1890

1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1890th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 890th year of the 2nd millennium, the 90th year of the 19th century, and the 1st year of the 1890s decade.^[1]

The year witnessed key advancements in data processing with the debut of Herman Hollerith's electric tabulating machines, which processed the U.S. Census records—punching data onto cards and using electrical contacts to tally population statistics, completing the task in months rather than years and enabling the analysis of over 60 million cards for the first mechanized national enumeration.^[2][3]
In legislation, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act on July 2, prohibiting monopolies and contracts in restraint of trade to curb trusts amid rapid industrialization, though initial enforcement was limited.^[4]
Conservation efforts culminated in the October 1 establishment of Yosemite National Park by act of Congress, protecting 1,500 square miles of Sierra Nevada wilderness including Yosemite Valley and giant sequoia groves, influenced by naturalist John Muir's advocacy.^[5][6]
The year also saw the Wounded Knee incident on December 29, where U.S. 7th Cavalry troops killed approximately 250 Lakota, including women and children, during an attempt to disarm a band led by Spotted Elk amid tensions over the Ghost Dance movement, marking the effective end of large-scale Native American armed resistance in the American West.^[7]
Internationally, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was dismissed by Kaiser Wilhelm II on March 18, shifting imperial policy, while cultural losses included the suicide of artist Vincent van Gogh on July 29 following his legendary productivity and mental struggles.^[1]

Events

January

On January 1, 1890, the Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena, California, organized the inaugural Tournament of Roses Parade, featuring horse-drawn carriages adorned with flowers to highlight the region's mild climate and floral abundance.^[8] On the same date, Italy formally proclaimed the establishment of the Colony of Eritrea, consolidating Italian-held territories along the Red Sea coast acquired from Ottoman and local control into a unified administrative entity under royal decree.^[9] On January 3, the University of Wisconsin opened the first college-level dairy school in the United States, marking an early institutional effort to apply scientific methods to agriculture and food production amid growing industrialization.^[10] On January 25, journalist Nellie Bly, under her pseudonym Elizabeth Seaman, completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe, departing New York on November 14, 1889, and returning after 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes, beating the fictional record of 80 days from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days by traveling via steamship, train, and rickshaw across multiple continents with minimal luggage.^[11] Her journey, sponsored by The New York World, covered approximately 25,000 miles and involved 31 days at sea, demonstrating the feasibility of rapid global travel for women and boosting her fame as a pioneering investigative reporter.^[11] Bly's account, serialized in her newspaper, emphasized logistical challenges like border delays and cultural encounters, while underscoring the expanding reach of imperial steamship routes and rail networks.^[11]

February

On February 5, the Allianz insurance company was founded in Berlin, Germany, by Carl von Thieme, initially focusing on accident and transport insurance amid the country's industrial expansion.^[12][13] On February 10, President Benjamin Harrison issued Proclamation 295, activating the Sioux Agreement of 1889, through which Sioux tribes ceded approximately 9 million acres of land from the Great Sioux Reservation in present-day South Dakota to the United States government, enabling white settlement and railroad expansion despite ongoing tribal resistance rooted in the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty.^[14][15] The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was formed on February 18 in Washington, D.C., by merging the National Woman Suffrage Association, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, with the American Woman Suffrage Association, unifying efforts to secure women's voting rights through constitutional amendments and state campaigns.^[16]
In mid-February, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, while institutionalized at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, completed Almond Blossom, depicting blooming branches against a blue sky as a symbol of renewal to celebrate the birth of his nephew Vincent Willem on January 31; the work's bold outlines and vibrant palette reflected his ongoing experimentation with Japanese influences and personal optimism amid mental health struggles.^[17][18] Early on February 20, a fire sparked by a stray firework destroyed the Stadsschouwburg, Amsterdam's municipal theater, reducing the neoclassical structure to ruins despite firefighting efforts; the incident, occurring during a quiet period, highlighted vulnerabilities in wooden theater designs and prompted later reconstruction in a more fire-resistant style.^[19][20]

March

On March 3, 1890, Norman Bethune, a Canadian physician and surgeon known for his medical innovations and support for communist causes in China, was born in Gravenhurst, Ontario.^[21] On March 4, 1890, the Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge spanning 1.5 miles across the Firth of Forth in Scotland, was officially opened by the Prince of Wales, representing a pinnacle of Victorian engineering designed by John Fowler and Benjamin Baker to replace hazardous ferry crossings.^[22] On March 9, 1890, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, Soviet politician and diplomat who served as Foreign Minister under Stalin and co-authored the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was born in Kukarka, Vyatka Governorate, Russian Empire.^[21] From March 2 to 7, 1890, the Cherry Creek Campaign, a U.S. Army operation against Apache groups in Arizona Territory led by Captain H. W. Lawton, resulted in the surrender of key leaders including Eskiminzin, amid ongoing efforts to subdue indigenous resistance following Geronimo's earlier campaigns.^[22] On March 18, 1890, Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of the German Empire since its founding in 1871, resigned following irreconcilable policy disputes with the young Kaiser Wilhelm II, particularly over anti-socialist laws and colonial ambitions, ending Bismarck's dominant influence on European affairs.^[22][23] On March 20, 1890, Russian aviation pioneer Alexander Mozhaiski died in St. Petersburg at age 65, having constructed one of the earliest powered aircraft prototypes tested in 1884.^[24]

April

On April 2, Kashihara Shrine was established in Nara Prefecture, Japan, by order of Emperor Meiji to enshrine Emperor Jimmu, the legendary first emperor, at the purported site of his ascension to the throne.^[25] French forces under Captain Louis Archinard captured the city of Segu (modern Ségou) in present-day Mali on April 6, advancing colonial control in the Upper Niger region against the Toucouleur Empire led by Ahmadu Tall; this followed earlier French victories and involved collaboration with Bambara allies, marking a key step in the conquest of the French Sudan.^[26] The first Lake Biwa Canal, an engineering project to transport water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto for irrigation, hydropower, and urban supply, reached substantial completion in early 1890 after five years of construction directed by Tanabe Sakurō, featuring the world's longest tunnel at the time (over 9 km) and enabling Kyoto's modernization without foreign engineering assistance.^[27] On April 11, the U.S. Congress appropriated $75,000 to clear Ellis Island of its naval magazine and designated it as the site for a federal immigration station serving the Port of New York, paving the way for its transfer to the Treasury Department later that year and full operations beginning in 1892, through which millions of immigrants would eventually pass.^[28]

May

On 1 May 1890, workers in the United States and several European countries participated in coordinated strikes and demonstrations demanding an eight-hour workday, marking the inaugural observance of International Workers' Day as established by the Second International the previous year. These actions commemorated the Haymarket affair of 1886 and aimed to pressure employers and governments for labor reforms, with over 300,000 participants reported in London alone.^{[29] [30]} On 14 May 1890, the 16th running of the Kentucky Derby took place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, with the horse Riley, ridden by Isaac Murphy, winning the 1.5-mile race in a time of 2:44 amid rainy conditions that marked the first Derby affected by precipitation.^[31] On 17 May 1890, Pietro Mascagni's one-act opera Cavalleria rusticana premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, receiving immediate acclaim for its verismo style depicting Sicilian rural life, jealousy, and honor killings, and prompting over 60 curtain calls on opening night.^{[32] [33]} On 30 May 1890, the Cleveland Arcade opened to the public in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, as the first indoor shopping center in the United States, constructed at a cost of $867,000 with a five-story atrium featuring glass skylights and modeled after European gallerias.^{[34] [35]} The structure connected two existing office buildings via a 300-foot-long arcade lined with shops, quickly earning the nickname "Cleveland's Crystal Palace" for its innovative design and role in urban retail development.^[36]

June

On June 1, 1890, the Eleventh United States Census officially enumerated the nation's population as of that date, marking the first use of Herman Hollerith's punch-card tabulating machine for data processing, which significantly accelerated compilation compared to manual methods.^[37] The preliminary population figure released shortly thereafter stood at 62,622,250, though the final count reached 62,979,766, reflecting growth driven by immigration and westward expansion.^[38] This census also declared the American frontier closed, based on the disappearance of contiguous unsettled areas, influencing policy debates on land distribution and economic development; its demographic data was later used as the baseline for national origin quotas in the Immigration Act of 1924.^[39][40] On June 2, the Epsom Derby, a premier British horse race, was won by Sainfoin, trained by John Porter and ridden by John Watts, covering the 1.5-mile course at Epsom Downs in a time that underscored the event's status as a key fixture in European thoroughbred racing.^[41] The United States Polo Association was formally established on June 6 in New York City to standardize rules, handicaps, and governance for the sport, which had gained popularity among elite clubs following British influences; it remains the oldest polo governing body in the world.^[42] June 9 saw the premiere of the comic opera Robin Hood by composer Reginald De Koven with libretto by Harry B. Smith at the Chicago Opera House, featuring the enduring aria "Oh Promise Me" and establishing it as an early American success in light opera, blending romantic plotlines with folk-inspired melodies.^[43] In European diplomacy, the secret German-Russian Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 was allowed to lapse on June 18 under Chancellor Leo von Caprivi's "New Course," as Germany prioritized alignment with Austria-Hungary over renewal with Russia, contributing to shifting alliances that heightened tensions leading toward World War I.^[44] June 27 marked two notable developments: Canadian boxer George Dixon, born in Nova Scotia, defeated English bantamweight champion Edwin "Nunc" Wallace by stoppage in the 18th round in London, becoming the first Black athlete to win a world boxing title and holding the bantamweight crown until 1891.^[45] Concurrently, the U.S. Congress passed the Dependent Pension Act under President Benjamin Harrison, expanding benefits to Civil War veterans and their dependents regardless of service-related disability, at an estimated annual cost of $100 million, amid Republican efforts to consolidate veteran support.^[46]

July

On July 1, the United Kingdom and the German Empire signed the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty in Berlin, whereby Britain ceded the North Sea island of Heligoland to Germany in exchange for German recognition of British predominance in Zanzibar and the withdrawal of German claims to territories on the East African coast, including Witu; the agreement also delineated spheres of influence in other African regions to reduce colonial rivalries.^[47] On July 2, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law, the first federal legislation to prohibit monopolies and contracts, combinations, or conspiracies in restraint of trade or commerce among the states or with foreign nations, amid growing concerns over industrial trusts like Standard Oil.^[48] On July 3, President Harrison signed a congressional act admitting Idaho as the 43rd state of the Union; the former territory, organized in 1863 and spanning 83,569 square miles with a population of about 88,548 per the 1890 census, featured a mining-based economy dominated by silver and lead extraction. On July 10, President Harrison signed legislation admitting Wyoming as the 44th state; the territory's enabling act and constitution, ratified by popular vote in November 1889, enshrined women's suffrage for all elections—a provision retained from territorial law since 1869 and a key factor in overcoming congressional hesitancy despite the area's sparse population of 62,555 and vast 97,914-square-mile expanse.^[49] On July 14, Congress enacted the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, mandating the U.S. Treasury to acquire 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion monthly at market prices (with issuance of Treasury notes redeemable in gold or silver) to bolster silver producers and expand the currency supply, though critics argued it strained gold reserves and fueled inflationary pressures.^[50] On July 27, Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, aged 37 and residing in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, while in a wheat field, shot himself in the chest with a 7mm Lefaucheux revolver; he walked back to his lodging at the Auberge Ravoux, where the wound failed to heal despite medical attention, leading to his death from infection and blood loss in the early hours of July 29, with his brother Theo at his bedside—marking the end of a career that produced over 2,000 artworks, though he sold only one during his lifetime.^[51]

August

On August 6, William Kemmler, convicted of murdering his cohabitant Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler with a hatchet in March 1889, became the first person executed by electrocution in the United States at Auburn Prison in New York.^[52] New York had enacted legislation in 1888 mandating electrocution as a supposedly more humane alternative to hanging, following advocacy amid the "War of Currents" between Thomas Edison (favoring direct current) and George Westinghouse (promoting alternating current, which was ultimately used).^[52] The procedure proved botched: an initial 1,000-volt surge for 17 seconds failed to kill Kemmler immediately, leaving him writhing and smoking; after partial revival, a second, longer application of over 2,000 volts was required, causing further distress and drawing widespread criticism for its inhumanity.^[52] Kemmler's appeals, including to the U.S. Supreme Court, had argued electrocution constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment but were rejected.^[53] On August 9, the first group of 44 Javanese contract laborers arrived in Suriname (then a Dutch colony) aboard the Banda, marking the start of large-scale Javanese migration to replace declining East Indian and Chinese workers on sugar plantations amid labor shortages.^[54] This initiated a flow of approximately 33,000 Javanese from Java (primarily Central Java and areas near Batavia and Surabaya) to Suriname between 1890 and 1939, under five-year indenture contracts organized by the Netherlands Trading Society for estates like Mariënburg.^[55] The migrants faced harsh conditions, including disease and exploitation, contributing to the formation of a distinct Javanese-Surinamese community that preserved cultural elements like gamelan music and wayang puppetry despite assimilation pressures.^[54] On August 14, the Pioneer Column—a force of about 200 white settlers, 500 police, and auxiliaries dispatched by Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company—reached the ancient ruins near Masvingo in Mashonaland (modern Zimbabwe), establishing Fort Victoria as the first permanent European settlement in the region.^[56] This advance, following a 400-mile trek from Kimberley beginning in May, secured claims under a royal charter granted to Rhodes in 1889, facilitating British expansion into Matabeleland and Mashonaland amid the Scramble for Africa and tensions with the Ndebele kingdom.^[57] The site's proximity to the Great Zimbabwe ruins underscored the column's strategic positioning for mining concessions and territorial control, though it later contributed to conflicts like the First Matabele War.^[57] On August 20, Britain and Portugal signed the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty in London, delineating colonial spheres in southeastern Africa: Portugal recognized British interests north of the Zambezi in Nyasaland (modern Malawi), while Britain acknowledged Portuguese holdings linking Angola and Mozambique, including navigation rights on the Zambezi and Shire rivers.^[58] Intended to resolve overlapping claims exacerbated by Portuguese explorations, the treaty faced domestic backlash in Britain over potential threats to the Cape-to-Cairo imperial vision and was ultimately rejected by the House of Commons in September due to Liberal opposition and missionary concerns.^[59] Its failure highlighted rivalries in the Berlin Conference aftermath, paving the way for subsequent Anglo-German and Anglo-French agreements.^[59]

September

On September 13, Cecil Rhodes' Pioneer Column, consisting of approximately 200 white settlers and 400 armed pioneers organized by the British South Africa Company, arrived at the site of Fort Salisbury in Mashonaland (present-day Harare, Zimbabwe) and hoisted the British Union Jack, proclaiming the territory a British protectorate under company administration.^[60] This action formalized the start of organized European colonization in the region, backed by a royal charter granted to Rhodes' company in 1889, amid competition with other European powers for African territories.^[61] The Ottoman Navy frigate Ertuğrul, carrying a goodwill delegation from Sultan Abdul Hamid II to Japan, encountered a typhoon and wrecked on rocks off Kushimoto, Japan, on September 18–19, killing 540 of the 609 crew and passengers; only 69 survivors were rescued by Japanese locals and a warship.^[61] The disaster strained Ottoman-Japanese relations temporarily but ultimately fostered goodwill, as Japan provided aid and the event highlighted vulnerabilities in late 19th-century naval technology during long voyages.^[61] On September 22, an expedition from Seattle led by John Grosvenor, including A. L. Rountree and William A. Perkins, achieved the first documented non-indigenous ascent of Mount Olympus in Washington's Olympic Mountains, reaching the summit after navigating glaciers and rugged terrain.^[61] This climb preceded formal U.S. government surveys of the area and contributed to growing interest in American mountaineering, though indigenous peoples had likely summited earlier.^[61] On September 25, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints president Wilford Woodruff publicly announced the Manifesto in Salt Lake City, directing members to cease entering into plural marriages, in response to intensifying U.S. federal enforcement of anti-polygamy laws like the Edmunds-Tucker Act, which had seized church assets and threatened dissolution.^[62] The declaration, ratified by church leaders, marked a pivotal concession to preserve the institution amid legal pressures, though some adherents continued the practice covertly for years afterward.^[62]

October

On October 1, the United States Congress passed and President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation establishing Yosemite National Park in California, protecting 1,200 square miles of scenic wilderness including granite cliffs, waterfalls, and ancient sequoia groves, at the urging of conservationist John Muir. On the same date, Congress created the United States Weather Bureau within the Department of Agriculture to centralize weather observation and forecasting, replacing a prior Signal Service office and marking a step toward systematic meteorological data collection amid growing agricultural and maritime needs.^[63] Also on October 1, the McKinley Tariff Act was signed into law, imposing protective duties averaging nearly 50% on imports to shield American industries, though it contributed to higher consumer prices and political backlash in the 1890 midterm elections.^[63] In Germany, the Reichstag declined to renew the Anti-Socialist Laws—enacted in 1878 to suppress socialist activities following assassination attempts on Kaiser Wilhelm I—which thus lapsed on October 1, allowing greater political organization for the Social Democratic Party despite ongoing conservative opposition.^[63] On October 9, French aviation pioneer Clément Ader conducted a test of his bat-winged, steam-powered Éole monoplane at Armainvilliers, achieving a manned, powered lift-off and ground-skimming hop of about 50 meters at low speed, witnessed by officials; while not a sustained controlled flight, it represented an early powered heavier-than-air experiment predating the Wright brothers' achievements. ^[64]

November

On November 4, the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin premiered posthumously at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, completed and orchestrated by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov after Borodin's death in 1887.^[65] That same day, the City and South London Railway opened as the world's first deep-level electric underground line, running from Stockwell to a temporary station near the Bank of England, utilizing electric traction to serve London's growing population.^[66] Britain also proclaimed Zanzibar a protectorate on November 4, formalizing control over the East African sultanate amid imperial competition with Germany.^[65] On November 13, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison directed the deployment of a substantial military force to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, responding to alarms over the Ghost Dance movement—a Lakota spiritual revival led by figures like Sitting Bull—that authorities perceived as potentially inciting resistance among Sioux tribes amid ongoing land disputes and cultural suppression policies.^[67] This buildup, involving over 5,000 troops, escalated tensions that culminated in the Wounded Knee Massacre the following month.^[67] November 23 marked the death of King William III of the Netherlands at age 73, leading to the accession of his 10-year-old daughter, Wilhelmina, as queen; her mother, Queen Emma, served as regent until Wilhelmina's majority, ensuring continuity in the House of Orange-Nassau amid the constitutional monarchy.^{[68] [66]} On November 29, Japan's Meiji Constitution took effect, establishing a bicameral Imperial Diet with a House of Peers and an elected House of Representatives, though sovereignty remained vested in the emperor under a system blending limited parliamentary elements with autocratic oversight, as drafted by Itō Hirobumi to modernize governance while preserving imperial authority.^[69] The first session of this Diet convened that day in Tokyo, attended by Emperor Meiji, signaling Japan's shift toward constitutional rule following the 1889 promulgation.^[70] Also on November 29, the inaugural American football game between the U.S. Military Academy (Army) and the U.S. Naval Academy (Navy) occurred at West Point, New York, with Navy securing a 24–0 victory in a match that drew about 1,000 spectators and initiated an enduring inter-service rivalry.

December

On December 16, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, now known as the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, was established in Jackson, Tennessee, by black members separating from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, amid post-Civil War denominational divisions. On December 18, British imperial agent Frederick Lugard launched an expedition from the coast toward the interior regions of Mengi and Kampala in present-day Uganda, advancing colonial interests in East Africa against local resistance. On December 29, the Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment killed at least 150 and up to 300 Lakota Sioux, primarily non-combatants including women and children, from the band led by Spotted Elk (Big Foot).^[71] The incident followed the army's interception of the fleeing group amid fears of the Ghost Dance movement, which federal authorities viewed as a potential uprising; troops demanded disarmament at Wounded Knee Creek, and after a deaf Lakota man's rifle discharged—possibly accidentally—soldiers responded with rapid fire from rifles and four Hotchkiss guns, slaughtering most victims at close range in a ravine.^[7] Approximately 25 U.S. soldiers died, many from friendly fire in the chaos.^[72] The event, rooted in broader U.S. assimilation policies and broken treaties, marked the effective end of major armed resistance by Plains Indians against federal expansion.^[73]

Date unknown

In 1890, Herman Hollerith's punched card tabulating machine was utilized for the first time in a national census, processing data for the United States decennial enumeration, which reduced the time required for tabulation from years to months.^[74] The system employed electrical integration with punched cards to count population statistics efficiently, marking a pivotal advancement in mechanical data processing.^[75] Hollerith received the Elliott Cresson Medal from the Franklin Institute in recognition of this innovation during the year.^[74]

Births

January–March

• January 28 – Robert Stroud, American federal prisoner renowned for his studies of birds while incarcerated, earning the moniker "Birdman of Alcatraz".^[76][77]
• January 30 – Angela Thirkell, English-Australian author known for her Barsetshire series of novels depicting English provincial life.^[78][79]
• February 10 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and translator who authored Doctor Zhivago and received the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature, which he declined under Soviet pressure.^[80][81]
• March 1 – Theresa Bernstein, Polish-American artist associated with the Ashcan School, noted for her urban scenes and portraits.^[82][83]
• March 3 – Norman Bethune, Canadian physician and surgeon who pioneered mobile blood transfusions and worked in support of communist causes in Spain and China.^[84]
• March 9 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician and diplomat who served as Foreign Minister and was instrumental in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.^[85][86]

April–June

• April 6 – Anthony Fokker (died December 23, 1939), Dutch aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer who founded Fokker Aircraft and designed early military planes used in World War I.^[87]
• May 5 – Fritz Lang (died August 2, 1976), Austrian-born filmmaker renowned for directing German Expressionist films such as Metropolis (1927) and later Hollywood noir classics.^[88]
• May 10 – Alfred Jodl (died October 16, 1946), German general who served as Chief of the Operations Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht during World War II.^[89]
• May 19 – Ho Chi Minh (died September 2, 1969), Vietnamese revolutionary and politician who led the Viet Minh independence movement against French colonial rule and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.^[90]
• June 16 – Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; died February 23, 1965), English comedian and actor best known as half of the Laurel and Hardy duo in silent and sound films.^[91]

July–September

On July 2, 1890, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law, prohibiting contracts or conspiracies in restraint of trade or commerce among states or with foreign nations, marking the federal government's initial effort to regulate monopolistic practices amid growing industrial consolidation.^[4] The legislation targeted trusts that dominated sectors like railroads and oil, reflecting populist concerns over economic concentration despite limited enforcement mechanisms at the time.^[4] July 3 saw the admission of Idaho as the 43rd state, following congressional approval of its constitution amid a mining-driven population boom in the Rocky Mountain region.^[92] The state's entry expanded federal territory into the Northwest, with its economy rooted in silver and lead extraction that fueled territorial growth since 1863.^[92] A week later, on July 10, Wyoming became the 44th state, distinguished by its retention of territorial women's suffrage rights in its constitution, a progressive feature that predated national enfranchisement by decades.^[93] In early July, the Anglo-German Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty resolved colonial rivalries, with Britain ceding the North Sea island of Heligoland to Germany in exchange for primacy in East Africa's Zanzibar zone, stabilizing imperial spheres amid the Scramble for Africa.^[94] August 1890 featured relatively subdued global developments, with U.S. economic policy debates intensifying over silver coinage standards, though no major legislative breakthroughs occurred until later in the year. On September 18, the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul wrecked off Japan's Kushimoto coast during a typhoon, claiming approximately 540 lives out of 609 aboard while returning from a diplomatic visit to Emperor Meiji; local Japanese villagers rescued 69 survivors, fostering enduring bilateral ties evidenced by subsequent memorials and state visits.^[95] The disaster highlighted vulnerabilities in wooden sailing vessels against Pacific storms and Ottoman naval modernization efforts post-Tanzimat reforms.^[95]

October–December

• 2 October – Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (d. 1977), American comedian, actor, and founder of the Marx Brothers comedy troupe.
• 14 October – Dwight D. Eisenhower (d. 1969), Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II and 34th President of the United States.^[96]
• 16 October – Michael Collins (d. 1922), Irish revolutionary leader, Director of Intelligence for the Irish Republican Army, and key figure in the Irish War of Independence.^[97]
• 5 December – Fritz Lang (d. 1976), Austrian-born filmmaker known for German Expressionist works like Metropolis and Hollywood films such as Fury.^[98]
• 11 December – Carlos Gardel (d. 1935), tango singer and composer influential in Argentine music, though exact birth date and origins disputed.^[97]

Deaths

January–March

• January 28 – Robert Stroud, American federal prisoner renowned for his studies of birds while incarcerated, earning the moniker "Birdman of Alcatraz".^[76][77]
• January 30 – Angela Thirkell, English-Australian author known for her Barsetshire series of novels depicting English provincial life.^[78][79]
• February 10 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and translator who authored Doctor Zhivago and received the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature, which he declined under Soviet pressure.^[80][81]
• March 1 – Theresa Bernstein, Polish-American artist associated with the Ashcan School, noted for her urban scenes and portraits.^[82][83]
• March 3 – Norman Bethune, Canadian physician and surgeon who pioneered mobile blood transfusions and worked in support of communist causes in Spain and China.^[84]
• March 9 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician and diplomat who served as Foreign Minister and was instrumental in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.^[85][86]

April–June

• April 5 – Fritz Lang (died August 2, 1976), Austrian-born filmmaker renowned for directing German Expressionist films such as Metropolis (1927) and later Hollywood noir classics.^[88]
• April 6 – Anthony Fokker (died December 23, 1939), Dutch aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer who founded Fokker Aircraft and designed early military planes used in World War I.^[87]
• May 10 – Alfred Jodl (died October 16, 1946), German general who served as Chief of the Operations Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht during World War II.^[89]
• May 19 – Ho Chi Minh (died September 2, 1969), Vietnamese revolutionary and politician who led the Viet Minh independence movement against French colonial rule and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
• June 16 – Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; died February 23, 1965), English comedian and actor best known as half of the Laurel and Hardy duo in silent and sound films.^[91]

July–September

On July 2, 1890, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law, prohibiting contracts or conspiracies in restraint of trade or commerce among states or with foreign nations, marking the federal government's initial effort to regulate monopolistic practices amid growing industrial consolidation.^[4] The legislation targeted trusts that dominated sectors like railroads and oil, reflecting populist concerns over economic concentration despite limited enforcement mechanisms at the time.^[4] July 3 saw the admission of Idaho as the 43rd state, following congressional approval of its constitution amid a mining-driven population boom in the Rocky Mountain region.^[92] The state's entry expanded federal territory into the Northwest, with its economy rooted in silver and lead extraction that fueled territorial growth since 1863.^[92] A week later, on July 10, Wyoming became the 44th state, distinguished by its retention of territorial women's suffrage rights in its constitution, a progressive feature that predated national enfranchisement by decades.^[93] In early July, the Anglo-German Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty resolved colonial rivalries, with Britain ceding the North Sea island of Heligoland to Germany in exchange for primacy in East Africa's Zanzibar zone, stabilizing imperial spheres amid the Scramble for Africa.^[94] August 1890 featured relatively subdued global developments, with U.S. economic policy debates intensifying over silver coinage standards, though no major legislative breakthroughs occurred until later in the year. On September 18, the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul wrecked off Japan's Kushimoto coast during a typhoon, claiming approximately 540 lives out of 609 aboard while returning from a diplomatic visit to Emperor Meiji; local Japanese villagers rescued 69 survivors, fostering enduring bilateral ties evidenced by subsequent memorials and state visits.^[95] The disaster highlighted vulnerabilities in wooden sailing vessels against Pacific storms and Ottoman naval modernization efforts post-Tanzimat reforms.^[95]

October–December

• 2 October – Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (d. 1977), American comedian, actor, and founder of the Marx Brothers comedy troupe.
• 14 October – Dwight D. Eisenhower (d. 1969), Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II and 34th President of the United States.^[96]
• 16 October – Michael Collins (d. 1922), Irish revolutionary leader, Director of Intelligence for the Irish Republican Army, and key figure in the Irish War of Independence.^[97]
• 5 December – Fritz Lang (d. 1976), Austrian-born filmmaker known for German Expressionist works like Metropolis and Hollywood films such as Fury.^[98]
• 11 December – Carlos Gardel (d. 1935), tango singer and composer influential in Argentine music, though exact birth date and origins disputed.^[97]