January 3 1st wax drinking straw patented, by Marvin C Stone in Washington D.C. January 5 Dutch Heidemaatschappij established January 7 Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Valley of Fear" January 13 National Geographic Society founded in Washington, D.C. January 27 National Geographic Society organizes in Washington D.C. January 30 Harry Moses 297 not out for NSW against Victoria February 22 John Reid of Scotland demonstrates golf to Americans in Yonkers, New York February 24 Louisville, Kentucky becomes 1st government in U.S. to adopt Australian ballot February 28 Ferry in San Pablo Bay explodes Vincent d'Indy's Wallenstein-trilogy, premieres March 10 1st performance of Cesar Franck's "Psyche" HW Boxing champ John L Sullivan draws Charlie Mitchell in 30 rounds March 11 Great blizzard of '88 strikes the North East U.S. March 12 2nd day of the Great blizzard of '88 in NE U.S. (400 die) March 13 Great Blizzard of 1888 rages March 14 2nd largest snowfall in New York City history (21") March 20 Start of the Sherlock Holmes Adventure, "A Scandal in Bohemia" March 21 Arthur Pinero's "Sweet Lavender," premieres in London March 22 English Football League established March 25 Socialist leader Domela Nieuwenhuis elected to Dutch 2nd chamber April 1 Soccer team Sparta forms in Rotterdam April 7 Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Yellow Face" April 16 Drentse and Friese peat cutters go on strike April 20 246 reported killed by hail in Moradabad, India April 24 Eastman Kodak forms April 29 Old Kavallison, Congo: Stanley meet Emin Pasha April 30 Hail stones kills about 250 in Moradabad district of Delhi May 4 Italy and Spain sign military covenant May 7 Edouard Lalo's opera "Le roi d'Ys," premieres in Paris George Eastman patents "Kodak box camera" May 11 16th Preakness: F Littlefield aboard Refund wins in 2:49 May 12 Crouching start 1st used by Charles Sherrill of Yale May 13 DeWolf Hooper 1st recited "Casey at Bat" Princess Isabel of Brazil signs "Lei Aurea" abolishing slavery May 14 14th Kentucky Derby: George Covington aboard MacBeth II wins in 2:38 May 16 CPR opens Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC May 22 Leroy Buffington patents a system to build skyscrapers June 1 California gets its 1st seismograph June 3 "Casey at the Bat" published, SF Examiner June 5 Democrats nominate Grover Cleveland for president June 9 22nd Belmont: Jim McLaughlin aboard Sir Dixon wins in 2:40 June 13 Congress creates Department of Labor June 15 Wilhelm II becomes emperor of Germany June 20 Pope Leo XIII publishes encyclical Libertas June 23 Frederick Douglass is 1st African-American nominated for president June 25 Republican Convention, in Chicago, nominates Benjamin Harrison July 3 New York Giant pitcher Rube Marquard ties record of 19 game win-streak July 4 1st organized rodeo competition held, Prescott, Arizona July 11 118 degrees F (48 degrees C), Bennett, Colorado (state record) Pennsylvania's Monongehela River rises 32' after 24 hour rainfall July 15 Bandai volcano (Japan) erupts for 1st time in 1,000 years July 23 John Boyd Dunlop, applies to patent pneumatic tire July 27 Philip Pratt unveils 1st electric automobile August 7 Theophilus Van Kannel of Philadelphia patents revolving door August 10 New York Giant pitcher Tim Keefe sets a 19 game win streak record August 12 Bertha, wife of inventor Karl Benz, makes 1st motor tour August 19 1st beauty contest (Spa, Belgium), 18 yr old West Indian wins August 20 Longest U.S. men's single tournament match Palmer Presbrey defeats T S Tailer, 19-21, 8-6, 6-1, 6-4, an 80-game 1st-round contest August 21 William Seward Burroughs patents adding machine August 25 8th U.S. Mens Tennis: Henry W Slocum, Jr. beats Howard A Taylor (64 61 60) August 30 Lord Walsingham kills 1070 grouse in a single day September 1 Dutch Railway Deventer-Almelo opens September 3 East Africa Company political and commercial rights Queen Victoria grants William Mackinnons Imperial British September 4 George Eastman patents 1st roll-film camera and registers "Kodak" September 7 Edith Eleanor McLean is 1st baby place in an incubator September 12 Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Greek Interpreter" September 18 Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Sign of Four" September 19 World's 1st beauty contest (Spa Belgium) September 25 Royal Court Theatre, London, opens Start of Sherlock Holmes "Hound of Baskervilles" September 30 "Jack the Ripper" butchers 2 more women, Liz Stride and Kate Eddowes October 1 National Geographic magazine publishes for 1st time October 9 Washington Monument opens for public admittance October 10 Teatotalers excursion train crushed, killing 64 (Mud Run Pa) October 19 Moshav Gederah is attacked by Arabs October 20 Chicago and All America baseball teams play exhibition in Auckland, New Zealand October 23 Pelham Bay Park in Bronx, vested October 29 Lord Salisbury grants Cecil Rhodes charter for BSA Company October 30 John J Loud patents ballpoint pen Ndebele-king Lobengula grants Cecil Rhodes, Mashonaland 100 pounds per month October 31 John Boyd Dunlop patents pneumatic bicycle tire November 3 Amsterdam: 1st concerto of Concert worker, under Willem Kes November 6 Benjamin Harrison (R-Sen-Ind) beats President Grover Cleveland (D), 233 electoral votes to 168, Cleveland received slightly more votes November 14 St. Andrews Golf Club, Yonkers NY, opens with just 6 holes USC Trojans (then Methodists) play their 1st football game November 17 St. Tsjaikovsky's 5th Symphony premieres in Petersburg November 20 William Bundy patents timecard clock December 11 French Panama Canal company fails December 19 Stanley's expedition reaches Fort Bodo, East-Africa December 22 Heavyweight boxing champ John L Sullivan challenges Jake Kilrain December 23 Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh cuts off his left ear December 25 1st indoor baseball game played at fairgrounds in Philadelphia December 30 Belgium: king Leopold II installs Order of African Star
