1876
Bell's Telephone
In a Boston attic, Alexander Graham Bell spilled acid on his trousers and shouted, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you," into an experimental apparatus. Watson, in the next room, heard it through a wire. It was the first intelligible sentence transmitted by telephone. The patent had been filed earlier that week.
Japan Forces Open Korea
The Meiji government, using the same gunboat tactics that had been used on them in 1854, forced the Joseon court to sign the Treaty of Ganghwa, opening three Korean ports to Japanese trade. It was Japan's first imperialist act. Korea's long insulation was ending, and the struggle between Japan, China, and Russia for the peninsula had begun.
Queen Victoria Empress of India
Parliament, urged by Disraeli, passed a Royal Titles Act making Victoria Empress of India - a gesture to the princes, a snub to the tsar, and a coronation that would be performed at the Delhi Durbar. Victoria was pleased. The empire had reached its symbolic zenith, with Calcutta and London joined by a single crown.
Little Bighorn
On a Montana ridge above a Lakota and Cheyenne village of ten thousand, Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and 210 troopers of the 7th Cavalry were wiped out in an afternoon. Sitting Bull had dreamed of soldiers falling like grasshoppers. Crazy Horse led the charge. The news reached Washington during the centennial celebration, and froze it.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1876?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1876. The most significant is Bell's Telephone: In a Boston attic, Alexander Graham Bell spilled acid on his trousers and shouted, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you," into an experimental apparatus.
What era was 1876 part of?
1876 falls within the Industrial Age (1801-1900). Steam, empire, and the unmaking of the old order.
Which regions saw notable events in 1876?
The curated events from 1876 span North America, East Asia and South Asia.