General
Population: 1.52 Billion*
- Entertainment: Writers include A.C. Doyle's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Maurice Barres, James Barrie, Thomas Hardy (Tess of the D'Ubervilles),
Frank Wedekind, Kipling, Sardou, Selma Lagerlof, Shaw, Goldwin Smith, RW Church (posthumously
Art includes Van Gogh exhibits at the Salon des Independents (posthumously), Henri Toulouse-Lautrec produces his first music hall posters
Music includes Gustav Mahler, Karl Zeller, Rachmaninoff
- Fashion: Judson invents clothing zipper
- Religion: Papal encyclical on conditions of the working class
- Science: Samuel P Langley writes about aerodynamics
Fossils discovered in 1887 found to be terror birds
In Java Dutch anthropologist Eugene Dubois discovers Pithecanthropis erectus (Java Man)
- Technology: Morrison invents electric car
Edison invents Kinetoscope
Beginnings of wireless telegraphy
Otto Lilienthal demonstrates hang-gliding
- Deaths: Prussian general Helmuth von Moltke, Phineas T. Barnum, I.A. Goncharov, Author James Russell Lowell, Theosophical guru (Mme.) Helena Petrovna Blavatsky,
Reformer Charles Bradlaugh, Novelist Pedro Antonio de Alarcon, Composer Leo Delibes, Soldier Georges Boulanger by suicide, Poet Antero de Quental,
Poet Arthur Rimbaud, Georges Seurat (age 33), Herman Melville,
Africa
- General: Britain stakes claims to East and Central Africa
Americas
- Canada: Return of MacDonald as Premier
- Chile: Civil War
Asia
- Japan: Earthquake estimated at an 8 killing over 7200 and maybe 10,000
Europe
- General: Franco-Russian agreement for 3 years
Triple Alliance between Germany Austria and Italy renewed for 12 years
- Denmark: Pension Act
- Germany: Kaiser William II visits London
All-Deutchland Verband (League) founded
- Great Britain: Free education to elementary school children
Factory Act forbids employment of children under 11
JT Grein founds Independent Theatre Society in London
In libel action Gordon-Cummings v. Lycett concerning cheating at cards the Prince of Wales admits he played baccarat for high stakes
British sailor James Barltey found alive inside a sperm whale's stomach
James Dewar of Britain convinces society to search for "Absolute Zero" through demos – Dewar flask invented
- Russia: Trans-Siberian railroad begun
Famine widespread due to harvest failure
- Switzerland: Young Turk Movement formed in Geneva hoping to secure liberal reforms
Middle East
Pacific
- Australia: Sheepshearers go on strike
- Hawaii: End of reign of King david Kalakaua
- Tahiti: Gauguin settles and paints first South Sea works
1891 
