Historical events from 1870 through 1879.
A catastrophic earthquake struck Caracas, Venezuela on April 14, 1878, destroying $1.1 million worth of property. The seismic activity was so intense that it heated river waters, forcing fish to flee to shore.
Edward Stokes was sentenced to death on January 7, 1873, for the murder of financier James Fisk Jr. The dramatic sentencing concluded one of the most sensational trials of the Gilded Age.
The fortress city of Metz fell to Prussian forces as Marshal Bazaine surrendered with 180,000 French troops. The capitulation dealt a devastating blow to France’s war effort against Prussia.
