What happened in 1888

16 entries recorded for 1888, listed by date. That was 138 years ago.

1888 at a glance

March 11
Great Blizzard of 1888
Historical event
The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States, producing snowdrifts in excess of 50 ft (15 m) and confining some people to their houses for up to a week.
March 13
1888 Ritter Island eruption and tsunami
Historical event
The eruption of Ritter Island triggered tsunamis that killed up to 3,000 people on nearby islands.
March 23
William McGregor (football)
Historical event
Chaired by William McGregor, a meeting of ten English football clubs was held in London, eventually resulting in the establishment of the Football League.

April 3
Emma Elizabeth Smith
Historical event
Emma Elizabeth Smith was killed in the first of eleven unsolved murders of women that took place in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London.
April 11
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
Historical event
The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, considered one of the world's finest concert halls, was inaugurated.

May 12
North Borneo
Historical event
North Borneo was established as a British protectorate.
May 26
The Diary of a Nobody
Historical event
The comic novel The Diary of a Nobody by brothers George and Weedon Grossmith first appeared in serial form in Punch.

August 5
Bertha Benz
Historical event
Bertha Benz made the first long-distance automobile trip, driving 106 km (66 mi) from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany, in a Benz Patent-Motorwagen.
August 14
Arthur Sullivan
Historical event
One of the first recordings of music, of Arthur Sullivan's "The Lost Chord", was played at a press conference in London to introduce Thomas Edison's phonograph.
August 24
89 New Zealand Native football team
Historical event
89 New Zealand Native football team

October 9
Washington Monument
Historical event
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., at the time the world's tallest building, officially opened to the general public.
October 15
From Hell letter
Historical event
The "From Hell" letter, allegedly from Jack the Ripper, was sent to George Lusk, the chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in London.
October 30
Lobengula
Historical event
Lobengula, King of Matabeleland, granted the Rudd Concession (pictured) to agents of Cecil Rhodes, leading to the creation of the British South Africa Company.

November 9
Mary Jane Kelly
Historical event
Mary Jane Kelly, widely believed to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, was murdered in London.

December 9
Argosy (magazine)
Historical event
The first edition of the Argosy magazine was published under the title The Golden Argosy.
December 23
Mental disorder
Historical event
During a bout of mental illness, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (pictured) severed part of his left ear and gave it to a woman in a brothel in Arles, France.

This site records 16 entries for 1888, including Great Blizzard of 1888 on March 11. They are listed below by date.

138 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1888 turns 138 this year.

1888 falls in the 19th century, in the 1880s.

Lost Generation (1883–1900). Came of age during the First World War.

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