Important Events in 1868
- Feb 24 US House of Representatives vote 126 to 47 to impeach President Andrew Johnson
- Apr 11 The Shogunate is abolished in Japan
- Apr 13 Abyssinian War ends as British and Indian troops capture Magdala and Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II commits suicide
- May 30 "Decoration Day", later called Memorial Day is first observed in Northern US states
- Jun 23 Christopher Latham Sholes patents the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, the first commercially successful of its kind
- Jul 9 Louisiana and South Carolina are the last states to ratify the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, guaranteeing civil rights
- Dec 25 Despite bitter opposition, US President Andrew Johnson grants unconditional pardon to all persons involved in Southern rebellion (Civil War)
More Historical Events
Did You Know?
French Astronomer Pierre Janssen discovers helium in solar spectrum during eclipse
On August 18, 1868
Famous People in 1868
Charles Dickens
NovelistClaude Monet
Impressionist PainterGiuseppe Verdi
Composer
World Leaders in 1868
Andrew Johnson
17th US PresidentBenjamin Disraeli
British Prime Minister
Would You Believe?
The first traffic lights are installed outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Resembling railway signals, they use semaphore arms and are illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.
On December 9, 1868
Famous Weddings in 1868
- Apr 6 Brigham Young marries his 27th & final wife
- Aug 13 Prime Minister of Canada Wilfrid Laurier (26) weds ZoƩ Lafontaine (27) in Montreal, Canada
1868 in Articles and Photos
Ethiopian Emperor Commits Suicide
British soldiers discover the body of Emperor Tewodros II after he committed suicide following the Battle of Magdala
April 13, 1868How the Qwerty Keyboard was Born
A typewriter patent was granted on this day to the man who would go on to produce and inflict on us all the ubiquitous Qwerty keyboard.
June 23, 1868