On This Day
·

Steel Pier opens as the first amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey [1]

The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump...

The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump Taj Mahal). Built in 1897 and opened in 1898, it was one of the most popular venues in the United States for the first seven decades of the twentieth century, featuring concerts, exhibits, and an amusement park. It billed itself as the Showplace of the Nation and at its peak measured 2,298 feet (700 m).

The pier is owned by the Catanoso family and operates under the Steel Pier Associates, LLC name. The Catanosos had previously leased the pier to operate the amusement park before they purchased it.

Historical Significance

The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump Taj Mahal).

Events Before

  1. Invasion of Benin City by British Expeditionary Force; the city is burned and looted, ending the Nigerian Kingdom of Ben

    Invasion of Benin City by British Expeditionary Force; the city is burned and looted, ending the Nigerian Kingdom of Benin formed in the 11th century

  2. British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons KOs American champion 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the World Heavyweig

    British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons KOs American champion 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the World Heavyweight title in Carson City, Nevada

  3. 1st Boston Marathon (B.A.A. Road Race), won by John J. McDermott in 2:55:10; the world's oldest annual marathon inspired

    1st Boston Marathon (B.A.A. Road Race), won by John J. McDermott in 2:55:10; the world's oldest annual marathon inspired by success of the first marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics

  4. Salomon August Andrée and crew leave Spitsbergen in northern Norway by balloon, heading for the North Pole

    Salomon August Andrée and crew leave Spitsbergen in northern Norway by balloon, heading for the North Pole

  5. Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope [kinetographic camera], a device that produces moving pictures

    The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window.

Events After

  1. The government of Cuba is handed over to the US from Spanish rule; American occupation continues until 1902

    The Military Government of the Philippine Islands (Spanish: Gobierno militar de los Estados Unidos en las Islas Filipinas; Tagalog: Pamahalaang Militar ng Estados Unidos sa Kapuluang Pilipinas) was a...

  2. Rubber heel for boots or shoes is patented by American Humphrey O'Sullivan

    Rubber heel for boots or shoes is patented by American Humphrey O'Sullivan

  3. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is patented by Felix Hoffmann at the German company Bayer

    Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), an organic compound that does not occur in nature, was first synthesised in 1899.

  4. W. G. Grace's last day of Test cricket at age 50 years and 320 days

    W. G. Grace's last day of Test cricket at age 50 years and 320 days

  5. American businessman James Cash Penney (24) weds Bertha Alva Hess (29ish), until her death in 1910

    American businessman James Cash Penney (24) weds Bertha Alva Hess (29ish), until her death in 1910

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 June 18, 1898?
The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump Taj Mahal). Built in 1897 and opened in 1898, it was one of the most popular venues in the United States for the first seven decades of the twentieth century, featuring concerts, exhibits, and an amusement park. It billed itself as the Showplace of the Nation and at its peak measured 2,298 feet (700 m).
Why is Steel Pier opens as the first amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey [1] significant?
The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump Taj Mahal).

Explore More

June 18 in HistoryYear 1898