dedicated. • February 6–9 –
Seattle riot of 1886: Anti-Chinese sentiments result in riots in
Seattle,
Washington. • March 17 – Carrollton Massacre: 20
African Americans are killed in
Mississippi. • April 24 – Father
Augustine Tolton, the first
Roman Catholic priest from the U.S. to identify himself publicly as
African American, is ordained in
Rome. • May 1 – A
general strike begins, which escalates on May 4 into the
Haymarket affair in Chicago and eventually wins the
eight-hour day for workers. • May 8 – Pharmacist Dr.
John Stith Pemberton invents a
carbonated beverage that will be named '
Coca-Cola'. • May 17 –
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad: The
U.S. Supreme Court rules that
corporations have the same rights as living persons. • May 29 – Pharmacist
John Pemberton begins to advertise
Coca-Cola (advertisement in the
Atlanta Journal). • May 31-June 1 – Conversion of all (most) railroads to standard gauge; see
Track gauge in the United States • June 2 – U.S. President
Grover Cleveland marries
Frances Folsom in the
White House, becoming the only president to wed in the executive mansion. She is 27 years his junior. • June 9 – The
Stoughton Musical Society's centennial is celebrated. • July 23 –
Steve Brodie is reported to have made a jump from the
Brooklyn Bridge, a claim subsequently disputed. • August 20 – A massive
hurricane demolishes the town of
Indianola, Texas. • August 31 – The 6.9–7.3
Charleston earthquake affects southeastern South Carolina with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of X (
Extreme). Sixty people are killed and damage is estimated at
$5–6 million. • September 4 –
Indian Wars: After almost 30 years of fighting,
Apache leader
Geronimo surrenders with his last band of warriors to General
Nelson Miles at
Skeleton Canyon in
Arizona. • October 10 – The English style of
black tie men's formal evening dress is introduced to the U.S. by James Brown Potter at
Tuxedo Park, New York, hence its usual American description as "tux(edo)". • October 28 – The
Statue of Liberty in
New York Harbor is dedicated by U.S. President
Grover Cleveland. • Undated – Arthur Hinds & Company, later
Barnes & Noble booksellers, is founded in
New York City.
Ongoing •
Gilded Age (1869–c. 1896) == Sport ==