Although it’s now more than 100 years ago, the year 1888 still resonates with the people of London. During this year, many events happened that both surprised and shook the nation. This was the year in which Jack the Ripper killed five women in London and although the possibility of other victims is disputed, there is no concrete evidence to suggest there were any more in that year.
On our Jack the Ripper tour, you will find out all about the terrifying Ripper murders of 1888, but during this year, many other important events occurred. Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch and Robert Cecil was the prime minister during this period. But many other notable things happened over the year…
January
- On the 26th of January, the Lawn Tennis Association was founded
- 27th January saw the National Geographic Society founded in Washington D.C.
February
- The 13th of February saw the first ever issue of the Financial Times go on sale
March
- On the 23rd, William McGregor called a meeting to discuss the establishment of the football league in London
April
- On the 3rd of April, Emma Elizabeth Smith is brutally attacked and killed in London. This was the first of the 1888 Whitechapel murders but it isn’t widely thought that she was a victim of Jack the Ripper
June
- The London matchgirls strike is organised by Annie Besant sometime in June
- The first known recording of classical music was made in Egypt on the 29th of June
August
- The body of Martha Tabram is found on 7th August, she is thought by many to have been the first victim of Jack the Ripper
- In England and Wales, the government first established county councils and boroughs on the 13th of August
- The first official victim of Jack the Ripper, Mary Ann Nichols, was found on the 31st of August
September
- The 8th of September saw the discovery of Jack the Ripper’s second victim, Annie Chapman
- London’s Central News Agency receive the ‘Dear Boss’ letter signed by Jack the Ripper
- The bodies of Catherine Eddowes and Elizabeth Stride are found. Both Ripper victims, they were found within hours of each other in a horrific night which later came to be known as the double event
October
- Female body parts were found in three different areas of London on the 2nd of October. Although this was around the same time as Jack the Ripper’s crimes, it was said to be the work of someone else and is now known as the Whitehall Mystery
- A patent for the first ever movie, ‘the Optical Phonograph,’ was filed by Thomas Edison
November
- The body of Mary Jane Kelly, the fifth and final victim of Jack the Ripper is found on the 9th of November
December
- Famous artist Vincent Van Gogh cuts off his left ear
Each of these events has shaped the world in one way or another, leaving a long-lasting impact on the world today. Though other horrendous events have taken place throughout the years, this is the one that stands out for many Londoners. The year 1888 changed many things, not least due to the crimes of Jack the Ripper.
If you are interested in learning more, why not take a Jack the Ripper tour for more information on the notorious killer’s crimes and victims?
![Jack-the-Ripper-Suspect[1]](https://storage.googleapis.com/wp-static/thejacktherippertour.com/uploads/cache/2016/11/Jack-the-Ripper-Suspect1/1we6frrhqtmszmvt.jpg "Jack-the-Ripper-Suspect[1]")
