The world in
What happened in 1875?
14 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Foundation of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica
In 1875, construction began on the Sacré-Cœur Basilica atop Montmartre in Paris. This Catholic minor basilica later became a renowned Parisian landmark.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of Crespi d'Adda Company Town
In 1875, the company town of Crespi d'Adda was founded on the west bank of the Adda River in Lombardy, Italy. It emerged as an outstanding example of 19th-century company towns built by enlightened industrialists to meet workers' needs, and remains largely intact.
- Signing of the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875)
On 7 May 1875, Japan and Russia signed the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, by which Japan acquired the entire Kuril Islands and fishing rights, while Russia gained all of Sakhalin.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma
The Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma was founded in the late 19th century as one of Italy's two central national libraries. It holds millions of printed books, manuscripts, and other materials, and serves as a legal deposit library for Italian publications.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Meiji Restoration
The Meiji Restoration was a series of modernising reforms carried out in Japan between 1868 and 1889. It began with the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate and the warrior government that had ruled Japan for over six hundred years, and bringing an end to the feudal system. During the reforms, Japan actively adopted Western ideas, production methods and technology, rapidly industrialised, and underwent fundamental changes to its political and social structure, transforming the country into a modern power.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Self-Strengthening Movement Begins
Qing officials launched the Self-Strengthening Movement in 1861, aiming to strengthen China by adopting Western military technology. Though lasting until 1895, its beginning marked the start of modern industrialization and military modernization in China.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of the Commercial Law Training School
Hitotsubashi University traces its origins to the Commercial Law Training School, founded in 1875 by Mori Arinori and Fukuzawa Yukichi as Japan's first business school. It aimed to provide commercial and legal education, marking the beginning of higher business education in Japan.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Outbreak of the Ten Years' War
On 10 October 1868, planter Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and fellow independence advocates proclaimed Cuba's independence from Spain at his Demajagua sugar mill, initiating the Ten Years' War. This first major Cuban independence struggle, though unsuccessful, paved the way for later uprisings.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Chilean occupation of Araucanía
Between 1861 and 1883, Chile incorporated the ancestral Mapuche territory of Araucanía through a series of military campaigns, agreements, and penetrations. Referred to by Chilean authorities as the 'Pacification of Araucanía'.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- Construction of Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City
Herod's Gate, one of the seven open gates of Jerusalem's Old City, was opened in the late 19th century. It connects the Muslim Quarter to the Palestinian neighbourhood of Bab az-Zahra and lies east of Damascus Gate.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Construction of Borujerdi House Begins
The Borujerdi House, a 19th-century mansion in Kashan, Iran, was built by architect Ustad Ali Maryam for the bride of a wealthy merchant. He had previously built the Tabatabai House for her family. Construction employed 150 craftsmen over 18 years and the house later became a museum.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Outbreak of the Aceh War
In early 1873, discussions between representatives of the Aceh Sultanate and the United States in Singapore provoked the Netherlands, leading to a Dutch military attack on Aceh and the start of the Aceh War. The conflict was part of a series of late 19th-century wars that consolidated Dutch rule over modern-day Indonesia, ultimately ending in 1904 with the Dutch annexation of Aceh and control over the entire Indonesian archipelago. The war lasted over three decades, resulting in around 4,000 Dutch and 25,000 Acehnese deaths.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North Africa
- French conquest of Algeria
Between 1830 and 1904, France launched a military invasion and prolonged war of conquest in Algeria. In June 1830, French forces landed near Algiers, quickly seizing the capital and coastal areas. Over the following decades, despite internal political strife, France repeatedly reinforced its military presence to suppress resistance in the interior, gradually extending control southward into the Sahara, and finalizing its colonial borders by 1904.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- Outbreak of the Caste War of Yucatán
In 1847, the Indigenous Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula launched an armed revolt against the Hispanic population, known as the Caste War. The uprising stemmed from the latter's political and economic dominance since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, and it is considered one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. The conflict primarily unfolded between government forces in the northwest and independent Maya groups in the southeast, lasting nearly five decades.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1875
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Second Industrial Revolution
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Museum Island construction begins
- Completion of Dom Pedro V Theatre
- Establishment of Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage
- Construction of Hôtel Solvay begins
- Founding of Kulangsu as an International Settlement
- Construction of the Four Hydraulic Boat Lifts on the Canal du Centre begins