and again in 1872 at the Oval, London. December 1 Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada (1823-1889) becomes constitutional President of Mexico. Responsible government is granted to Cape Colony (South Africa). Sir John Molteno, first Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope, forms the first Cape Cabinet which immediately plans to establish Cape Government Railways and take over the operation of all private railways in the Colony. December 3 – George Smith presents the first translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh, to a meeting of the Society of Biblical Archaeology in London. December 4 – The now-crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found (still seaworthy) by the British brig Dei Gratia in the Atlantic. December 6 – Springwell Pit disaster at Dawley, England: Eight coal miners fall to their death when a winding chain snaps. December 14 6.5-7 magnitude earthquake takes place in the Cascade mountains in northern Washington. President Ulysses S. Grant establishes the San Carlos Apache Reservation, in southeastern Arizona. December 21 – Challenger expedition: sails from Portsmouth, England, on the 4-year scientific expedition that lays the foundation for the science of oceanography. Date unknown In the aftermath of the Paraguayan War, the new government of Paraguay makes peace with Brazil, granting reparations and territorial concessions. The Kolozsvári Egyetem, predecessor of the University of Szeged, is founded. Under Japan's Meiji Restoration: A conscription law, modeled on the French version, is issued. Universal public schools are called for. The first Marist Brothers travel to Australia. S. T. Dupont begins manufacture of luxury leather goods in France. Kimberly, Clark and Co. is founded in Neenah, Wisconsin, by John A. Kimberly, Charles B. Clark, Havilah Babcock and Franklyn C. Shattuck. Schenker, as predecessor of DB Schenker, a worldwide logistics and freight transport, is founded in Vienna, Austria. Births January–June January 6 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian composer (d. 1915) January 14 – Kerstin Hesselgren, Swedish politician (d. 1962) January 20 – Julia Morgan, American architect (d. 1957) January 23 – Gotse Delchev, Bulgarian revolutionary (d. 1903) January 31 – Zane Grey, American writer (d. 1939) February 6 – Robert Maillart, Swiss civil engineer (d. 1940) February 11 – Hannah Mitchell, English socialist, suffragette (d. 1956) February 19 – Johan Pitka, Estonian entrepreneur, sea captain, and admiral (d. 1944) February 27 – Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, 3-time prime minister of Romania (d. 1950) February 28 – Mehdi Frashëri, Albanian politician, 15th Prime Minister of Albania (d.