What Happened in 1887

Buffalo Bill's Wild West tours Europe

In 1887 he took the show to Britain in celebration of the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria. The show was staged in London before going on to... Read more

Wright arrives in Chicago and Works for Joseph Lyman Silsbee

In 1887, Wright arrived in Chicago in search of employment. Resulting from the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and recent population boom,... Read more

War of Currents era begins

During the initial years of electricity distribution, Edison's direct current was the standard for the United States and Edison was not inclined to... Read more

Oscar Wilde is Appointed Editor of 'The Lady's World'

His flair, having previously only been put into socialising, suited journalism and did not go unnoticed. With his youth nearly over, and a family... Read more

The Dawes Act Is Passed

The Dawes Act was enacted on February 8, 1887 regarding the distribution of land to Native Americans in Oklahoma. Named after its sponsor, U.S.... Read more

The Bussey Bridge Train Disaster

The recent terrible disaster at the White River bridge, on the Central Vermont railroad, was paralleled, and, with the exception of the fire... Read more

Nikola Tesla begins experimenting with X-Rays

In April 1887, Tesla began investigating what would later be called X-rays using his own single terminal vacuum tubes (similar to his patent... Read more

Nanaimo Mine Explosion

The Nanaimo mine explosion on May 3, 1887, in Nanaimo, British Columbia killed 150 miners. Only seven miners survived and the mine burned for one... Read more

Pasteur Institute Is Founded

The international subscription launched by the French Académie des Sciences in 1887 to allow Louis Pasteur to found his institute and thus provide... Read more

George Abbott is Born

George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theater producer and director, playwright, screenwriter, and film director... Read more

Custody of Blind Tom Wiggins granted to Eliza Stutzbach, widow of John Bethune

On July 30, 1887, a federal court ordered General Bethune to surrender Tom at Arlington, Virginia into the hands of Charity and his former... Read more

Great Chatsworth Train Wreck

The scene that followed it is impossible to describe. The hapless passengers of the forward cars were, almost inextricably mingled in the shattered... Read more

Theatre Royal Fire

On the 5th September 1887, on the first night of a romantic comedy called Romany Rye, and with an audience of 800, a naked gas flame ignited some... Read more

Theodore Roosevelt, Junior Is Born

"Teddy," as he was, in childhood, universally known, was the son of President Theodore Roosevelt. He was born at the family estate in Oyster Bay... Read more

Yellow River Flood of 1887

China has had a particularly long and terrible history of flooding. In the last 2000 years, the Yangtze River has flooded more than 1000 times. But... Read more