What happened in 1873
29 events World 1, North America 9, Europe 19
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Highlights of 1873
- Jan 17North AmericaAmerican Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the United States Army.
- Nov 17EuropeBudapest, Hungary's capital, is formed from Pest, Buda and Óbuda.
- Dec 23North AmericaThe Woman's Christian Temperance Union is founded, in Hillsboro, Ohio.
- DecEuropeMajor Walter Clopton Wingfield designs and patents a racquet sport, which he calls sphairistike (Greek σφάίρίστική, "skill at playing at ball"), soon known simply as Stické and an ancestor of lawn tennis, for the amusement of his guests at a garden party on his estate of Nantclwyd, in Llanelidan, Wales.
- North AmericaToronto Argonauts (football), the oldest professional sports team still playing in North America.
- EuropeThe League of the Three Emperors is created. It links the conservative monarchs of Austria-Hungary, the German Empire and the Russian Empire in an alliance against radical movements.
World1
- Sep 15The International Meteorological Organization (IMO) is established.
North America9
- Jan 17American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the United States Army.
- Mar 3Censorship: The United States Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail.
- Apr 13Colfax massacre: More than 60 to 150 black men are murdered in Colfax, Louisiana, while surrendering to a mob of former Confederate soldiers and members of the Ku Klux Klan.
- May 23The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police (which is renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920).
- Jun 4American Indian Wars: The Modoc War ends with the capture of Kintpuash (Captain Jack).
- Sep 18The New York stock market crashes as the Jay Cooke & Company investment firm declares bankruptcy, triggering the Panic of 1873, part of the Long Depression.
- Dec 23The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is founded, in Hillsboro, Ohio.
- Toronto Argonauts (football), the oldest professional sports team still playing in North America.
- Coors Brewing Company begins making beer in Golden, Colorado.
Europe19
- Feb 11The Spanish Cortes deposes King Amadeus I, and proclaims the First Spanish Republic.
- Apr 4The Kennel Club, the world's first kennel club, is founded in the United Kingdom.
- Apr 23Third Carlist War: Brigadier General Carmona confronts the insurgents at the Madrid bullring.
- May 1The Vienna World's Fair opens in the capital of Austria-Hungary and runs for six months, closing on October 31.
- May 5Third Carlist War in Spain: Battle of Eraul – Carlists under General Dorregaray defeat Republicans at Eraul, near Estella.
- May 9Third Carlist War: The Battle of Montejurra is fought at Navarra, Spain.
- May 9Der Gründerkrach: The Wiener Börse (Vienna stock exchange) crash in Austria-Hungary ends the Gründerzeit, and heralds the global Panic of 1873 and Long Depression.
- Jul 9Third Carlist War: Battle of Alpens – Campaigning in Catalonia, a government column under General José Cabrinetty is ambushed at Alpens, 15 miles east of Berga, by Carlist forces under General Francisco Savalls. After heavy fighting, with Cabrinety killed, virtually the entire column of 800 men is killed or captured.
- Nov 7Third Carlist War: Battle of Montejurra – Determined to recapture the key city of Estella in Navarre, Spanish Republican General Domingo Moriones advances on the Carlists under General Joaquín Elío at nearby Montejurra. After very heavy fighting both sides claim victory, but Moriones withdraws, and Estella remains in Carlist hands. Don Carlos is present in the front line.
- Nov 17Budapest, Hungary's capital, is formed from Pest, Buda and Óbuda.
- Dec 22Third Carlist War: Battle of Bocairente – Campaigning in Valenica, Spanish Republican General Valeriano Weyler is attacked at Bocairente, northwest of Alcoy, by a greatly superior Carlist force under General José Santés. Weyler is initially driven back, losing some of his guns, but in a brilliant counter-attack he turns defeat into victory, and Santés is heavily repulsed and forced to withdraw.
- Dec 27Third Carlist War: Siege of Bilbao (until 2 May 1874) – Campaigning in Navarre, Pretender Don Carlos VII and General Joaquín Elío besiege Bilbao, held by General Ignacio del Castillo and 1,200 men. The Carlist force is ten times this number, and includes most of the troops from Navarre, Vizcaya and Álava, although a considerable force is left in Guipúzcoa. Despite defeat at nearby Somorrostro, Republican commander Marshal Francisco Serrano, supported by Generals Manuel de la Concha and Arsenio Martínez-Campos, brilliantly breaks the siege, and Concha then marches on Estella.
- DecMajor Walter Clopton Wingfield designs and patents a racquet sport, which he calls sphairistike (Greek σφάίρίστική, "skill at playing at ball"), soon known simply as Stické and an ancestor of lawn tennis, for the amusement of his guests at a garden party on his estate of Nantclwyd, in Llanelidan, Wales.
- The League of the Three Emperors is created. It links the conservative monarchs of Austria-Hungary, the German Empire and the Russian Empire in an alliance against radical movements.
- The Swedish arms company Aktiebolaget (AB) Bofors-Gullspång, better known as Bofors, is founded.