January 4 Last sighting of an eastern cougar (Ontario) January 8 Chrome tanning process for leather patented by Augustus Schultz January 18 General Charles Gordon departs London for Khartoum January 19 Jules Massenet's opera "Manon," premieres in Paris January 26 1st Dutch Wagner version of Elizabeth aria February 1 1st volume of the Oxford English Dictionary, A-Ant, published February 7 Canadian Rugby Football Union forms February 18 General Charles Gordon arrives in Khartoum February 18 Police seize all copies of Tolstoy's "What I Believe In" February 19 Tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana kill 800 people February 26 British and Portuguese treaty signed in Congo by Leopold II March 8 1st performance of Edward MacDowell's 2nd Piano suite March 12 Mississippi establishes 1st U.S. state college for women March 13 Siege of Khartoum Sudan begins March 13 U.S. adopts Standard Time March 17 John Joseph Montgomery makes 1st glider flight, Otay, California March 27 1st long-distance telephone call, Boston - New York April 2 London prison for debtors closed April 10 U.S. Senate accepts Belgian administration of Congo April 20 Pope Leo XIII encyclical "On Freemasonry" April 21 Potters Field reopened as Madison Park April 22 Thomas Stevens starts 1st bike trip around world (2 years 9 mos) April 22 U.S. recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State April 24 National Medical Association of Black physicians organizes in Atlanta May 1 Construction begins on Chicago 1st skyscraper (10 stories) May 1 Moses Walker became 1st black player in major league May 13 Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) forms May 14 Anti-Monopoly party forms in U.S. May 16 10th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Buchanan wins in 2:40 May 17 Alaska becomes a U.S. territory May 19 Ringling Brothers circus premieres May 22 1-armed pitcher Hugh Daily fanned 13 hitters May 23 12th Preakness: S Fisher aboard Knight of Ellerslie wins in 2:39 May 24 Anti-Monopoly party and Greenback Party forms People's Party in US May 26 Fred Spofforth takes 7-34 and 7-3 vs. England XI in 4 hours May 29 1st steam cable trams start in highgate June 3 John Lynch (R-MS) chosen 1st black major-party national convention chair June 4 18th Belmont: Jim McLaughlin aboard Panique wins in 2:42 June 5 William Sherman refuses Republican presidential nomination saying "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected" June 16 On Coney Island, the 1st roller coaster begins operating June 24 John Lynch is 1st black elected chairman of Republican convention July 3 Dow Jones published it's 1st stock avg July 4 1st U.S. bullfight held (Dodge City Ks) July 4 Statue of Liberty presented to U.S. in Paris July 5 German consul-general Gustav Nachtigal takes possession of Cameroon July 5 U.S. Congress accept 2nd Chinese Exclusion Act July 10 1st Test Cricket to be played at Old Trafford 1st day washed out July 21 1st Test Cricket match played at Lord's August 2 Dutch Queen Emma appointed regent August 5 Cornerstone for Statue of Liberty laid on Bedloe's Island (New York City) August 7 Germany annexes Angra Pequena (Southwest-Africa) August 11 1st double-century stand in Test cricket, McDonnell/Murdoch 207 Australia August 12 Bill Murdoch scores 1st Test Cricket double-century, 211 at The Oval August 28 1st known photograph of a tornado is made near Howard, South Dakota August 28 Mickey Welsh strikes-out 1st 9 men he faces September 10 Congressman John R Lynch presides over Republican National Convention September 20 6.2 mile Arlberg railroad tunnel completed in Austria September 20 Equal Rights Party nominates female candidates for President and Vice President September 24 Dixey, Rice and Gill's musical "Adonis," premieres in New York City September 26 Suriname army shoots on British-Indian contract workers, 7 killed October 6 Naval War College forms in Newport RI October 13 Greenwich established as universal time meridian of longitude October 14 George Eastman patents paper-strip photographic film October 22 General Gordon receives letter of Mahdi October 22 Sporting Life announces that both pennant winners will meet in 3 game series Oct 23-25 at Polo Grounds New York City to determine baseball champion October 23 1st World Series OKed by AA, Providence (NL) beats New York Mets (AA) 6-0 October 25 1st World Series OK by AA, Providence (NL) sweeps New York Mets (AA) in 3 October 27 Architect Henry Hardenberghs Dakota-complex opens in New York City November 4 Grover Cleveland (D) beats James G Blaine (R) for 1st President term November 6 British protectorate proclaimed over southeast New Guinea November 6 Montreal Foot Ball Club (QFRU) defeats Toronto Argonauts (ORFU) 30-0 in 1st CRFU Championship game November 8 German government recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State November 15 Colonization of Africa orgainized at International conference in Berlin November 17 Cops arrest John L Sullivan in 2nd round for being "cruel" November 22 T Thomas Fortune starts New York Freeman (New York Age) newspaper November 25 John B Meyenberg of St. Louis patents evaporated milk December 6 Aluminum capstone set atop Washington Monument, Wash, DC December 9 Levant Richardson patents ball-bearing skate December 12 1st Test match played at the Adelaide Oval December 16 Great Britain recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State December 19 Italy recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State December 24 Austria-Hungary admits King Leopold II's Congo Free State December 27 Netherlands recognizes king Leopold II's Congo Free State December 30 Anton Bruckner's 7th Symphony in E, premieres in Leipzig
