Category Archives: 1890s

St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado kills 255 people 130 years ago this hour (May 27 1896)


Video: 'Weather History: 1896 St. Louis Tornado'

(Wednesday, May 27, 1896, at around 6:15 p.m. local time) — 255 people were killed tonight when a tornado struck St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, causing over $10 million in damage (approximately $2.9 billion in damage adjusted for 1997).

U.S. Supreme Court upholds racial segregation 130 years ago today (May 18 1896)


Video: 'Plessy v Ferguson and Segregation: Crash Course Black American History #21'

(Monday, May 18, 1896) — The U.S. Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, today upheld the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of “separate but equal.” Continue reading U.S. Supreme Court upholds racial segregation 130 years ago today (May 18 1896)

First international Olympic Games in modern history opens in Athens 130 years ago this hour (Apr 6 1896)


Video: 'Olympic Games, Athens, 1896'

(Easter Monday, April 6, 1896, around 3:00 p.m. Athens Mean Time) — The opening ceremonies of the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first international Olympic Games held in modern history, were held today in Athens as King George I of Greece and a crowd of 80,000 spectators welcomed 241 athletes from 14 nations to the international competition (which continued through Apr. 15, 1896). Continue reading First international Olympic Games in modern history opens in Athens 130 years ago this hour (Apr 6 1896)

Giacomo Puccini’s opera ‘La Boheme’ premieres in Turin 130 years ago today (Feb 1 1896)


Video: 'La bohème full opera with English subtitles (Zeffirelli, 1965)'

(Saturday, February 1, 1896)La bohème, an opera in four acts composed by Giacomo Puccini, premiered today in Turin, Italy, at the Teatro Regio, conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.

Utah admitted to United States as 45th state 130 years ago today (Jan 4 1896)


Video: 'Salt Lake City: A History of Faith, Famine & Fortune'

(Saturday, January 4, 1896)Utah today became the 45th state of the United States of America, six years after the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dropped its approval of polygamy.

First U.S. Open golf tournament held in Newport, Rhode Island 130 years ago today (Oct 4 1895)


Video: '1895 U.S. Open Highlights'

(Friday, October 4, 1895) — The first U.S. Open Men’s Golf Championship administered by the United States Golf Association was held today at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. Continue reading First U.S. Open golf tournament held in Newport, Rhode Island 130 years ago today (Oct 4 1895)

Former U.S. Vice President Schuyler Colfax, 61, dies in Mankato, Minnesota 140 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 13 1885)


Video: 'Schuyler Colfax - 17th U.S. Vice President'

(Tuesday, January 13, 1885, 10:35 a.m. CST)Schuyler Colfax, the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873 during the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant, died heart attack brought on by extreme cold and exhaustion this morning inside a men’s waiting room at the Omaha Road depot in Mankato, Minnesota. He was 61. Continue reading Former U.S. Vice President Schuyler Colfax, 61, dies in Mankato, Minnesota 140 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 13 1885)

Former U.S. Vice President George M. Dallas, 72, dies in Philadelphia 160 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 31 1864)


Video: 'George M. Dallas - 11th U.S. Vice President'

(Saturday, December 31, 1864, morning local time)George M. Dallas, the 11th vice president of the United States from 1845 to 1849 during the administration of President James K. Polk, died from a heart attack this morning at his home in Philadelphia. He was 72. Continue reading Former U.S. Vice President George M. Dallas, 72, dies in Philadelphia 160 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 31 1864)

First successful American-made, gasoline-operated motorcar taken for test drive in Chicopee, Massachusetts 130 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 21 1893)


Video: 'America’s First Gasoline Powered Automobile: 1893, Duryea Brothers Motor Wagon, Oldest Photographs'

(Thursday, September 21, 1893) — A one-cylinder “Ladies Phaeton,” the first successful American-made, gasoline-operated motorcar, was taken for a short test drive today on the Howard Bemis farm in Chicopee, Massachusetts, near Springfield, by Frank Duryea, who had designed the vehicle with his brother, Charles. Continue reading First successful American-made, gasoline-operated motorcar taken for test drive in Chicopee, Massachusetts 130 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 21 1893)