On This Day

October 1877 in History

Events in History

  • Oct 5 Chief Joseph surrenders, ending Nez Perce War
  • Oct 9 American Humane Association organizes (Cleveland)
  • Oct 15 45th Congress (1877-79) convenes

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Oct 17 Henry Morton Stanley reaches Boma during trip cross Africa

Journalist and Explorer Henry Morton Stanley
Journalist and Explorer
Henry Morton Stanley
  • Oct 22 The Blantyre mining disaster in Scotland kills 207 miners. Those widows and orphans who were unable to support themselves were evicted by the mine owners and likely sent to the Poor House.

Birthdays in History

  • Oct 8 Hans Heysen, German-born landscape artist, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1968)
  • Oct 18 Florence Dahl Walrath, humanitarian, founded Cradle society
  • Oct 25 Henry Norris Russell, American astronomer (Hertzsprung-Russell diagram), born in Oyster Bay, New York (d. 1957)

Deaths in History

  • Oct 3 James Roosevelt Bayley, first Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore, dies at 63
  • Oct 10 Johann Georg Baiter, Swiss philologist, dies at 76
  • Oct 16 John Zwijsen, archbishop of Utrecht, dies at 83
  • Oct 16 Theodore Barrière, French dramatist (b. 1823)
  • Oct 28 Robert Swinhoe, British naturalist (b. 1835)

Person of interestNathan Bedford Forrest

Oct 29 Nathan Bedford Forrest, American Confederate general, dies at 56

Confederate General and KKK Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest
Confederate General and KKK Grand Wizard
Nathan Bedford Forrest