February 3
February 3
Belle Starr murdered in Oklahoma
The outlaw Belle Starr is killed when an unknown assailant fatally wounds the famous “Bandit Queen” with two shotgun blasts from behind. As with the lives of other famous outlaws…
A Year In History: 1889
This Year in History:
1889
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
March 18
March 18
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte becomes the first Native American woman to graduate from medical school
On March 18, 1889, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte becomes the first Native American woman to graduate from medical school. She was top of her class at the Woman’s Medical…
March 31
March 31
Eiffel Tower opens
On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower is dedicated in Paris in a ceremony presided over by Gustave Eiffel, the tower’s designer, and attended by French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard,…
April 16
April 16
Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin born
On April 16, 1889, future Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin is born Charles Spencer Chaplin in London, England. Chaplin, one of the most financially successful stars of early Hollywood, was introduced…
April 22
April 22
The Oklahoma land rush begins
At precisely high noon, thousands of would‑be settlers make a mad dash into the newly opened Oklahoma Territory to claim cheap land. The nearly two million acres of land opened…
May 31
May 31
Over 2,000 die in the Johnstown Flood
The South Fork Dam in Pennsylvania collapses on May 31, 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood, killing more than 2,200 people. Johnstown is 60 miles east of Pittsburgh in a valley near the…
July 10
July 10
“Buckskin” Frank Leslie murders a prostitute
In a drunken rage, “Buckskin” Frank Leslie murders his lover, the Tombstone sex worker Blonde Mollie Williams. Leslie was an ill‑tempered and violent man, especially when he drank. He told…
July 20
July 20
Homesteaders murdered by Wyoming ranchers
Having made the mistake of homesteading on land previously controlled by a Wyoming cattle king, homesteaders Ella Watson and James Averell are accused of rustling and hanged. As the days…
September 30
September 30
Wyoming legislators write the first state constitution to grant women the vote
On September 30, 1889, the Wyoming state convention approves a constitution that includes a provision granting women the right to vote. Formally admitted into the union the following year, Wyoming…
