Timeline February 1885

Events in February 1885 4

• 1832 – 1885 Jules Vallès (1832-1885) Died 14 February 1885, aged 52 French journalist and novelist who participated in the Paris Commune of 1871 and founded the newspaper Le Cri du Peuple. Known for his semi-autobiographical trilogy Jacques Vingtras, he spent years in exile in London before returning to France under a general amnesty in 1880.
• 1885 – 1982 Bess Truman (1885-1982) Died 18 October 1982, aged 97 Former First Lady of the United States as wife of President Harry Truman. She died in Independence, Missouri, having lived longer than any other First Lady to that time.
• 1885 Washington Monument dedicated Ceremony marks completion of the obelisk honoring the first US president The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. was formally dedicated on 21 February 1885, more than three decades after construction began and was halted for lack of funds. At the time of completion it was the tallest structure in the world. It opened to the public in 1888.
• 1885 General Act of the Berlin Conference signed European powers set rules for the partition of Africa Representatives of fourteen European and American powers concluded the Berlin West Africa Conference on 26 February 1885, establishing principles for colonial claims in Africa. The act recognized King Leopold II's personal control over the Congo Free State and formalized the free navigation of the Congo and Niger rivers. It became a foundational document of the "Scramble for Africa."