Melvil Dewey, American librarian, created the Dewey Decimal System (d. 1931)
Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an influential American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, a founder of the Lake Placid Club, and a chief librarian at Columbia University. He was also a founding member of the American Library Association but resigned in 1905, due to allegations of sexual harassment, racism, and antisemitism.
1851Dec, 10
Melvil Dewey
Choose Another Date
Events on 1851
- 12Feb
Australian gold rushes
Edward Hargraves announces he has found gold in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, starting the Australian gold rushes. - 11Mar
Giuseppe Verdi
The first performance of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi takes place in Venice. - 21May
Colombia
Slavery is abolished in Colombia, South America. - 5Jun
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly, starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper. - 24Oct
Umbriel (moon)
William Lassell discovers the moons Umbriel, and Ariel, orbiting Uranus.