Decades: 1820s 1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s - 1870s - 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 - 1879 - 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884
Events January 11 - Anglo-Zulu War begins January 22 - Zulu troops massacre British troops at Isandhlwana February 12 - At New York City's Madison Square Garden the first artificial ice rink in North America opens. February 15 - Women's rights: American President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneyss to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. February 22 - In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of 5 and 10-cent Woolworth stores. March 3 - The United States Geological Survey is created March 13 - Marriage of The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, third son of Queen Victoria, to Princess Louise of Prussia. March 29 - Anglo-Zulu War: Battle of Kambula: British forces defeat 20,000 Zulus. May 26 - Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state. May 30 - New York City's Gilmores Garden is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue. July 19 - Doc Holliday kills for the first time after a man shoots-up Holliday's New Mexico saloon. October 21 - Using a filament of carbonized thread, Thomas Edison tests the first practical electric light bulb (it lasted 13 1/2 hours before burning out). December 28 - The central part of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee, Scotland collapses as a train passed over it, killing 75. December 30 - The Pirates of Penzance is first performed (Paignton, Devon, England) December 31 - Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time (Menlo Park, New Jersey. Hall effect discovered by Dr. Edwin Hall Somerville College founded Stefan-Boltzmann law discovered by Jožef Stefan Dual Alliance formed by Germany and Austria-Hungary Year in topic 1879 in art 1879 in literature 1879 in science 1879 in music Births January 3 - Grace Coolidge, First Lady January 13 - Melvin Jones, founder of Lions Clubs International January 28 - Francis Picabia, painter, poet February 22 - J. N. Bronsted, physical chemist. March 8 - Otto Hahn, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1944 (+ 1968) March 14 - Albert Einstein, physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics 1921 (+ 1955) March 26 - Othmar Ammann, engineer, Verrazano Narrows Bridge (+ 1965) March 30 - Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater April 20 - Paul Poiret, French couturier (+ 1944) May 17 - Simon Petlyura, Ukrainian independence fighter (+ 1926) May 23 - Dezső Lauber, Hungarian sportsman May 25 - Max Aitken, Statesman, newspaper baron (+ 1964) May 27 - Karl Bühler, psychologist (+ 1963) September 14 - Margaret Sanger, birth control advocate September 15 - Joseph Lyons, tenth Prime Minister of Australia (+ 1939) October 21 - Joseph Canteloube French composer and singer October 29 - Leon Trotsky - Russian revolutionary November 10 - Patrick Pearse Irish patriot and leader of the 1916 Easter Rising December 18 - Paul Klee, Swiss artist December 21 - Joseph Stalin - Soviet leader December 28 - Billy Mitchell - military aviation pioneer Deaths February 11 - Honore Daumier, caricaturist/painter. February 11 - Willem J van Zeggelen, Dutch author. February 25 - Charles Peace, notorious British criminal (executed) March 30 - Thomas Couture, French painter and teacher. June 1 - Napoleon Eugene, Prince Imperial, only son of French Emperor Napoleon III, killed fighting the Zulus
