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1887

1887

1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar).

Events

January

- January 6 - `Abd-allah II of Harar opens the Battle of Chelenqo with an attack on the camp of the Shewan army of Negus Menelik II early in the morning; prepared for the assault, the Negus orders a counter-attack which routs the enemy, resulting with the capture of Harar a few days later.
- January 20 - The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base.
- January 21 - The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is formed
- January 21 - Brisbane receives a daily rainfall of 465 millimetres - a record for any Australian capital city.
- January 26 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat Italians
- January 28 - In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, USA, the largest snowflakes on record are reported. They are 15 inches (38cm) wide and 8 inches (20cm) thick.

February

- February 2 - In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed.
- February 5 - The Giuseppe Verdi opera Otello premieres at La Scala
- February 23 - The French Riviera is hit by a large earthquake, killing around 2,000.
- February 26 - At the SCG, George Lohmann becomes the first bowler to take eight wickets in a Test innings.

March

- March 3 - Anne Sullivan begins teaching Helen Keller
- March 4 - Gottlieb Daimler unveils his first automobile
- March 13 - Chester Greenwood patents earmuffs
- March 19 - Henry Cogswell College established by Henry D. Cogswell.

April

- April 4 - Argonia, Kansas elects Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States.
- April 20 - George Bouton wins the worlds first motor racing contest: he is the only participant

May

- May 3 - Earthquake in Sonora, Mexico
- May 9 - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opens in London.

June

- June 8 - Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his punch card calculator.
- June 18 - The Reinsurance Treaty is closed between Germany and Russia.
- June 21 - Britain celebrates a Golden Jubilee, marking the 50th year of Queen Victoria's reign. [http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page929.asp]
- June 23 - The Rocky Mountains Park Act becomes law in Canada, creating that nation's first national park, Banff National Park. [http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cseh-twih/archives2_E.asp?id=25]
- June 28 - Minot, North Dakota is incorporated as a city.

July

- July 26 - L. L. Zamenhof publishes "Dr. Esperanto's International Language".
- July 27 - Giuseppe Peano marries Carola Crosio

October

- October 1 - British Empire takes over Baluchistan

November

- November 10 - Louis Linga, sentenced to be hanged for his alleged role in the Haymarket Riot bomb, kills himself by dynamite
- In London, police and left-wing demonstrators clash. One dead. One of the participants is George Bernard Shaw.
- November 11 - August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Michael Schwab, and Samuel Fielden hanged for inciting riot and murder in the Haymarket Riot of May 4, 1886.

December

- December 25 - Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whisky first ran from the stills of Glenfiddich Distillery. The whisky is still produced today by William Grant & Sons.

Unknown dates

- L. L. Zamenhof completes the creation of the initial version of Esperanto
- U.S. National Institutes of Health founded
- Teachers College, later part of Columbia University, is founded
- Thomas Stevens is 1st man to bicycle around the world
- Michelson-Morley experiment is performed
- Gramophone patented by Emile Berliner
- The New Gate is built in Jerusalem
- Comptometer patented by Dorr Eugene Felt
- The first All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals are held
- Suez Canal is declared neutral
- Japan annexes Iwo Jima
- Zululand becomes a British colony
- Yellow river floods in China - 900,000 dead
- British nurses association organized
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn founded
- Spandau Prison in Berlin finished
- Portugal abolishes death penalty for murder
- Heinrich Hertz discovers electromagnetism
- US congress passes the Interstate Commerce Act

Births

January

- January 1 - Wilhelm Canaris, head of German military intelligence in World War II (d. 1945)
- January 3 - August Macke, German painter (d. 1914)
- January 19 - Alexander Woollcott, American intellectual (d. 1943)
- January 21 - Maude Davis, Oldest Person in the World (d. 2002)
- January 28 - Arthur Rubinstein, Polish-born pianist and conductor (d. 1982)

February

- February 1 - Charles Nordhoff, English-born author (d. 1947)
- February 2 - Pat Sullivan, Australian director and producer of animated films (d. 1933)
- February 3 - Georg Trakl, Austrian poet (d. 1914)
- February 6 - Josef Frings, Archbishop of Cologne (d. 1978)
- February 10 - John Franklin Enders, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1985)
- February 11 - Ernst Hanfstängl, German-born pianist and U.S. politician (d. 1975)
- February 11 - John van Melle Dutch-born writer (d. 1953)
- February 17 - Leevi Madetoja, Finnish composer (d. 1947)
- February 18 - Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek poet (d. 1957)
- February 20 - Vincent Massey, Governor-General of Canada (d. 1967)
- February 26 - Grover Cleveland Alexander, baseball player (d. 1950)

March

- March 3 - Rupert Brooke, English poet (d. 1915)
- March 5 - Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian composer (d. 1959)
- March 9 - Phil Mead, English cricketer (d. 1958)
- March 14 - Sylvia Beach, American publisher in Paris (d. 1952)
- March 22 - Chico Marx, American comedian and actor (d. 1961)
- March 23 - Juan Gris, Spanish-born painter and graphic artist (d. 1927)
- March 23 - Prince Felix Yussupov, Russian assassin of Rasputin (d. 1967)
- March 24 - Fatty Arbuckle, American actor (d. 1933)

April-May

- April 10 - Bernardo Houssay, Argentine physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
- May 2 - Eddie Collins, baseball player (d. 1951)
- May 5 - Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1972)
- May 11 - Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-born pianist (d. 1951)
- May 26 - Paul Lukas, Hungarian-born actor (d. 1971)
- May 28 - Jim Thorpe, American athlete (d. 1953)
- May 31 - Saint-John Perse, French diplomat and writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)

June

- June 2 - Orrick Johns, American poet and playwright (d. 1946)
- June 22 - Julian Huxley, British biologist (d. 1975)
- June 25 - George Abbott, American playwright (d. 1995)

July

- July 7 - Marc Chagall, Russian-born painter (d. 1985)
- July 16 - Shoeless Joe Jackson, baseball player (d. 1951)
- July 18 - Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian politician and traitor (d. 1945)
- July 22 - Gustav Hertz, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
- July 28 - Marcel Duchamp, French-born artist (d. 1968)
- July 29 - Sigmund Romberg, Hungarian-born composer (d. 1951)

August

- August 12 - Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1961)
- August 13 - Julius Freed, American inventor and banker (d. 1952)
- August 15 - Edna Ferber, American novelist (d. 1968)
- August 17 - Emperor Karl I of Austria (d. 1922)
- August 17 - Marcus Garvey, American publisher, entrepreneur, and black nationalist (d. 1940)
- August 20 - Jules Laforgue, French poet (b. 1860)
- August 24 - Harry Hooper, baseball player (d. 1974)

September

- September 1 - Blaise Cendrars, Swiss writer (d. 1961)
- September 3 - Frank Christian, jazz musician (d. 1973)
- September 13 - Lavoslav Ružička, Croatian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)
- September 16 - Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (d. 1979)
- September 28 - Avery Brundage, American sports official

October

- October 1 - Violet Jessop, RMS Titanic survivor (d. 1971)
- October 5 - René Cassin, French judge, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1976)
- October 6 - Le Corbusier, Swiss architect (d. 1965)
- October 8 - Huntley Gordon, Canadian-born actor (d. 1956)
- October 22 - John Reed, American journalist (d. 1920)
- October 28 - Marcel Duchamp, French artist (d. 1968)
- October 31 - Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese Nationalist (d. 1975)

November

- November 6 - Walter Johnson, baseball player (d. 1946)
- November 10 - Arnold Zweig, German writer (d. 1968)
- November 17 - Bernard Montgomery, World War II British commander (d. 1976)
- November 19 - James B. Sumner, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)

December

- December 12 - Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer (d. 1974)
- December 22 - Srinivasa Aaiyangar Ramanujan, Indian mathematician (d. 1920)

Month/day unknown

- Joseph H. Choate, Jr., American politician and philanthropist (d. 1968)
- Pauline Sabin, American activist for repeal of prohibition in U.S. (d. 1955)

Deaths

- February 27 - Alexander Borodin, Russian composer (b. 1833)
- March 8 - Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman and reformer (b. 1813)
- May 14 - Lysander Spooner, American philosopher and abolitionist (b. 1808)
- July 17 - Dorothea Dix, American social activist (b. 1802)
- July 25 - John Taylor, American religious leader (b. 1808)
- August 8 - Alexander William Doniphan, American lawyer and soldier (b. 1808)
- August 20 - Jules Laforgue, French poet (b. 1860)
- October 17 - Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (b. 1824)
- November 2 - Jenny Lind, Swedish soprano (b. 1820)
- November 8 - Doc Holliday, American gambler and gunfighter (b. 1851)
- November 19 - Emma Lazarus, American poet (b. 1859)
- December 5 - Eliza Roxcy Snow, American poet (b. 1804) Category:1887 ko:1887년 ms:1887 simple:1887 th:พ.ศ. 2430

Common year starting on Saturday

This is the calendar for any common year starting on Saturday (dominical letter B) e.g. 2005. (A common year is a year with 365 days -- in other words, not a leap year.)

Millennium	Century	Year
2nd Millennium:	19th century:	1803	1814	1825	1831	1842	1853	1859	1870	1881	1887	1898
2nd Millennium:	20th century:	1910	1921	1927	1938	1949	1955	1966	1977	1983	1994
3rd Millennium:	21st century:	2005	2011	2022	2033	2039	2050	2061	2067	2078	2089	2095
3rd Millennium:	22nd century:	2101	2107	2118	2129	2135	2146	2157	2163	2174	2185	2191

Other years

Category:Saturday Category:Weeks ko:토요일로 시작하는 평년 th:ปีปกติสุรทินที่วันแรกเป็นวันเสาร์

January 6

January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 359 days (360 in leap years) remain in the year after this day.

Events

- 1066 - Harold Godwinson crowned King of England
- 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans
- 1540 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.
- 1579 - The Union of Atrecht was signed
- 1661 - The fifth monarchy men unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London.
- 1690 - Joseph, son of Emperor Leopold I becomes King of the Romans
- 1720 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings
- 1853 - American President-Elect Franklin Pierce, wife Jane, and son Ben are involved in a train wreck near Andover, Massachusetts. Franklin and Jane survive but eleven-year-old Ben is killed.
- 1858 - Samuel Morse first successfully tested the electrical telegraph.
- 1887 - `Abd-allah II of Harar opens the Battle of Chelenqo with an attack on the camp of the Shewan army of Negus Menelik II early in the morning; prepared for the assault, the Negus orders a counter-attack which routs the enemy, resulting with the capture of Harar a few days later.
- 1893 - Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
- 1870 - The inauguration of the Musikverein (Vienna).
- 1900 - It is reported that millions are starving in India.
- Boers attack Ladysmith, South Africa - over 1,000 people killed
- 1907 - Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome.
- 1912 - New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.
- 1929 - King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country's constitution (the so-called January 6th Dictatorship, Šestojanuarska diktatura.)
- 1930 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip is completed (Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City).
- 1931 - Thomas Edison submits his last patent application.
- 1936 - Supreme Court of the United States rules the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act unconstitutional in the case United States v. Butler et al.; Porky Pig premieres
- 1940 - Actor William Powell marries his 3rd and final wife, actress Diana Lewis
- Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the city of Poznan, Warthegau.
- 1941 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address.
- 1942 - Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to have a flight go around the world.
- 1946 - William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) hanged for treason at the age of 39
- 1950 - The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with Britain in response.
- 1961 - A fire at the Thomas Hotel in San Francisco kills 20 people.
- 1967 - United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta.
- 1973 - Schoolhouse Rock premieres on American television
- 1974 - In response to the energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.
- 1975 - The American soap opera Another World becomes the first soap opera in the world to air hour-long regularly scheduled episodes.
- 1978 - The Hungarian Holy crown (also known as Stephen_I_of_Hungary crown) returned to Hungary from the United_States, where was held after the WW_II.
- 1982 - William Bonin convicted of being the "freeway killer".
- 1992 - The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously condemning Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
- 1994 - Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding.
- 1995 - A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.
- 1996 - 1996 Gaithersburg Metrorail Accident on the Washington Metro system kills one in Montgomery County, Maryland, during the Blizzard of 1996.
- 1998 - The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is launched to survey the moon's surface.
- 1999 - Bob Newhart receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2001 - Al Gore, as President of the U.S. Senate, tallies the electoral votes and certifies George W. Bush as the winner of U.S. presidential election, 2000.
- 2005 - Mississippi Civil Rights Workers Murders: Edgar Ray Killen is arrested as a suspect for the 1964 murders of three Civil Rights workers.

Births

- 1367 - King Richard II of England (d. 1400)
- 1412 - Joan of Arc, French warrior and Catholic saint (d. 1431)
- 1418 - Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (d. 1448)
- 1486 - Martin Agricola, German composer (d. 1556)
- 1488 - Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet (d. 1540)
- 1525 - Caspar Peucer, German reformer (d. 1602)
- 1561 - Thomas Fincke, Danish mathematician and physicist (d. 1656)
- 1587 - Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, Count-Duke of Olivares, Spanish statesman (d. 1645)
- 1595 - Claude Favre de Vaugelas, French man of letters (d. 1650)
- 1617 - Kristoffer Gabel, Danish statesman (d. 1673)
- 1706 (O.S.) - Benjamin Franklin, American statesman (d. 1790)
- 1714 - Percivall Pott, English physician and surgeon (d. 1788)
- 1822 - Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist (d. 1890)
- 1832 - Gustave Doré, French painter and sculptor (d. 1883)
- 1838 - Max Bruch, German composer (d. 1920)
- 1872 - Alexander Scriabin, Russian composer (d. 1915)
- 1878 - Carl Sandburg, American poet and historian (d. 1967)
- 1880 - Tom Mix, American actor (d. 1940)
- 1882 - Fan S. Noli, Albanian bishop, poet, and political figure (d. 1965)
- 1882 - Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1961)
- 1883 - Khalil Gibran, Lebanese writer and painter (d. 1931)
- 1898 - James Fitzmaurice, Irish aviation pioneer (d. 1965)
- 1899 - Phyllis Haver, American actress (d. 1960)
- 1903 - Maurice Abravanel, Greek-born conductor (d. 1993)
- 1910 - Morris Wright, American writer (d. 1998)
- 1910 - Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)
- 1913 - Edward Gierek, Polish politician (d. 2001)
- 1914 - Danny Thomas, American singer, actor, and comedian (d. 1991)
- 1915 - Alan Watts, English writer, philosopher (d. 1973)
- 1920 - Sun Myung Moon, Korean evangelist
- 1920 - John Maynard Smith, English bioligist (d. 2004)
- 1920 - Early Wynn, baseball player (d. 1999)
- 1923 - Jacobo Timerman, Argentine writer (d. 1999)
- 1924 - Earl Scruggs, American musician
- 1925 - John De Lorean, American auto maker (d. 2005)
- 1926 - Ralph Branca, baseball player
- 1926 - Kid Gavilan, Cuban boxer (d. 2003)
- 1929 - Babrak Karmal, Afghani politician (d. 1996)
- 1930 - Vic Tayback, American actor
- 1931 - Capucine, French actress (d. 1990)
- 1931 - E. L. Doctorow, American author
- 1931 - Dickie Moore, Canadian hockey player
- 1932 - Stuart A. Rice, American chemist
- 1933 - Oleg Makarov, cosmonaut (d. 2003)
- 1933 - Emil Steinberger, Swiss comedian
- 1936 - Julio María Sanguinetti Coirolo, President of Uruguay
- 1940 - Penny Lernoux, American journalist and author (d. 1989)
- 1940 - Van McCoy, American musician (d. 1979)
- 1943 - Terry Venables, English football manager
- 1944 - Bonnie Franklin, American actress
- 1944 - Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1946 - Syd Barrett, English guitarist and singer
- 1947 - Sandy Denny, English vocalist (d. 1978)
- 1951 - Kim Wilson, American musician
- 1953 - Malcolm Young, Scottish guitarist (AC/DC)
- 1954 - Hans Robert Hiegel, German architect
- 1954 - Anthony Minghella, British director
- 1955 - Rowan Atkinson, English comedian and actor
- 1957 - Nancy Lopez, American golfer
- 1959 - Kapil Dev, Indian cricketer
- 1959 - Kathy Sledge, American singer
- 1960 - Nigella Lawson, British chef and writer
- 1960 - Howie Long, American football star
- 1962 - Michael Houser, American musician (Widespread Panic) (d. 2002)
- 1964 - Henry Maske, German boxer
- 1964 - Rafael Vidal, Venezuelan athlete (d. 2005)
- 1966 - Fernando Carrillo, Venezuelan actor
- 1968 - John Singleton, American film director and writer
- 1970 - Julie Chen, American television presenter and newsreader
- 1970 - Gabrielle Reece, American volleyball player and model
- 1974 - Nicole DeHuff. American actress (d. 2005)
- 1976 - Danny Pintauro, American actor
- 1980 - Steed Malbranque, French footballer
- 1981 - Mike Jones, American rapper

Deaths

- 1088 - Berengar of Tours, French theologian
- 1448 - Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (b. 1418)
- 1537 - Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence (b. 1510)
- 1537 - Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter (b. 1481)
- 1616 - Philip Henslowe, English theatrical entrepreneur
- 1689 - Bishop Seth Ward, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1671)
- 1711 - Philipp van Almonde, Dutch admiral (b. 1646)
- 1718 - Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian writer and jurist (b. 1664)
- 1718 - Richard Hoare, English goldsmith and banker (b. 1648)
- 1724 - Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Japanese dramatist (b. 1653)
- 1731 - Étienne François Geoffroy, French chemist (b. 1672)
- 1734 - John Dennis, English critic and dramatist (b. 1657)
- 1840 - Fanny Burney, English novelist and diarist (b. 1752)
- 1852 - Louis Braille, French teacher of the blind (b. 1809)
- 1855 - Giacomo Beltrami, Italian explorer (b. 1779)
- 1884 - Gregor Johann Mendel, Austrian geneticist (b. 1822)
- 1885 - Peter Christian Asbjørnsen, Norwegian writer and scientist (b. 1812)
- 1918 - Georg Cantor, German mathematician (b. 1845)
- 1919 - Max Heindel, Danish astrologer and mystic (b. 1865)
- 1919 - Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1858)
- 1928 - Alvin Kraenzlein, American athlete (b. 1876)
- 1937 - Brother Andre, Canadian religious figure (b. 1845)
- 1942 - Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian International Olympic Committee president (b. 1876)
- 1945 - Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (b. 1863)
- 1949 - Victor Fleming, American director (b. 1883)
- 1981 - A.J. Cronin, Scottish writer (b. 1896)
- 1990 - Ian Charleson, Scottish actor (b. 1949)
- 1990 - Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
- 1992 - Dizzy Gillespie, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1917)
- 1993 - Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer (b. 1938)
- 1995 - Joe Slovo, South African politician (b. 1926)
- 1996 - Yahya Ayyash, Palestinian leader (b. 1966)
- 2000 - Don Martin, American cartoonist (b. 1931)
- 2004 - Pierre Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica (b. 1954)
- 2004 - Charles Dumas, American athlete (b. 1937)
- 2004 - Francesco Scavullo, American photographer (b. 1921)
- 2005 - Lois Hole, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (b. 1933)
- 2005 - Louis Robichaud, Premier of New Brunswick (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances

- Ancient Latvia - Zvaigznes Diena observed
- Christianity (except Eastern Orthodox who follow the Julian Calendar) - Epiphany of the Lord (a.k.a. "Twelfth Day of Christmas" and Three Kings Day in some areas).
- In the Irish Calendar- Little Christmas or "Women's Christmas" and/or Twelfth Day.
- Rastafari movement - Celebration of the ceremonial birthday of Haile Selassie
- Armenian Christmas

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/6 BBC: On This Day] ---- January 5 - January 7 - December 6 - February 6 — listing of all days ko:1월 6일 ja:1月6日 simple:January 6 th:6 มกราคม

`Abd Allah II ibn `Ali `Abd ash-Shakur

`Abd Allah II ibn `Ali `Abd ash-Shakur, also known as Amir Hajji 'Abdu'llahi II ibn 'Ali 'Abdu's Shakur, was the last Emir of Harar from 1884 (or 1885, various sources carry various dates) to January 26, 1887, when the state was terminated, following the defeat of the Harrar troops at the Battle of Chelenqo (January 6) . He was deposed by Menelik II and died at Harar in 1930. Abd Allah II ibn Ali Abd ash-Shakur Category:Emirs of Harar

Harar

Harar, sometimes spelled Harrar or Harer, is a city in Ethiopia situated in the eastern extension of the Ethiopian highlands, about five hundred kilometers from Addis Ababa. It is located on a hilltop, with an elevation of 1885 meters. It is the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division (or kilil) of Ethiopia. As of 1994, it has a population of 76,378. For centuries, Harar has been a major commercial center, linked by the trade routes with the rest of Ethiopia, the entire Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and, through its ports, the outside world.

People

The inhabitants of Harar represent several ethnic groups, both Christian and Muslim, including Amhara, Oromo, Somali, Gurage, Tigré, and others. Nevertheless, within the walled city, the indigenous Harari are predominant. The Harari, who refer to themselves as Gey 'Usu ("People of the City") are a Semitic people that originally crossed into Africa from southern Arabia. Today, they are most commonly classed as a social and cultural, rather than as a distinct ethnic, group since most families have intermingled with the neighboring groups, and were welcoming of foreigners into their community. Their language, Harari, constitutes a Semitic pocket in a predominantly Cushitic region. Originally written in the Arabic script, it has recently converted to Geez alphabet.

History

Called "Gey" ("the City") by its inhabitants, Harar was founded between the 7th and the 11th century (according to different sources) and emerged as the center of Islamic culture and religion in the Horn of Africa. It preserved its political and cultural independence from the rest of Ethiopia for centuries, and in 1520 it became the capital of an independent Muslim kingdom under Abu Bakr. From Harar, Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi, also known as "Gragn the Left-handed," launched a war of conquest in the sixteenth century that extended its territory and even threatened the existence of the Christian Ethiopian empire. His successor, Emir Nur ibn Mujahid, encircled the city with a wall, 4 meters high and with five gates. This wall, called Jugol, is still intact, and is a symbol of the town to the inhabitants. The sixteenth century was the Golden Age of Harar. The local culture flourished, and many poets lived and wrote there. It also became known for coffee, weaving, basketry and bookbinding. The rulers of Harar also struck its own currency, the earliest possible issues bearing a date that may be read as AH 615 (= AD 1218/19); but definitely by AD 1789 the first coins were issued, and more were issued into the nineteenth century.¹ The city managed to maintain its independence until 1875, when it was conquered by Egypt. During this period, Arthur Rimbaud lived in the city - his former house now a museum. Ten years later, it regained its independence, but this lasted only two years when the city was incorporated into the Ethiopian Empire of Menelik II. Harar lost some of its commercial importance with the creation of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad, initially intended to run via the city but diverted north of the Highlands to save money. As a result of this, Dire Dawa was founded in 1902 as New Harar. In 1995 the city became an Ethiopian region (or kililoch) in its own right. A pipeline to carry water to the city from Dire Dawa is currently under construction.

Industry

Harar is the site of the Harar Brewery Share Company, whose products include Harar (a beer) and Hakim (a stout).

Attractions

The old town is home to eighty-seven mosques and many more shrines, centred on Feres Magala square. Notable buildings include Medhane Alem Cathedral and the sixteenth century Jamia Mosque. There is also a market. A long standing tradition of feeding porridge to hyenas one night a year developed in the 1960s into a nightly feeding show for the benefit of tourists.

Notes

# Richard R.K. Pankhurst, An Introduction to the Economic History of Ethiopia (London: Lalibela House, 1961), p. 267.

External links

- [http://www.ethiopiantreasures.toucansurf.com/pages/harar.htm Ethiopian Treasures - Harar City Wall]
- [http://harraris.com/ Harar Network ]
- [http://digilander.libero.it/capurromrc/!03harar.html Map of Harar (1936)]
- [http://tezeta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=1 Harar at the turn of the Century ]
- [http://tezeta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=1 Ras Makonnen's Vacant Mausoleum]
- [http://tezeta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=1 Rimbaud In Harar]
- [http://tezeta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=1 Harar Under Egyptian Rule]
- [http://tezeta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=1 Harar in the Old Days]
- [http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Ethiopia/harrar.htm List of Emirs of Adal and Harar (complete)] Category:Cities in Ethiopia

Shewa

Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. Formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire, the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is located at its center. The towns of Debre Berhan, Antsokia, Ankober, Entoto and Addis Ababa have all served as the capital of Shewa at various times. Most of northern Shewa, made up of the districts of Menz, Tegulet, Yifat, Minjar, Bulga are mostly populated by Christian Amhara, while southern and eastern Shewa have large Oromo and Moslem populations. The great monastery of Debre Libanos, founded by Saint Takla Haymanot is located in the district of Selale in northern Shewa.

History

Shewa first appears in the historical record as a Muslim state, which G.W.B. Huntingford believed was founded in 896, and had its capital at Walalah. This state was absorbed by the Sultanate of Ifat around 1285. In the 16th century, Shewa was ravaged and separated from the rest of Ethiopia by the forces of Ahmed Gragn; the region then came under pressure from the Oromo, who succeeded during the first decades of the following century in settling in the depopulated areas and making themselves masters. Because of this destruction and isolation, little is known about the details of the history of Shewa until almost 1800. Oromo The Shewan ruling family was founded by Negassie in the late 17th century, who consolidated his control around Yifat. Traditions recorded differ about his ancestry: one tradition, recorded in 1840, claims his mother was the daughter of Ras Faris, a follower of Emperor Sissinios who had escaped into Menz; another tradition told by Serta Wold, a councilor of Sahle Selassie, was that Negassie was the descendant of Yaqob, the youngest son of Lebna Dengel, and thus assert descent from the ancient ruling Solomonid dynasty.¹ Negassie's son, Sebestyanos assumed the title of Meridazmach ("General of the reserve army"), which was unique to Shewa. His descendants continued to bear this title until Sahle Selassie of Shewa was declared king of Shewa in the 1830s. His grandson Menelek II eventually would succeed as Emperor of all Ethiopia at the end of the century. The title of "King of Shewa" was subsumed into the Imperial title of "Emperor of Ethiopia" when Menelik became Emperor. In recent times, Shewa was a Governorate-General (Province) under the monarchy, and was then an Administrative Region of Ethiopia under the Derg regime until 1984. In that year, upon the proclamation of "The Peoples Republic" under the now civilianized Derg, Shewa was split into four Administrative Regions, North Shewa, Southern Shewa, Eastern Shewa and Western Shewa. Following the fall of the Derg in 1991, the old historic provinces and regions were abolished, and the present modern regions (based on ethnic and linguistic boundaries) were introduced. See also:Rulers of Shewa

References

# Mordechai Abir, Ethiopia: the Era of the Princes (London: Longmans, 1968), pp. 144ff. Category:History of Ethiopia Category:Provinces of Ethiopia

Menelik II of Ethiopia

Emperor Menelek II (August 17, 1844 – December 12, 1913), Conquering Lion of Judah, Elect of God, King of Kings of Ethiopia was negus negust of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death.

Menelek II
Menelek II

The son of Negus Haile Melekot of Shoa (1847 - 1855), was born in 1844 in Ankober, Shoa and heir to the Shewan branch of the Solomonic Dynasty which claimed descent from King Solomon of ancient Israel, and the Queen of Sheba. On the death of his father in 1855 he was taken prisoner by Emperor Tewodros II (Theodore II), a former minor noble originally named Kassa of Qwara, who had usurped the Imperial throne from the last Emperor of the elder Gondar branch of the Solomonic dynasty, Emperor Johannis III (John III). Menelek was imprisoned on Tewodros' mountain stronghold of Magdala, but was treated well by the Emperor, even marrying Tewodros's daughter Alitash. However, he would eventually succeed at escaping from Magdala and abandoned his wife, returning to Shoa to reclaim his ancestral crown and at once attacked the usurper claiming the Imperial throne for himself as well. These campaigns were unsuccessful, and he turned his arms to the west, east and south, and annexed much territory to his kingdom, still, however, maintaining his claims to the Imperial Crown of Ethiopia in addition to the royal one of Shoa. In 1883, Negus Menelek married Taytu Betul, a noblewoman of Imperial blood, and a member of the leading families of the regions of Semien, Gojjam and Begemder. Her uncle Dejazmatch Wube Haile Maryam had been the ruler of Tigré and much of northern Ethiopia. She had been married four times previously and exercised considerable influence. Menelik and Taytu would have no children. Menelik had previous to this marriage, sired not only Zauditu (eventually Empress of Ethiopia), but also another daughter, Shoaregga (who married Ras Mikael of Wollo), and a son Prince Wossen Seged who died in childhood. Menelek’s clemency to Ras Mangasha, whom he compelled to submit and then made hereditary Prince of his native Tigré, was ill repaid by a long series of revolts by that prince. Note: It is disputed -by other claimants- but likely that Menelik II's Tsehafi tezaz (prime minister) Gebreselassie was the Emperor's biological son outside of marriage. Although his inclusion/exclusion in the royal family tree remained controversial, he was given a very preferential treatment by the Emperor and was also made the prime minister of Abyssinia. After the suicide of Tewodros II in 1868 following his defeat at the hands of the British at Magdalla, Menelek continued to struggle against the various other claimants to the Imperial throne. The eventual successor, the Emperor Yohannes IV (better known to Europeans as King John of Abyssinia) was however able to better exert his claims due to the large number of weapons left to him by the British whom he had aided against Tewodros. Being again unsuccessful, Menelek resolved to await a more propitious occasion; so, acknowledging the supremacy of Yohannes. In 1886 Menelik married his daughter Zauditu to the Emperor’s son, the Ras Araya Selassie. Ras Araya Selassie died in May 1888 without any issue by Zauditu of Shoa, and the Emperor Yohannes IV was killed in a war against the dervishes at the battle of Gallabat (Matemma) on May 10, 1889. The succession now lay between the late emperor’s natural son, the Ras Mangasha, and Menelek of Shoa, but the latter was able to obtain the aliegance of a large majority of the nobility on November 4, and consecrated and Crowned as Emperor Menelik II shortly afterwards. Menelik argued that while the family of Yohannis IV claimed descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba through female links to the dynasty, his own claim was based on uninterrupted direct male lineage which made the claims of the House of Shoa equal to those of the elder Gondar line of the dynasty. In 1880, at the time when he was claiming the throne against Mangasha, Menelek signed at Wuchale in Wollo province (Uccialli in the Italian version), a treaty with Italy acknowledging the establishment of the new Italian Colony of Eritrea with its seat at Asmara. This colony had previously been part of the northern Tigrean territories from which Ras Mangasha had generated support, and the establishment of the Italian colony weakend the Ras. However, it was soon found that the Italian version of one of the articles of the treaty placed the Ethiopian Empire under Italian domination, while the Amharic version did not. Menelik denounced it, and after negotiations failed, abrogated it, leading Italy to declare war and invade from Eritrea. After defeating the Italians at Amba-Alagi and Mekele, he inflicted an even greater defeat on them, in the battle of Adowa on March 1, 1896, forcing them to capitulate. A treaty was signed recognizing the absolute independence of Ethiopia. left Menelek II's French sympathies were shown in a reported official offer of treasure towards payment of the indemnity at the close of the Franco-Prussian War, and in February 1897 he concluded a commercial treaty with France on very favorable terms. He also gave assistance to French officers who sought to reach the upper Nile from Ethiopia, there to join forces with the Marchand Mission; and Ethiopian armies were sent towards the Nile, but withdrew when the Fashoda Crisis between France and the United Kingdom cooled off. A British mission under Sir Rennell Rodd in May 1897, however, was cordially received, and Menelik agreed to a settlement of the Somali boundaries, to keep open to British commerce the caravan route between Zaila and Harrar, and to prevent the transit of munitions of war to the Mahdists, whom he proclaimed enemies of Ethiopia. In the following year the Sudan was reconquered by an Anglo-Egyptian army and thereafter cordial relations between Menelek and the British authorities were established. In 1889 and subsequent years, Menelik sent forces to co-operate with the British troops engaged against the Somali mullah, Mohammed bin Abdullah. Menelek had in 1898 crushed a rebellion by Ras Mangasha (who died in 1906) and he directed his efforts henceforth to the consolidation of his authority, and in a certain degree, to the opening up of his country to western civilization. He had granted in 1894 a concession for the building of a railway to his capital from the French port of Jibuti, but, alarmed by a claim made by France in 1902 to the control of the line in Ethiopian territory, he stopped for four years the extension of the railway beyond Dire Dawa. When in 1906 France, the United Kingdom and Italy came to an agreement on the subject, granting control to a joint venture corporation, Menelek officially reiterated his full sovereign rights over the whole of his empire. In May 1909 the emperor’s grandson Lij Iyasu (or Lij Yasu) by his late daughter Shoaregga, then a lad of thirteen, was married to Romanework Mangasha (b. 1902), granddaughter of the Emperor Johannes IV by his natural son Ras Mangasha, and was also the niece of Empress Taytu. Two days later Yasu was publicly proclaimed at Addis Ababa as Menelek’s successor. At that time the emperor was seriously ill and as his ill-health continued, a council of regency — from which the empress was excluded — was formed in March 1910. Lij Iyasu's marriage to Romanework Mangasha was dissolved, and he married Seble Wongel Hailu, daughter of Ras Hailu, and granddaughter of Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam. Emperor Menelik II died on December 12th, 1913, and is buried at the Baeta Le Mariam Monastery Church of Addis Ababa.

Bibliography

- Paul B. Henze. "Yohannes IV and Menelik II: The Empire Restored, Expanded, and Defended" in Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia. New York: Palgrave, 2000. ISBN 0-312-22719-1
- David Levering Lewis. "Pawns of Pawns" in The Race to Fashoda. New York: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1987. ISBN 1-55584-058-2
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External link

- [http://www.ethiopiantreasures.toucansurf.com/pages/menelik.htm Ethiopian Treasures - Emperor Menelik II] Category:Ethiopian Royal Family Category:Rulers of Ethiopia Menelik II of Ethiopia Menelik II of Ethiopia

United States Senate

] The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state is equally represented by two members, regardless of population; as a result, the total membership of the body is currently 100. Senators serve for six-year terms that are staggered so elections are held for approximately one-third of the seats (a "class") every second year. The Vice President of the United States is the presiding officer of the Senate but is not a senator and does not vote except to break ties. The Senate is regarded as a more deliberative body than the House of Representatives; the Senate is smaller and its members serve longer terms, allowing for a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere that is somewhat more insulated from public opinion than the House. The Senate has several exclusive powers enumerated in the Constitution not granted to the House; most significantly, the President cannot ratify treaties or make important appointments without the "Advice and Consent" of the Senate The Framers of the Constitution created a bicameral Congress out of a desire to have two houses to check each other. One house was intended to be a "people's house" that would be very sensitive to public opinion. The other house was intended to a more reserved, more deliberate forum of elite wisdom. The Constitution provides that the approval of both chambers is necessary for the passage of legislation. The exclusive powers enumerated to the Senate in the Constitution are regarded as more important than those exclusively enumerated to the House. As a result, the responsibilities of the Senate (the "upper house") are more extensive than those of the House of Representatives (the "lower house"). The Senate of the United States was named after the ancient Roman Senate. The chamber of the United States Senate is located in the north wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C., the national capital. The House of Representatives convenes in the south wing of the same building.

History

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was a unicameral body in which each state was equally represented. The inefficacy of the federal government under the Articles led Congress to summon a Constitutional Convention in 1787; all states except Rhode Island agreed to send delegates. Many delegates called for a second Congressional chamber, modeled on the House of Lords (the aristocratic upper house of the British Parliament). For example, John Dickinson argued that the second chamber should "consist of the most distinguished characters, distinguished for their rank in life and their weight of property, and bearing as strong a likeness to the British House of Lords as possible." The structure of Congress was one of the most divisive issues facing the Convention. The Virginia Plan called for a bicameral Congress; the lower chamber would be elected directly by the people, and the upper chamber would be elected by the lower chamber. The Virginia Plan was primarily supported by the larger states, as it called for representation based on population in both Chambers. The smaller states, however, favored the New Jersey Plan, which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states. Eventually, a compromise, known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Great Compromise, was reached; one chamber of Congress (the House of Representatives) would provide proportional representation, whereas the other (the Senate) would provide equal representation. In order to further preserve the authority of the states, it was provided that state legislatures, rather than the people, would