1872
Monet's Impression, Sunrise
A young French painter named Claude Monet painted a hazy Le Havre harbor at dawn with quick, broken brushstrokes and gave it a throwaway title. Two years later it would be mocked in a review as "impressionist," and an entire movement would adopt the insult. Modern painting can be dated, conveniently, from this canvas.
Yellowstone National Park
President Grant signed a law setting aside two million acres of Wyoming volcanic country as "a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." It was the first national park in the world. Generations later, the idea would be exported to nearly every country with wilderness left to protect.
Anthony Votes Illegally
In Rochester, Susan B. Anthony talked her way into a polling station and cast a vote for Grant. She was arrested, tried, and fined a hundred dollars, which she refused to pay. She gave her summing-up to the jury, and "Is it a crime for a citizen to vote?" became a rallying speech for American suffrage.
First FIFA-style Football Match
On a cold November afternoon at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Glasgow, England played Scotland in what is recognized as the first international football match. The score was 0-0. The code of Association Football was barely nine years old. Within a generation the game would be the world's favorite.