Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 1881. This year saw 67 significant events. 8 notable figures were born. 5 notable figures passed away.
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
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.
Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk, is erected in Central Park, New York [1]
Union of Baptists Communities forms in Foxholl
Battle at Laing's Neck Natal: Boers beat superior powered British
Assay offices are institutions set up to assay (test the purity of) precious metals. This is often done to protect consumers from buying fake items. Upon successful completion of an assay (i.e.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the...
Battle at Ingogo, Transvaal: Boers defeat a superior British force
Jacques Offenbach's opera "Les Contes d'Hoffman" premieres in Paris
La Citoyenne was a French feminist newspaper published in Paris from 1881 through 1891 by Hubertine Auclert. It was first published on February 13, 1881, and appeared bi-monthly.
Kansas ( KAN-zəss) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west.
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg or Treaty of Ili was an unequal treaty between the Russian Empire and the Qing dynasty that was signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 24 February [O.S.
-27] Natal: British troops under Major General Colley occupy Majuba Hill
Battle at Amajuba: South African Boers vs British army under General Colley
The 47th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.
Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first Black international football player and captain
Boers & Britain sign peace accord; end 1st Boer war
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...
Rioting takes place in Basingstoke, Hampshire in England, to protest against the Salvation Army's daily vociferous promotion of rigid Temperance
Anti-Jewish riots in Jerusalem
Transvaal regains independence under British suzerainty
Spelman College is a private, historically Black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is a founding member of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium.
The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight was a famous gun fight that occurred on April 14, 1881, on El Paso Street, in El Paso, Texas.
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S.
Natural History Museum opens in South Kensington, England
,000 Germans petition to bar foreign Jews from entering Germany
Pogroms against Russian Jews start in Elisabethgrad
Anti-Jewish rioting in Kyiv, Ukraine
Lighthouse on Ameland begins operation
The French protectorate of Tunisia (French: Protectorat français de Tunisie; Arabic: الحماية الفرنسية في تونس al-ḥimāya al-Fransīya fī Tūnis), officially the Regency of Tunis (French: Régence de...
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...
Overloaded Canadian river ferry "Princess Victoria" sinks near London, Ontario, 180 die
Bell Phone opens 1st Dutch telephone exchange
Zandvoort aan Zee is a terminal train station in the town of Zandvoort, Netherlands. The station opened on 3 June 1881, and is within walking distance of the beach.
The USS Jeannette, under the command of George Washington De Long, is crushed by Arctic ice after 21 months of ice-bound drifting
The USS Jeannette, under the command of George Washington De Long, sinks in the Arctic circle following 21 months of drifting after becoming trapped in the ice
Austria-Hungary and Serbia sign military treaty
Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Fahal was a Sudanese religious and political leader.
drown as train runs off bridge near Cuautla, Mexico
Henry Highland Garnet (December 23, 1815 – February 13, 1882) was an American abolitionist, minister, educator, orator, and diplomat.
1st international telephone conversation, Calais, Maine to St Stephen, New Brunswick
French marines occupy the Tunisian harbor city of Sfax
US Quarantine Station authorized for Angel Island, San Francisco Bay
Boers sign Convention of Pretoria: Transvaal becomes semi-autonomous
Seville is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville.
Hurricane hits Florida and the Carolinas, killing about 700
This article covers the period from 1877 to present. Before the beginning of the Open Era in April 1968, only amateurs were allowed to compete in established tennis tournaments, including the four...
Egyptian military coup under Ahmed ‘Urabi seeks to end British and French influence in the country
Triple landslides bury Elm, Switzerland
Americans Lewis Howard Latimer and Joseph V. Nichols invent and patent an improvement to electric lamps with a carbon filament
Chicago Tribune reports on a televideo experiment
Chicago Cubs beat Troy 10-8 before a record small "crowd" of 12
American inventor David Houston (26) patents roll film for cameras [1]
Henry M Stanley signs contract with Congo monarch
Revival of Hebrew language as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda & friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations
"American Angler," the first American fishing magazine, is published
The National Symphony Orchestra (Spanish: Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, OSN) is the most important symphony orchestra in Mexico.
Judge was a weekly satirical magazine published in the United States from 1881 to 1947.
Metropolitan club plays its last game of its non-league season, having won 80 of 151 games (18-43 vs. National League teams)
Dutch New-Malthusiaanse Union forms
1,600 police and volunteers attack Māori settlement at Parihaka in western Taranaki which had become the symbol of protest against the confiscation of Māori land, New Zealand
The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada (FOTLU) was a federation of labor unions created on November 15, 1881, at Turner Hall in Pittsburgh.
A meteorite lands near the village of Großliebenthal, southwest of Odessa, Ukraine
The Los Angeles Times is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881.
Vienna's Ringtheater is destroyed by a gaslight fire, killing an estimated 384 to 1,000 people
Hérodiade is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Paul Milliet and Henri Grémont, based on the novella Hérodias (1877) by Gustave Flaubert.
Hans Wilsdorf, German founder of rolex, known for german founder of rolex, was born on 1881-03-22.
Béla Bartók, Hungarian musician, known for hungarian composer, was born on 1881-03-25. Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist.
Ed Walsh, American athlete, known for american baseball player and manager, was born on 1881-05-14.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founder of turkey, known for founder of turkey, was born on 1881-05-19.
François Darlan, French admiral, known for french admiral, was born on 1881-08-07. Jean Louis Xavier François Darlan was a French admiral and political figure.
Francis Ford, American film actor and director, known for american film actor and director, was born on 1881-08-14. Francis Ford was an American film actor, writer and director.
William Boeing, American aviation pioneer, known for american aviation pioneer, was born on 1881-10-01. William Edward Boeing (October 1, 1881 – September 28, 1956) was an American aviation pioneer.
P. G. Wodehouse, English writer, known for english writer, was born on 1881-10-15.
Thomas Carlyle, Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher, known for scottish essayist, historian and philosopher, died on 1881-02-05.
Fyodor Dostoevsky novelist, known for russian novelist, died on 1881-02-09. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (11 November [O.S. 30 October] 1821 – 9 February [O.S.
Alexander II dies
Billy the Kid outlaw and gunfighter, known for american outlaw and gunfighter, died on 1881-07-14. Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881), alias William H.
James Garfield dies
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
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.
Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk, is erected in Central Park, New York [1]
Union of Baptists Communities forms in Foxholl
Battle at Laing's Neck Natal: Boers beat superior powered British
Assay offices are institutions set up to assay (test the purity of) precious metals. This is often done to protect consumers from buying fake items. Upon successful completion of an assay (i.e.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the...
Battle at Ingogo, Transvaal: Boers defeat a superior British force
Jacques Offenbach's opera "Les Contes d'Hoffman" premieres in Paris
La Citoyenne was a French feminist newspaper published in Paris from 1881 through 1891 by Hubertine Auclert. It was first published on February 13, 1881, and appeared bi-monthly.
Kansas ( KAN-zəss) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west.
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg or Treaty of Ili was an unequal treaty between the Russian Empire and the Qing dynasty that was signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 24 February [O.S.
-27] Natal: British troops under Major General Colley occupy Majuba Hill
Battle at Amajuba: South African Boers vs British army under General Colley
The 47th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.
Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first Black international football player and captain
Boers & Britain sign peace accord; end 1st Boer war
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...
Rioting takes place in Basingstoke, Hampshire in England, to protest against the Salvation Army's daily vociferous promotion of rigid Temperance
Anti-Jewish riots in Jerusalem
Transvaal regains independence under British suzerainty
Spelman College is a private, historically Black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is a founding member of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium.
The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight was a famous gun fight that occurred on April 14, 1881, on El Paso Street, in El Paso, Texas.
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S.
Natural History Museum opens in South Kensington, England
,000 Germans petition to bar foreign Jews from entering Germany
Pogroms against Russian Jews start in Elisabethgrad
Anti-Jewish rioting in Kyiv, Ukraine
Lighthouse on Ameland begins operation
The French protectorate of Tunisia (French: Protectorat français de Tunisie; Arabic: الحماية الفرنسية في تونس al-ḥimāya al-Fransīya fī Tūnis), officially the Regency of Tunis (French: Régence de...
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...
Overloaded Canadian river ferry "Princess Victoria" sinks near London, Ontario, 180 die
Bell Phone opens 1st Dutch telephone exchange
Zandvoort aan Zee is a terminal train station in the town of Zandvoort, Netherlands. The station opened on 3 June 1881, and is within walking distance of the beach.
The USS Jeannette, under the command of George Washington De Long, is crushed by Arctic ice after 21 months of ice-bound drifting
The USS Jeannette, under the command of George Washington De Long, sinks in the Arctic circle following 21 months of drifting after becoming trapped in the ice
Austria-Hungary and Serbia sign military treaty
Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Fahal was a Sudanese religious and political leader.
drown as train runs off bridge near Cuautla, Mexico
Henry Highland Garnet (December 23, 1815 – February 13, 1882) was an American abolitionist, minister, educator, orator, and diplomat.
1st international telephone conversation, Calais, Maine to St Stephen, New Brunswick
French marines occupy the Tunisian harbor city of Sfax
US Quarantine Station authorized for Angel Island, San Francisco Bay
Boers sign Convention of Pretoria: Transvaal becomes semi-autonomous
Seville is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville.
Hurricane hits Florida and the Carolinas, killing about 700
This article covers the period from 1877 to present. Before the beginning of the Open Era in April 1968, only amateurs were allowed to compete in established tennis tournaments, including the four...
Egyptian military coup under Ahmed ‘Urabi seeks to end British and French influence in the country
Triple landslides bury Elm, Switzerland
Americans Lewis Howard Latimer and Joseph V. Nichols invent and patent an improvement to electric lamps with a carbon filament
Chicago Tribune reports on a televideo experiment
Chicago Cubs beat Troy 10-8 before a record small "crowd" of 12
American inventor David Houston (26) patents roll film for cameras [1]
Henry M Stanley signs contract with Congo monarch
Revival of Hebrew language as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda & friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations
"American Angler," the first American fishing magazine, is published
The National Symphony Orchestra (Spanish: Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, OSN) is the most important symphony orchestra in Mexico.
Judge was a weekly satirical magazine published in the United States from 1881 to 1947.
Metropolitan club plays its last game of its non-league season, having won 80 of 151 games (18-43 vs. National League teams)
Dutch New-Malthusiaanse Union forms
1,600 police and volunteers attack Māori settlement at Parihaka in western Taranaki which had become the symbol of protest against the confiscation of Māori land, New Zealand
The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada (FOTLU) was a federation of labor unions created on November 15, 1881, at Turner Hall in Pittsburgh.
A meteorite lands near the village of Großliebenthal, southwest of Odessa, Ukraine
The Los Angeles Times is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881.
Vienna's Ringtheater is destroyed by a gaslight fire, killing an estimated 384 to 1,000 people
Hérodiade is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Paul Milliet and Henri Grémont, based on the novella Hérodias (1877) by Gustave Flaubert.
Hans Wilsdorf, German founder of rolex, known for german founder of rolex, was born on 1881-03-22.
Béla Bartók, Hungarian musician, known for hungarian composer, was born on 1881-03-25. Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist.
Ed Walsh, American athlete, known for american baseball player and manager, was born on 1881-05-14.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founder of turkey, known for founder of turkey, was born on 1881-05-19.
François Darlan, French admiral, known for french admiral, was born on 1881-08-07. Jean Louis Xavier François Darlan was a French admiral and political figure.
Francis Ford, American film actor and director, known for american film actor and director, was born on 1881-08-14. Francis Ford was an American film actor, writer and director.
William Boeing, American aviation pioneer, known for american aviation pioneer, was born on 1881-10-01. William Edward Boeing (October 1, 1881 – September 28, 1956) was an American aviation pioneer.
P. G. Wodehouse, English writer, known for english writer, was born on 1881-10-15.
Thomas Carlyle, Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher, known for scottish essayist, historian and philosopher, died on 1881-02-05.
Fyodor Dostoevsky novelist, known for russian novelist, died on 1881-02-09. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (11 November [O.S. 30 October] 1821 – 9 February [O.S.
Alexander II dies
Billy the Kid outlaw and gunfighter, known for american outlaw and gunfighter, died on 1881-07-14. Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881), alias William H.
James Garfield dies