Key Events 1750-1910 By John Jongebloed Feb 12, 1776 American declaration of independance Feb 12, 1785 Edumund Cartwright patents a power room Feb 12, 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen - French Revolution Feb 15, 1791 Tom Paine's The Right of Man is published Feb 15, 1804 First steam locomotive is opperating at Pennydarren, Wales Feb 15, 1833 Abolition of slavery in the British Empire Feb 15, 1868 Meiji restoration in Japan Feb 15, 1871 German unification after the Franco-Prussian leading to Germany's rise as an imperial power Feb 15, 1899 Guglielmo Marconi invents wireless (radio) Feb 15, 1905 Russo-Japanese war, Japan defeats Russia