This Year in History:
1875
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
The theologian, musician, philosopher and Nobel Prize‑winning physician Albert Schweitzer is born on January 14, 1875 in Upper‑Alsace, Germany (now Haut‑Rhin, France). The son and grandson of ministers, Schweitzer studied…
Mistakenly believing Frank and Jesse James are hiding out at their family home, a gang of men—likely led by Pinkerton detectives—mount a raid that leaves the outlaws’ mother permanently maimed…
On March 3, 1875, indoor ice hockey makes its public debut in Montreal, Quebec. After weeks of training at the Victoria Skating Rink with his friends, Montreal resident James Creighton…
A skilled practitioner of the frontier art of the tall tale, the mountain man Joe Meek dies on his farm in Oregon. His life was nearly as adventurous as his…
On August 24, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb of Great Britain becomes the first man to successfully swim the English Channel without assistance. After the feat, Webb became an international celebrity,…
Matthew Webb, a 27‑year‑old merchant navy captain, becomes the first known person to successfully swim the English Channel. Captain Webb accomplished the grueling 21‑mile crossing, which really entailed 39 miles…
Hours after being asked to resign as president of the Bank of California, the powerful western capitalist William Ralston is found drowned in San Francisco Bay. One of the first…
On September 23, 1875, Billy the Kid is arrested for the first time after stealing a basket of laundry. He later broke out of jail and roamed the American West,…
