The world in
What happened in 1880?
17 events across 9 world regions, each with its sources.
North Africa
- Urabi revolt
The Urabi revolt was a nationalist uprising in the Khedivate of Egypt from 1879 to 1882, led by Colonel Ahmed Urabi, seeking to depose Khedive Tewfik Pasha and end British and French influence. It concluded with the Anglo-Egyptian War and the British takeover of Egypt.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 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 ↗
- Establishment of the Great Synagogue of Oran, later Abdallah Ibn Salam Mosque
In 1880, the Great Synagogue of Oran, Algeria, was constructed and consecrated at the initiative of Simon Kanoui. It was the largest synagogue in Africa. After the departure of Jews in 1972, the building was converted into the Abdallah Ibn Salam Mosque.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Europe
- 1880 Great Zagreb earthquake
On 9 November 1880, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Zagreb, with its epicenter in the Medvednica mountain to the north. Although only one person died, it destroyed or damaged many buildings, spurring a renovation of the historic center. It remained the city's most severe quake for 140 years, until 2020.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Opening of the Costanzi Theatre, original home of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
In November 1880, the Costanzi Theatre, predecessor of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, opened in Rome with about 2,212 seats. It later underwent name changes and renovations, now seating about 1,560.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Foundation of Truro Cathedral
In 1880, the foundation of Truro Cathedral took place on the site of St Mary's parish church in Truro, Cornwall, England. Designed by John Loughborough Pearson in Gothic Revival style, it is noted for having three spires.
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 ↗
- Opening of Xishiku Church
The Xishiku Church opened in 1703 in Beijing, serving as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Beijing and being one of the largest and oldest churches in the city.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- War of the Pacific
From 1879 to 1884, Chile fought a war against a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance over disputes concerning coastal territories rich in nitrates in the Atacama Desert. Chile won due to its military-technological superiority, annexing Peru's Tarapacá and Arica provinces and Bolivia's Litoral province, which deprived Bolivia of access to the sea.
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 ↗
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 ↗
- Outbreak of the Second Anglo-Afghan War
In 1878, the Second Anglo-Afghan War broke out between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan. Afghanistan was then ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. The war was part of the Great Game between the British and Russian empires.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Sub-Saharan Africa
- First Boer War
A small-scale military conflict fought between the United Kingdom and the Boers of the Transvaal from 1880 to 1881, also known as the Transvaal War. The war resulted in a Boer victory and the eventual independence of the South African Republic.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Battle of Geok Tepe (1880–1881)
In 1880–1881, the Russian Empire launched a campaign to conquer the Teke Turkmens. The decisive Battle of Geok Tepe resulted in a Russian victory, giving them control over most of present-day Turkmenistan and nearly completing the Russian conquest of Central Asia. This battle was a pivotal event in the region's incorporation into the Russian Empire.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Oceania
- Melbourne International Exhibition (1880)
The eighth officially recognised World's fair was held in Melbourne, Australia, from 1 October 1880 to 30 April 1881. It was the first official World's Fair in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in Australia, with 33 participating nations. The main venue, the Royal Exhibition Building, later became a World Heritage Site. Visitor numbers ranged between 1.33 and 1.459 million, and the event closed with a financial loss.
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 1880
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