the Winter

    Tsarevich Alexander of Russia (later Alexander III) marries Princess Dagmar of Denmark at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg

  4. Fisk University opens in Nashville, Tennessee

    Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

  5. Steamship London sinks in storm off Land's End, England and kills 220

    Steamship London sinks in storm off Land's End, England and kills 220

Events After

  1. US House of Representatives votes 126 to 47 to impeach President Andrew Johnson

    The impeachment of Andrew Johnson for "high crimes and misdemeanors" was initiated by the United States House of Representatives on February 24, 1868.

  2. American religious leader Brigham Young weds his 53rd wife, American actress and future polygamy critic Anna Webb (24),

    American religious leader Brigham Young weds his 53rd wife, American actress and future polygamy critic Anna Webb (24), in Salt Lake City, Utah

  3. The Shogunate is abolished in Japan

    The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago.

  4. Abyssinian War ends as British and Indian troops capture Magdala and Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II commits suicide

    Abyssinian War ends as British and Indian troops capture Magdala and Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II commits suicide

  5. US Senate fails to impeach President Andrew Johnson by one vote

    The impeachment of Andrew Johnson for "high crimes and misdemeanors" was initiated by the United States House of Representatives on February 24, 1868.

More from the 1860s

Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation to free enslaved people in Confederate states

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

Slavery is abolished in the Dutch East Indies for areas under direct rule

The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.

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Alfred Stieglitz is born

Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, known for american photographer, was born on 1864-01-01.

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Qi Baishi is born

Qi Baishi, Chinese painter, known for chinese painter, was born on 1864-01-01. Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of…

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 3, 1867?
Meiji (Mutsuhito; 3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912) was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912. The Meiji Restoration proclaimed the Empire of Japan in 1868, beginning the Meiji era of his reign. Japan transformed from a feudal state under the Tokugawa shogunate into a major imperial power.
Why is Prince Mutsuhito, 14, becomes Emperor Meiji of Japan (1867-1912) significant?
Meiji (Mutsuhito; 3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912) was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912.

Explore More

February 3 in HistoryYear 1867