The year 1881 saw significant events across the globe, spanning politics, science, culture, and technology. It was a year marked by assassination, scientific breakthroughs, and burgeoning industrial advancements.
March 13: Tsar Alexander II of Russia is assassinated in Saint Petersburg by members of the revolutionary organization Narodnaya Volya. His son, Alexander III, ascends to the throne. This event significantly impacted Russian internal policy and its relations with Europe.
September 19: President James A. Garfield dies from complications related to his gunshot wound. He had survived for several weeks, but inadequate medical practices contributed to his demise.
Franco-Tunisian Treaty: France establishes a protectorate over Tunisia, solidifying French colonial control in North Africa.
First Boer War Concludes: The First Boer War ends with a British defeat at the Battle of Majuba Hill and the signing of the Pretoria Convention, granting the South African Republic (Transvaal) self-government under British suzerainty.
Science and Technology
Louis Pasteur's Anthrax Vaccine: Louis Pasteur publicly demonstrates the success of his anthrax vaccine using attenuated cultures, a breakthrough in immunization techniques. This was a crucial step in the development of preventative medicine.
First Electric Street Lighting: Godalming, England, becomes the first town in the world to have public electric street lighting.
Electric Fan: Schuyler Wheeler invents the electric fan.
Culture and Arts
Publication of The Portrait of a Lady: Henry James publishes his novel The Portrait of a Lady, a key work of realist literature.
Construction of the Natural History Museum, London Completed. The iconic building opens to the public.
Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience Premieres: The comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan premieres, satirizing the aesthetic movement.
Other Significant Events
Tombstone, Arizona: The Earp brothers, along with Doc Holliday, participate in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, a famous event in the American Old West.
1881 was a year of transitions and pivotal moments that would shape the course of the late 19th century and beyond.