What Happened in 1883

Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company is Established

In Britain, the Edison and Swan companies merged into the Edison and Swan United Electric Company (later known as Ediswan, which was ultimately... Read more

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody creates "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show

It was the age of great showmen and traveling entertainers. Cody put together a new traveling show based on both of those forms of entertainment.... Read more

Eruption of Krakatoa of 1883

It was 6am on August 26 in 1883, when the volcano on Krakatoa, a small island in Indonesia, catastrophically erupted. This earth-shattering event... Read more

Mohandes Gandhi Marries Kasturbai Makhanji in an Arranged Child Marriage

In May 1883, the 13-year old Mohandas was married to 14-year old Kasturbai Makhanji (her first name was usually shortened to "Kasturba," and... Read more

Walter Gropius Born

Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (May 18, 1883 – July 5, 1969) was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van... Read more

Victoria Hall Disaster

About 1,500 children crammed into Victoria Hall; most of these were occupying the gallery. At the end of Fay’s performance, toys and other prizes... Read more

José Bonilla Observation—First Photographing of an Unidentified Flying Object

On August 12, 1883, the astronomer José Bonilla reported that he saw more than 300 dark, unidentified objects crossing before the sun while... Read more

1883 Eruption of Krakatoa

The best known eruption of Krakatoa culminated in a series of massive explosions on August 26–27, 1883, which was among the most violent volcanic... Read more

Christian Emil Marie Küpper (Theo van Doesburg) Born

Theo van Doesburg was born as Christian Emil Marie Küpper on 30 August 1883 in Utrecht as the son of the photographer Wilhelm Küpper and Henrietta... Read more

The Metropolitan Opera House Opens

The Metropolitan Opera House (Met) in New York City, then located on Broadway at 39th Street in New York City, opened on October 22, 1883, with a... Read more

Alexander Graham Bell Give Eugenics Lecture at National Academy of Science

defective variety of the human race. Read more

Time Zones Are Created

On November 18, 1883, four standard time zones for the continental U.S.A. were introduced at the instigation of the railroads. At noon on this day... Read more

Sojourner Truth Dies

Preacher, abolitionist, and women's rights advocate Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek, Michigan on November 26, 1883. The date of Truth's birth... Read more