Key Events From 1750 - 1910 By 148803 Feb 12, 1775 American War of Independence Feb 12, 1776 American Declaration of Independence Feb 12, 1785 EdmundCartwright patents apower loom Feb 12, 1791 Tom Paine’sThe Rights of Manis published Feb 12, 1804 First steam locomotive is operating at Pennydarren, Wales Feb 12, 1811 Luddite riots destroy machines in factories Feb 12, 1830 George Stephenson begins a rail service from London to Liverpool Feb 12, 1837 Great Western is launched in Britain, the first steamship built for ocean voyages Feb 12, 1868 Meiji (‘enlightened rule’) Restoration in Japan; feudalism is abandoned and capitalism embraced Feb 12, 1871 German unification after the Franco-Prussian War leading to Germany’s rise as an imperial power Feb 12, 1883 Brooklyn Bridge, New York,is opened Feb 12, 1898 USA wins Spanish–American War and takes control of Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and (for a time) Cuba Feb 12, 1900 The first Zeppelin airship is built Feb 12, 1904 Russo-Japanese War; Japan defeats Russia