On This Day

World's first electric tram enters service in Lichterfelde near Berlin

A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run...

A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. Trams are a type of light rail and are included within this broader category. However, they differ from it in their frequent integration into urban streets, lower traffic signal priority, coexistence with other vehicles, and lower capacity. Their units are capable of forming motor coaches or motorcars, which allows for the operation of longer trains.

Trams are usually lighter and shorter than main line and rapid transit trains.

Historical Significance

A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way.

Events Before

  1. Philosopher John Muir (41) weds Louisa Strentzel

    Philosopher John Muir (41) weds Louisa Strentzel

  2. Worcester Ruby Legs pitcher Lee Richmond throws the first perfect game in MLB history in a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Bl

    Worcester Ruby Legs pitcher Lee Richmond throws the first perfect game in MLB history in a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Blues at the Agricultural County Fair Grounds in Worcester

  3. First performance of "O Canada," the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des C

    First performance of "O Canada," the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français

  4. First Test cricket game in England begins with W. G. Grace scoring 152 on debut against Australia at The Oval

    First Test cricket game in England begins with W. G. Grace scoring 152 on debut against Australia at The Oval

  5. Theodore Roosevelt, later 26th US President marries Alice Hathaway Lee, on his 22nd birthday

    Theodore Roosevelt, later 26th US President marries Alice Hathaway Lee, on his 22nd birthday

Events After

  1. German scientist Robert Koch discovers and describes the tubercle bacillus, which causes tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tub

    German scientist Robert Koch discovers and describes the tubercle bacillus, which causes tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), establishing germ theory

  2. Actress Sarah Bernhardt marries diplomat Aristide Damala in London

    Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, Ruy...

  3. Richard Wagner's opera "Parsifal" premieres in Bayreuth, Germany

    Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas, although his mature works are often referred to as music dramas.

  4. US educational pioneer Booker T. Washington (26) weds Fanny Smith

    US educational pioneer Booker T. Washington (26) weds Fanny Smith

  5. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" debuts in Moscow

    The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture, is a concert overture in E♭ major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

More from the 1880s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 16, 1881?
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. Trams are a type of light rail and are included within this broader category. However, they differ from it in their frequent integration into urban streets, lower traffic signal priority, coexistence with other vehicles, and lower capacity.
Why is World's first electric tram enters service in Lichterfelde near Berlin significant?
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way.

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