Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 1884. This year saw 69 significant events. 8 notable figures were born. 1 notable figure passed away.
American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1916
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house.
The siege of Khartoum (also known as the battle of Khartoum or fall of Khartoum) took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885.
American mechanical engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor (28) weds Louise M. Spooner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dow Jones publishes its first stock index, the Dow Jones Transportation Average
Nonpareil Jack Dempsey fights George Fulljames in what is possibly the first middleweight fight with boxing gloves
Herman Hollerith (February 29, 1860 – November 17, 1929) was a German-American statistician, inventor, and businessman who developed an electromechanical tabulating machine for punched cards to...
International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC, establishes Greenwich in London, England, as the prime meridian of longitude and establishes Universal Time
George Eastman patents paper strip photographic film
International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. adopts Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) worldwide and creates 24 international time zones with longitude zero at the Greenwich Meridian
1st "World Championship" Baseball Series, Polo Grounds, NYC: Providence Grays (NL) beat NY Mets (American Association) 12-2 in 6 innings for a 3-game sweep; game abandoned because of bitter cold
European colonization and trade in Africa are officially regulated at the international Berlin Conference, formalizing the "Scramble for Africa" among European powers
Last sighting of an eastern cougar (Ontario)
Chrome tanning process for leather patented by Augustus Schultz
Major General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon, was a British Army officer and...
1st Dutch Wagner version of Elizabeth aria
Rugby Canada is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in Canada.
The siege of Khartoum (also known as the battle of Khartoum or fall of Khartoum) took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885.
"Enigma Outbreak" of over 60 tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana kill hundreds, if not over a thousand (hence the "enigma") people
1st performance of Edward MacDowell's 2nd Piano Suite
Mississippi is a state in the Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States.
John Joseph Montgomery makes 1st glider flight at Otay, California
First long-distance telephone call, Boston to New York
London prison for debtors closed
US Senate accepts Belgian administration of Congo
Potters Field reopened as Madison Park
Thomas Stevens leaves San Francisco on the first bicycle trip around the world, takes him 2 years and 9 months
National Medical Association of Black physicians organizes in Atlanta
Catcher Moses Walker is acknowledged as the first African-American to play major league baseball joining the Toledo Blue Stockings
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) was a United States–based organization of electrical engineers that existed from 1884 through 1962.
Anti-Monopoly Party forms in the US
Italian inventor Angelo Moriondo receives patent for 1st espresso machine
The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959.
Ringling Brothers circus premieres in Baraboo, Wisconsin
1-armed pitcher Hugh Daily fanned 13 hitters
Anti-Monopoly and the Greenback parties unite to form the People's Party in the US
Europe's first steam cable trams start in Highgate, London
John Lynch (R-MS) chosen 1st black major-party national convention chair
America's first purpose-built roller coaster ride, the Switchback Railway, opens at Coney Island, New York, built by LaMarcus Thompson
East Cleveland Street Railway Company begins the first US commercial electric streetcar line in Cleveland, Ohio, on the Bentley-Knight system
First US bullfight held in Dodge City, KS
The German colonial empire (German: deutsches Kolonialreich) constituted the overseas colonies, dependencies, and territories of the German Empire.
Benjamin Waugh and others found The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, in London; later expanded to become the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
First day of Test Cricket at Old Trafford, Manchester (1st Test, England v Australia) is washed out
Lord's (also known as Lord's Cricket Ground) is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Lord's is widely referred to as the "home of cricket".
Germany annexes Angra Pequena / German South West Africa (modern Namibia)
First double-century stand in Test cricket; Percy McDonnell (103) and Billy Murdoch (211) for Australia in drawn third Test vs. England in London
William Lloyd Murdoch (18 October 1854 – 18 February 1911) was an Australian cricketer who captained the Australian national side in 16 Test matches between 1880 and 1890.
Britain ends its policy of penal transportation to New South Wales in Australia
Congressman John R. Lynch presides over Republican National Convention
The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights.
Adonis is a musical burlesque in two acts with both book and lyrics by William Gill that is a spoof of the Pygmalion myth.
Surinamese army shoots at British-Indian contract workers, killing 7
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island.
Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn pitches his 60th win of the season for the MLB Providence Grays in an 8-0 victory over the Quakers in Philadelphia
Major General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon, was a British Army officer and...
Architect Henry Hardenberghs Dakota apartment complex opens in NYC
Gaelic Athletic Association is established in a meeting at Hayes' Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary; Clare teacher Michael Cusack is credited as founder; objective to promote Irish sport & games
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state or dependent territory that has willingly given up its foreign policy and international identity to another state for defence,...
T Thomas Fortune starts NY Freeman (NY Age) newspaper
John B. Meyenberg of St. Louis patents evaporated milk
Deputy Sheriff Elfego Baca holds off a gang of 80 Texan cowboys near Frisco, New Mexico, who want to kill him for arresting Charles McCarty
Aluminum capstone is set atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., making it the tallest man-made structure in the world, overtaking Cologne Cathedral
Levant Richardson patents roller skates with ball bearings
The Adelaide Oval is a stadium in Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is located in the parklands.
The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.
The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.
The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.
Molla Mallory is born
Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese admiral, known for japanese admiral, was born on 1884-04-04.
Harry Truman is born
Jock Hutchison is born
Édouard Daladier is born
Louis B. Mayer, American canadian-american film producer, known for canadian-american film producer, was born on 1884-07-12.
Eleanor Roosevelt, American diplomat and activist, known for american diplomat and activist, was born on 1884-10-11.
Rajendra Prasad is born
Gregor Mendel, Austrian friar and scientist, known for austrian friar and scientist, died on 1884-01-06.
American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1916
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house.
The siege of Khartoum (also known as the battle of Khartoum or fall of Khartoum) took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885.
American mechanical engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor (28) weds Louise M. Spooner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dow Jones publishes its first stock index, the Dow Jones Transportation Average
Nonpareil Jack Dempsey fights George Fulljames in what is possibly the first middleweight fight with boxing gloves
Herman Hollerith (February 29, 1860 – November 17, 1929) was a German-American statistician, inventor, and businessman who developed an electromechanical tabulating machine for punched cards to...
International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC, establishes Greenwich in London, England, as the prime meridian of longitude and establishes Universal Time
George Eastman patents paper strip photographic film
International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. adopts Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) worldwide and creates 24 international time zones with longitude zero at the Greenwich Meridian
1st "World Championship" Baseball Series, Polo Grounds, NYC: Providence Grays (NL) beat NY Mets (American Association) 12-2 in 6 innings for a 3-game sweep; game abandoned because of bitter cold
European colonization and trade in Africa are officially regulated at the international Berlin Conference, formalizing the "Scramble for Africa" among European powers
Last sighting of an eastern cougar (Ontario)
Chrome tanning process for leather patented by Augustus Schultz
Major General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon, was a British Army officer and...
1st Dutch Wagner version of Elizabeth aria
Rugby Canada is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in Canada.
The siege of Khartoum (also known as the battle of Khartoum or fall of Khartoum) took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885.
"Enigma Outbreak" of over 60 tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana kill hundreds, if not over a thousand (hence the "enigma") people
1st performance of Edward MacDowell's 2nd Piano Suite
Mississippi is a state in the Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States.
John Joseph Montgomery makes 1st glider flight at Otay, California
First long-distance telephone call, Boston to New York
London prison for debtors closed
US Senate accepts Belgian administration of Congo
Potters Field reopened as Madison Park
Thomas Stevens leaves San Francisco on the first bicycle trip around the world, takes him 2 years and 9 months
National Medical Association of Black physicians organizes in Atlanta
Catcher Moses Walker is acknowledged as the first African-American to play major league baseball joining the Toledo Blue Stockings
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) was a United States–based organization of electrical engineers that existed from 1884 through 1962.
Anti-Monopoly Party forms in the US
Italian inventor Angelo Moriondo receives patent for 1st espresso machine
The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959.
Ringling Brothers circus premieres in Baraboo, Wisconsin
1-armed pitcher Hugh Daily fanned 13 hitters
Anti-Monopoly and the Greenback parties unite to form the People's Party in the US
Europe's first steam cable trams start in Highgate, London
John Lynch (R-MS) chosen 1st black major-party national convention chair
America's first purpose-built roller coaster ride, the Switchback Railway, opens at Coney Island, New York, built by LaMarcus Thompson
East Cleveland Street Railway Company begins the first US commercial electric streetcar line in Cleveland, Ohio, on the Bentley-Knight system
First US bullfight held in Dodge City, KS
The German colonial empire (German: deutsches Kolonialreich) constituted the overseas colonies, dependencies, and territories of the German Empire.
Benjamin Waugh and others found The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, in London; later expanded to become the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
First day of Test Cricket at Old Trafford, Manchester (1st Test, England v Australia) is washed out
Lord's (also known as Lord's Cricket Ground) is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Lord's is widely referred to as the "home of cricket".
Germany annexes Angra Pequena / German South West Africa (modern Namibia)
First double-century stand in Test cricket; Percy McDonnell (103) and Billy Murdoch (211) for Australia in drawn third Test vs. England in London
William Lloyd Murdoch (18 October 1854 – 18 February 1911) was an Australian cricketer who captained the Australian national side in 16 Test matches between 1880 and 1890.
Britain ends its policy of penal transportation to New South Wales in Australia
Congressman John R. Lynch presides over Republican National Convention
The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights.
Adonis is a musical burlesque in two acts with both book and lyrics by William Gill that is a spoof of the Pygmalion myth.
Surinamese army shoots at British-Indian contract workers, killing 7
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island.
Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn pitches his 60th win of the season for the MLB Providence Grays in an 8-0 victory over the Quakers in Philadelphia
Major General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon, was a British Army officer and...
Architect Henry Hardenberghs Dakota apartment complex opens in NYC
Gaelic Athletic Association is established in a meeting at Hayes' Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary; Clare teacher Michael Cusack is credited as founder; objective to promote Irish sport & games
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state or dependent territory that has willingly given up its foreign policy and international identity to another state for defence,...
T Thomas Fortune starts NY Freeman (NY Age) newspaper
John B. Meyenberg of St. Louis patents evaporated milk
Deputy Sheriff Elfego Baca holds off a gang of 80 Texan cowboys near Frisco, New Mexico, who want to kill him for arresting Charles McCarty
Aluminum capstone is set atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., making it the tallest man-made structure in the world, overtaking Cologne Cathedral
Levant Richardson patents roller skates with ball bearings
The Adelaide Oval is a stadium in Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is located in the parklands.
The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.
The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.
The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.
Molla Mallory is born
Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese admiral, known for japanese admiral, was born on 1884-04-04.
Harry Truman is born
Jock Hutchison is born
Édouard Daladier is born
Louis B. Mayer, American canadian-american film producer, known for canadian-american film producer, was born on 1884-07-12.
Eleanor Roosevelt, American diplomat and activist, known for american diplomat and activist, was born on 1884-10-11.
Rajendra Prasad is born