1884
1884 is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar).
Events January 4 - The Fabian Society is founded in London. January 18 - Dr William Price attempts to cremate the body of his infant son, Jesus Christ Price, setting a legal precedent for cremation in the UK. February 1 - Edition one of the Oxford English Dictionary is published. March 13 - The siege of Khartoum, Sudan begins (ends on January 26, 1885). April 22 - Colchester earthquake, England; the UK's most destructive. May 1 - the first proclamation of eight-hour workday by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions in the United States. May 1st, called May Day or Labour Day, is now a holiday recognized in almost every industrialized country. July 5 - Germany takes possession of Cameroon. August 5 - The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty is laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. August 10 - A severe earthquake, magnitude 5.5, (intensity VII) occurs off the northeast Atlantic coast. The area affected extends from central Virginia to southern Maine, and west as far as Cleveland. October - International Meridian Conference in Washington DC fixes the Greenwich meridian as the world's prime meridian. October 6 - United States Naval War College established in Newport, Rhode Island. October 18 - University of Wales, Bangor (UK) founded. November 1 - The Irish Gaelic Athletic Association is founded in Thurles, Ireland. November 4 - U.S. presidential election: Democrat Grover Cleveland defeats Republican James G. Blaine in a very close contest to win the first of his non-consecutive terms. November 15 - The Berlin Conference which regulated European colonisation and trade in Africa begins (ends February 26, 1885). November 25 - British surgeon John Dooglee makes the first successful removal of a brain tumor. December 1 - American Old West - Near Frisco, New Mexico (now Reserve, New Mexico), deputy sheriff Elfego Baca holds off a gang of 80 Texan cowboys who want to kill him for arresting cowboy Charles McCarthy (the cowboys were terrorizing the area's Hispanos and Baca was working against them). December 6 - Washington Monument was completed. December 16 - World Cotton Centennial World's Fair opens in New Orleans, Louisiana. Bechuanaland becomes British protectorate. Stefan-Boltzmann law reformulated by Ludwig Boltzmann. British Police officers go on armed patrol in London.
Environmental change The Water Hyacinth is introduced in the US and quickly becomes an invasive species
BirthsJanuary January 2 - Oscar Micheaux, African American, filmmaker & author (d. 1951) January 12 - Texas Guinan, vaudeville performer (d. 1933) January 13 - Sophie Tucker, singer, comedienne, vaudeville performer (d. 1966) January 21 - Roger Baldwin, ACLU president, social activist (d. 1981) January 23 - Ralph DePalma, race car driver (d. 1956) January 28 - Auguste Piccard, physicist (d. 1962) January 31 - Theodor Heuss, politician and publicist (d. 1963)February February 12 - Max Beckmann, painter and graphic artist (d. 1950) February 12 - Marie Vassilieff, artist (d. 1957) February 13 - Alfred Carlton Gilbert, gold medal winner at 1908 Summer Olympics, inventor of Erector Set (d. 1961) February 14 - Hezekiah M. Washburn, missionary (d. 1972) February 16 - Robert J. Flaherty, filmmaker (d. 1951) February 22 - Abe Attell, World Champion and Hall of Fame boxer (d. 1970)March March 1 - Isaac Todhunter, English mathematician (b. 1820) March 13 - Oskar Loerke, lyricist, narrator and essayist (d. 1941) March 13 - Sir Hugh Walpole, novelist (d. 1941) March 17 - Alcide Nunez, jazz musician (d. 1934) March 26 - Wilhelm Backhaus, pianist (d. 1969)April April 4 - Isoroku Yamamoto, naval commander (d. 1943) April 6 - Walter Huston, Academy Award winning actor (d. 1950)May May 1 - Henry Norwest, one of the most famous snipers of World War I(d. 1918) May 8 - Harry S. Truman, former President of the United States (d. 1972) May 10 - Olga Petrova silent film and stage actress (d. 1977) May 14 - Claudius Dornier, aircraft designer (d. 1969) May 27 - Max Brod, author (d. 1968) May 28 - Edvard Benes, politician (d. 1948)July July 12 - Amedeo Modigliani, painter, sculptor (d. 1920) July 23 - Emil Jannings, actor (d. 1950)August August 23 - Will Cuppy, humorist (d. 1949)October October 11 - Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights activist, wife of US president (d. 1962)November November 19 - José Raúl Capablanca, Cuban chess player (d. 1942) November 20 - Norman Thomas, U.S. social reformer (d. 1968)December December 30 - Tojo Hideki, Japanese wartime prime minister (d. 1948)
Deaths January 25 - Johann Gottfried Piefke, conductor and composer March 21 - Ezra Abbot, American Bible scholar April 4 - Marie Bashkirtseff, artist May 12 - Bedrich Smetana, composer May 13 - Cyrus McCormick, inventor (b. 1809) June 25 - Hans Rott, composer July 1 - Allan Pinkerton, American detective July 10 - Paul Morphy, American chess player. November 25: Adolph Wilhelm Hermann Kolbe, chemist
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