What happened in 1872

30 events　Japan 3, North America 10, Europe 12, Asia 2, Latin America 1, Oceania 2

Highlights of 1872

Feb 17AsiaFilipino priests José Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, collectively known as Gomburza, are executed in Bagumbayan Fields, Manila, Philippines by the authorities of New Spain, on charges of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny.
Mar 1North AmericaIn the United States, Yellowstone National Park (once dubbed "Colter's Hell" after John Colter, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) is established as the world's first national park.
Jul 4EuropeThe Society of Jesus is pronounced illegal in the German Empire.
Jul 18Latin AmericaMexican President Benito Juarez dies of a heart attack, and Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada becomes interim president.
OctJapanJapan's first railway (Shinbashi–Yokohama)Steam locomotives covered the roughly 29 km between Shinbashi and Yokohama in 53 minutes, a journey that took a full day on foot.
OceaniaEssendon Football Club is founded in Melbourne, Australia.

Jul 15Hochi Mail News, later Hochi Daily News, a Japanese language newspaper, is first published in Tokyo, although it changes coverage from general news to a sports newspaper from December 1949.
Sep 17Shiseido Pharmacy Shop, predecessor of Shiseido, a major worldwide cosmetics brand, is founded in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan.
OctJapan's first railway (Shinbashi–Yokohama)Steam locomotives covered the roughly 29 km between Shinbashi and Yokohama in 53 minutes, a journey that took a full day on foot.

Mar 1In the United States, Yellowstone National Park (once dubbed "Colter's Hell" after John Colter, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) is established as the world's first national park.
Mar 4The Boston Globe is founded in Boston, Massachusetts, as the largest newspaper of the New England region.
May 4The magazine Popular Science is first published in the United States.
Sep 26The first Shriners Temple (called Mecca) is established in New York City.
Oct 1The Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College begins its first academic session (the university is later renamed Virginia Tech). The first case is reported in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, of the Great Epizootic of 1872 (equine influenza, or the "horse flu") which will substantially disrupt life in North America by mid-December.
Nov 51872 United States presidential election: Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horace Greeley.
Nov 9Great Boston Fire of 1872: In Boston, Massachusetts, a large fire begins to burn on Lincoln Street (the 2-day disaster destroys about of the city, 776 buildings, much of the financial district and causes US$60 million in damage).
Nov 29Horace Greeley, President Ulysses S. Grant's opponent in this year's U.S. presidential election, dies. His electoral votes are divided among several candidates.
Nov 29American Indian Wars: The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.
Kimberly, Clark and Co. is founded in Neenah, Wisconsin, by John A. Kimberly, Charles B. Clark, Havilah Babcock and Franklyn C. Shattuck.

Mar 161872 FA Cup Final: In the first ever final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest football competition, Wanderers F.C. defeat Royal Engineers A.F.C. 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London.
May 14The Battle of Mañaria, near Bilbao, Spain during the Third Carlist War (1872–1876).
May 22Georges Bizet's comic opera Djamileh is premièred at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, France.
Jul 1Schenker, predecessor of DB Schenker, the worldwide logistics and freight operator, is founded in Vienna, Austria.
Jul 4The Society of Jesus is pronounced illegal in the German Empire.
Sep 18Upon the death of King Charles XV and IV of Sweden-Norway, he is succeeded as King of both crowns by his brother Oscar II.
Oct 16University College Wales (later to become Aberystwyth University) begins its first academic session.
Nov 12Dresdner Bank is founded in Dresden, Germany.
Nov 13Claude Monet begins painting Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant, the painting that will give a name to Impressionism) as viewed from his hotel room at Le Havre in France.
Dec 21Challenger expedition: sails from Portsmouth, England, on the 4-year scientific expedition that lays the foundation for the science of oceanography.
Summer: Swedish teacher, scholar, folklorist and museum director Artur Hazelius begins the Scandinavian-etnographic collection, which becomes the foundation to the Nordic Museum and Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm.
S. T. Dupont begins the manufacture of luxury leather goods in France.

Jan 20The Cavite mutiny was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in Cavite, Philippine Islands.
Feb 17Filipino priests José Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, collectively known as Gomburza, are executed in Bagumbayan Fields, Manila, Philippines by the authorities of New Spain, on charges of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny.

Jul 18Mexican President Benito Juarez dies of a heart attack, and Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada becomes interim president.

Aug 22The Australian Overland Telegraph Line is completed, providing a telegraphic link between Australia and the rest of the world for the first time.
Essendon Football Club is founded in Melbourne, Australia.