1885 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. Events January January 4 - The first successful appendectomy is performed (Dr. William Grant; patient was Mary Gartside). January 20 - L.A. Thompson patents the roller coaster. January 26 - Troops loyal to the Mahdi conquer Khartoum February February 5 - King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo Free State as a personal possession. February 9 - The first Japanese arrive in Hawaii. February 18 - Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published for the first time. February 21 - The newly completed Washington Monument is dedicated. February 26 - Final Act of the Berlin Conference regulates European colonisation and trade in Africa. March March-May - North-West Rebellion took place and was put down in Canada. March 3 - A subsidiary of the American Bell Telephone Company, American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), is incorporated in New York. March 4 - Grover Cleveland replaces Chester A. Arthur as President of the United States. March 31 - The United Kingdom establishes a protectorate over Bechuanaland. May May 9-12 - Canadian government forces inflict decisive defeat on Métis rebels at the Battle of Batoche. June June 17 - The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor. July July 6 - Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies. The patient is Joseph Meister; a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog. July 20 - Professional football legalized in Britain September September 2 - In Rock Springs, Wyoming, 150 white miners attack their Chinese coworkers, killing 28, wounding 15, and forcing several hundred more out of town. September 18 - Union of Eastern Rumelia with Bulgaria proclaimed at Plovdiv. September 30 - A British force abolishes the Boer republic of Stellaland and adds it to British Bechuanaland. November November 7 - Canadian Pacific Railway finished: In Craigellachie, British Columbia, construction ends on a railway extending across Canada. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald considered the project to be vital to Canada. November 14-28 - Serbo-Bulgarian War: Serbia declares war against Bulgaria but is defeated in Battle of Slivnitsa on November 17-19. November 16 - Canadian rebel leader of the Métis, Louis Riel is executed for high treason. December December 1 - The US Patent Office acknowledges this date as the day Dr Pepper was served for the very first time; the exact date of Dr Pepper's invention is unknown. December 28 - 72 Indian lawyers, academicians and journalists gather in Bombay to form the Congress Party Unknown Dates Creation of the first genuine bicycle, the Rover, by John K Starley. John Boyd Dunlop invents the pneumatic tyre. W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's The Mikado The Times reports that "A lady well-known in literary and scientific circles" has been cremated by the Cremation Society in Woking, Surrey. She is the first person to be officially cremated in United Kingdom Cholera epidemic in Spain – one of the victims is the king Alfonso XII Third Burmese War begins Sitting Bull joins Buffalo Bill Randolph Churchill becomes a viceroy of India Nikola Tesla sells a number of his patents to George Westinghouse William Stanley, Jr. builds the first practical alternating current transformer device, the induction coil. Local anesthetic First skyscraper – Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois, USA (10 floors) Bicycle Playing Cards first produced Births January 6 - Florence Turner, American actress (d. 1946) January 8 - John Curtin, Australian Prime Minister, (d. 1945) January 11 - Alice Paul, women's rights activist January 21 - Umberto Nobile, politician and airship designer (d. 1978) January 27 - Jerome Kern, composer (d. 1945) January 27 - Eduard Künnecke, composer (d. 1953) January 29 - Leadbelly February 7 - Sinclair Lewis, US novelist February 9 - Alban Berg, Austrian composer February 9 - Anita Ree, painter (d. 1933) February 13 - Bess Truman, wife of US President Harry S. Truman February 15 - Her Serene Highness Princess Alice of Battenberg February 21 - Sacha Guitry, dramatist, writer, director, actor (d. 1957) February 24 - Chester Nimitz, US admiral (d. 1966) February 24 - Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (a.k.a. “Witkacy”), Polish writer and painter (d. 1939) March 6 - Ring Lardner, writer (d. 1933) March 11 - Sir Malcolm Campbell, land and water racer (d. 1948) March 31 - Pascin, the "Prince of Montparnasse" April 1 - Wallace Beery, actor (d. 1949) April 3 - Allan Dwan, film director (d. 1981) April 4 - Arthur Murray, dancer May 2 - Hedda Hopper, columnist (d. 1966) May 7 - George 'Gabby' Hayes, actor (d. 1969) May 14 - Otto Klemperer, conductor May 21 - Oscar A.C. Lund, Swedish film actor/director/writer (d. 1963) May 22 - Toyoda Soemu, Japanese admiral June 14 - E. L. Grant Watson June 22 - Milan Vidmar, Slovene electrical engineer and chess player (d. 1962) July 28 - Monte Attell, bantamweight world boxing champion (d. 1960) September 11 - D.H. Lawrence, author September 22 - Ben Chifley, Australian Prime Minister October 7 - Niels Bohr, Danish physicist (d. 1962) November 2 - Harlow Shapley, American astronomer (d. 1972) November 5 - William James Durant, later known as Will Durant, American philosopher and writer (d. 1981) November 11 - George Patton, American general (d. 1945) December 19 - Joe King Oliver, jazz musician (d. 1938) Deaths April 2 - Justo Rufino Barrios, Central American leader May 22 - Victor Hugo, author July 23 - Ulysses Simpson Grant, American Civil War General and the 18th U.S. President August 10 - James Wilson Marshall, contractor and builder of Sutter's Mill September 15 - Jumbo the elephant; run over by a locomotive November 16 - Louis Riel, Canadian Métis leader (hanged for treason) November 25 - King Alfonso XII of Spain December 8 - William Henry Vanderbilt, entrepreneur Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. 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