What Happened in 1871

Oscar Wilde Attends Trinity College in Dublin

Wilde won a spot at Trinity College Dublin in 1871, departing Portora Royal School with his name engraved in guilt letters on the honors board, and... Read more

'Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There' is Published

Fortunately, Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass has also been recognized for its surprising radicalism despite being very much a literary product... Read more

P. T. Barnum Establishes Traveling Circus

Barnum did not enter the circus business until late in his career (he was 61). In Delavan, Wisconsin in 1871 with William Cameron Coup, he... Read more

P. T. Barnum Begins Displaying Cardiff Giant

The Giant was the creation of a New York tobacconist named George Hull. Hull, an atheist, decided to create the giant after an argument with a... Read more

Andrew Smith Hallidie Patented The "Endless Wire Ropeway"

On January 17, 1871, San Franciscan Andrew Smith Hallidie patented an improved "Endless Wire Ropeway", a key component in the construction of the... Read more

Charles Darwin's "The Descent of Man" was Published

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex is a book on evolutionary theory by English naturalist Charles Darwin, first published in... Read more

James Weldon Johnson Is Born

Poet, diplomat, songwriter, and anthologist of black culture James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17, 1871, in Jacksonville, Florida. He attended... Read more

Orville Wright Born

Orville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1871. The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 –... Read more

James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok Kills Two Men During a Street Brawl

While working in Abilene, Hickok and Phil Coe, a saloon owner, had an ongoing dispute that later resulted in a shootout. Coe had been the business... Read more

Great Chicago Fire

The Great Chicago Fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed over 17,000 structures, and left 100,000 people homeless. Although legend has it... Read more

Peshtigo Wisconsin Fire

On the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, a forest fire driven by strong winds totally consumed Peshtigo along with a dozen other villages,... Read more

Thomas Edison Marries Mary Stilwell

Mary Stilwell was born in Newark, New Jersey on September 6, 1855, the daughter of Nicholas Stilwell and Margaret Crane. At his subsidiary, the... Read more