What Happened in 1876

James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok Meets 'Calamity Jane' Cannary

In 1876, Calamity Jane settled in the area of Deadwood, South Dakota, in the Black Hills. There, she became friends with, and was occasionally... Read more

Thomas Edison Opens First Industrial Research Lab

Edison allegedly bought light bulb U.S. patent 181,613 of Henry Woodward that was issued August 29, 1876 and obtained an exclusive license to... Read more

Otto Builds his First Functioning Four-Stroke Engine

Though Otto had great success with his atmospheric engines, the really reliable and effective engine was not yet found. Otto was looking already... Read more

Mohandes Gandhi Begins Primary School in Rajkot

The Indian classics, especially the stories of Shravana and Maharaja Harishchandra from the Indian epics, had had a great impact on Gandhi in his... Read more

Mark Twain Publishes "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, is a popular 1876 novel about a young boy growing up in the antebellum South, in the town of "St... Read more

Louis Pasteur Disproves The Doctrine of Spontaneous Generation

Spontaneous generation, also called abiogenesis, is the belief that some living things can arise suddenly, from inanimate matter, without the need... Read more

James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok Marries Agnes Thatcher Lake

Wild Bill of western fame has conquered numerous Indians, outlaws, bears and buffaloes, but a charming widow has stolen the magic wand. The scepter... Read more

Alexander Graham Bell Conducts A Successful Experiment With A Telephone

Mr. Watson — come here — I want to see you. Read more

Custer's Last Stand - Battle of Little Bighorn

On June 25, 1876, George Armstrong Custer and the 265 men under his command lost their lives in the Battle of Little Big Horn, often referred to as... Read more

James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok Arrives in Deadwood, South Dakota

The arrival of Hickok in wide-open early Deadwood was viewed with a mix of curiosity and distrust by those already there. What was the “famous”... Read more

Colorado is the 38th State Admitted to the Union

After its first bid for statehood was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, Colorado entered the Union on August 1, 1876, the year the United States... Read more

James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok is Shot by Jack McCall During a Poker Game

On August 2, 1876, Hickok was playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood, in the Black Hills, Dakota Territory. On this fateful day... Read more

The James-Younger Gang Attempts To Rob A Bank

On September 7, 1876, the James-Younger gang attempted a raid on the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. After this robbery and a... Read more

Sherwood Anderson Is Born

American writer Sherwood Anderson was born on September 13, 1876, in Camden, Ohio. He is best known for his short stories—"brooding Midwest... Read more

Brooklyn Theater Fire

Miss Kate Claxton reclined on a pallet of straw as she played the part of Louise, the blind girl in the popular melodrama of the times, “The Two... Read more

Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Train No. 5, The Pacific Express, left a snowy Erie, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of December 29,... Read more