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1890
history - The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa - Wilhelm II of Germany dismisses Otto von Bismarck - Idaho and Wyoming are admitted as U.S. state - Wounded Knee Massacre
culture - Emil von Behring developes a serum therapy for diphtheria - US: first person to be executed in the electric chair - Henrik Ibsen: Hedda Gabler - Knut Hamsun: Hunger - Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray - Heinrich Schliemann (†) - Gottfried Keller (†) - Vincent van Gogh (†)
music - the New York Phonograph Company opens the first recording studio - Hector Berlioz: Les Troyens - Alexander Borodin: Prince Igor - Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Queen of Spades - César Franck (†)
- US: New York City? - recordings for ? - George W. Johnson
- US: New York City - recordings for Edison - Unique Quartette (Joseph M. Moore?, William H. Tucker, J.E. Carsons, Samuel G. Baker...)