1868 – 1878
in
11
Aug
| Year | Births | Deaths | Scientific Discoveries | Timeline Events and Comments |
| 1868 | London World’s Fair and Aeronavigational Exposition. First World’s fair in which manned powered flight has major exposure. Over 100 flying vehicles from across Europe and even from America, Australia and Japan compete for numerous prizes. Races, endurance, ceiling, and range competitions all attract many entrants. The events are marred by three fatal accidents, and a memorial service is held at the end of the Fair. An International Association of Aeronauts, to include Aerolyth Masters Balloonists and Pilots of Cayley Vehicles. | |||
| 1869 | Louis Brennan Leonardo Torres Quevedo | With the removal of General Ripley DPL is able to convince the Union Army to purchase brass cartridge arms using their smokeless powder. By the middle of 1863 all front line infantry and cavalry units of the Union Army have either single shot or repeating cartridge rifles and carbines. The Confederacy is unable to produce cartridges in quantity and the blockade prevents their importation from France or England. Rebel forces suffer tremendous casualties from the rapid fire of Union forces. | ||
| 1870 | Sir Charles Vernon Boys | Union forces also use Scientific Artillery. In a number of sieges high angle fire from long range Union rifled artillery is extremely telling. The Union is able to out duel Confederate batteries at Charleston but are still unable to force the defenses and take the city. Union Army forms Aerial Corps under command of Colonel Thaddeus Lowe, which for the first time uses “Steam Cayleys” for a military purpose (observation) | ||
| 1871 | Nikola Tesla | Confederate forces attack the Union Army under Grant at Pittsburg Landing. A pair of timberclad Union gunboats recently equipped with rapid firing steam cannons support the Union flank and their fire causes tremendous casualties in the Confederate infantry. Combined with the new firepower of the recently issued breech-loading rifles the Rebel forces cannot face the Union Army and are forced back with horrific losses. | ||
| 1872 | Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky | William Hale | Vicksburg Falls to a combined Union Army and Riverine assault. After the success of the steam cannons at Pittsburg’s Landing early in the month several of the City Class ironclads are rearmed with these rapid firing weapons. The volume of fire allows the river batteries at Vicksburg to be suppressed. The defenders are unable to resist the attacks from both land and river and surrender on April 30th. | |
| 1875 | Solomon Andrews | |||
| 1876 | During a thunderstorm the anti-gravitational properties of certain types of dolerite are rediscovered by John Lubbock. In August he publically reveals his discovery with a demonstration of his aerial vessel Pegasus. He releases his experimental notebooks in the hopes that the “Knowledge of flight will united Mankind, showing us how small our world is and how meaningless its borders” Experiments begin in workshops and laboratories across the world. | |||
| 1877 | Aerolyth prospecting begins across the globe. Aerolyth “rushes” are seen in the Missouri Ozarks, Upstate New York and California in the USA, Wales and Scotland in the United Kingdom. Additional strikes are recorded in Carpathian Mountains, Korea, Switzerland and the southern Alps. | |||
| 1878 | G Gurney | “Scientific Artillery” | World’s Fair at Lisbon, capital of the Triple Empire. Exhibits include many on aviation and first public discussion of the use of aerolyth to reach extremely high latitudes. Altitude record for manned flight is set by aerolyth vessel that “bounces” to the doorstep of space. |