January
8th of Jauary 1889
Herman Hollerith received the patent for his electro-mechanical tabulating machine-the precursor of the moden computer.
25th of January 1890
Inspired by Jules Verne’s around the world in 80 days Nellie Bly, American Journalists and author, made the journey in 72 days.
February
01st February 1893
In 1893, Thomas Edison, already famous for his invention of the phonograph (gramophone) completed the world’s first ever motion picture studio in West Orange, New Jersey, USA. Edison aware of the limitations of cameras designed the studio so that the roof could be moved to let the daylight in.
9th February 1900
The Davis Cup Tournament is a premier event in the Tennis Calendar and is probably the only ‘team game’ in Tennis. The tournament, conceived by Dwight Davis , was first held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 1900. The USA won the trophy 32 times, while Australia is second with 28 victories.
March
15th March 1892
Jesse W. Reno patented his design for the Escalator in 1892. Charles Seeberger re-designed it in 1897. The Otis Elevator Company, bought the patents from both Reno and Seeberger and technological improvements over the years, eventually resulted in elevators as we knows these, today.
31st March 1889
The Eiffel Tower, named after its designer, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, built to mark the centenary of the French Revolution, opened during the World Fair 1889 in Paris. The Eiffel Tower, 324 meters tall, is a ‘must see’ on the list of every visitor to France’s Capital.
April
05th April 1896
An event that is now accepted as the first modern Olympic Games, opened at the Panathenian Stadium , Athens Greece, with only aroumd 250 competitors in attendance. Later, thanks to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Olympic Games became an International event and sport’s greatest spectacale.
12th April 1892
While Charles Thurber, Christopher Sholes, Cralos Glidden and many others, contributed to the manufacture of the cumbersome ‘writing machine’ we call the typewriter, George C. Blickensdefer alone can truly claim credit for the portable version he patented back in 1892.
May
13th May 1888
Princess Isabel 1 of Brazil, while acting as Regent for her father Pedro 11, used her initiative and authority and signed the historic ‘Lei Aurea’ (The golden Law) abolishing salvery in 1888. Ironically, in spite of the many honours she received, she eventually died in exile in France.
20th May 1892
In 1892, an American George T. Sampson received the patent for the
‘ Clothes Dryer’. The ventilator, with a perforated, barrel – shaped drum, turned over a fire manually, was the forerunner of today’s sleek, sophisticated models.
June
09th June 1898
Hong Kong’s Territories, acquired through three treaties – treaty of Nanking (1840) Treaty of Beijing (1880) and finally the extension of Hong Kong’s Territories in 1898, were collectively leased to great Britain by China for 99 years from that year – 1898.
30th June 1894
London Tower Bridge, which was ceremoniously opened on this day in 1894, is a combined bascule and suspension bridge, spanning the river Thames, close to the Tower of London, which accounts for its name and an iconic symbol of the city of London
July
04th July 1891
Who created the first hamburger? Oscar Weber Bilby who first served hamburgers- ground meat in a bun on his grandfather’s farm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the 4th of July 1891, claimed to be the creator. Others disputed Bilby’s claim. It actually took a proclamation by Oklahoma’s Governor Frank Keating, over a hundred years later, to officially credit Bilby with the honour.
27th July 1888
Phillip Pratt jolted the folk in Boston, USA with his electric tricycle- arguably the first electric automobile – powered by 10 lead – acid cells to a 0.5 horsepower DC motor. Pratt also took the Editor of ‘Modern heat & Light’ magazine for a spin round the block. There is no record of what the editor thought of the ride.
August
13th August 1889
When William Gray of Hartford, Connecticut in the USA patented the coin – operated telephone, he unwittingly opened the avenues of innovation that are taking the communications industry to new frontiers almost every day.
16th August 1898
Amusement and Theme Park thrills were never the same again after Edwin Prescot patented the roller – coaster in 1898. The Idea evolved from a single car that rolled downhill. Today, it needs just one lock at the loopy, climb and swoop route to realize why the roller coaster is also called the ‘Scream Mechine’.
September
06th September 1888
Charles Thomas turner who represented the new south wales and Australian cricket teams,had the distinction of being the first bowler, while on tour in 1888, to take 250 wickets in a single English Cricket season – no mean feat considering the limited opportunities at the time.
28th September 1898
Rudolph Diesel began life as a Refrigeration Engineer, but his secret love was Designing Engines. His first experiment with an internal combustion engine almost killed him when it exploded. His persistence paid off. The Diesel Engine patented in 1898, is now used in submarines ships, locomotives and importantly in electricity generation plants.
October
01st October 1888
The National Geographic Magazine – probably the worlds favourite –was published for the first time, on this day in 1888. The spectrum it covers –geography, archaeology, natural science history and much more – endears it to millions of readers all over the world.
30th October 1888
In 1888, an American leather – tanner, John Loud, patented a roller –ball-tip marking pen to save time, marking leather hides with thick ink. He could not have possibly known he had invented the predecessor to today’s ball point everyone, everywhere.
November
08th November 1895
The day in 1895, that Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, a German Physicist, while investigating the effects of light and vacuum tubes, quit the accident, discovered the method that is today known as X-rays the positive boon, medical science finds totally indispensable.
27th November 1895
The day the Nobel prize was inaugurated through the largesse of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, armaments manufacture – and the inventor of dynamite –back in 1895. The Nobel Prize is offered for outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature for work towards peach and more.
December
06th December 1897
This was the day , back in 1897, that the city of London became the world’s first to host licensed taxi-cabs. In all probability the rules and regulations governing cabs would not have been as demanding as now. Today the stringent rules cover not only the drivers’ skills and know-how, but also focus especially on customer- comfort and convenience.
21st December 1898
In 1898, the husband –and –wife team of Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium. Among its many uses ,radium in the form of radium chloride, is used in the general treatment of cancer. But more recently, it is under investigation as the particular cancer treatment in bone metastasis
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