Bertha Benz

Historical eventAugust 51888

Bertha Benz

Bertha Benz made the first long-distance automobile trip, driving 106 km (66 mi) from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany, in a Benz Patent-Motorwagen.

Everything on August 5Original source

In context

When
Sunday, August 5 1888138 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1888.

Type: human.

What happened

Bertha Benz was a German automotive pioneer. She was the business partner, investor and wife of automobile inventor Carl Benz. On 5 August 1888, she became the first person to drive an internal-combustion-engined automobile over a long distance, field testing the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, inventing brake lining and solving several practical issues during the journey of 105 km. In doing so, she brought the Patent-Motorwagen worldwide attention and got the company its first general sales.

August 5 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1888Bertha Benz
  2. 20102010 Copiapó mining accident
  3. 2011Juno (spacecraft)
  4. 2012Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting
  5. 2012Implosion of Radio Network House
  6. 2012White supremacy
  7. 2015United States Environmental Protection Agency
  8. 20152015 Gold King Mine waste water spill
  9. 2019Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir
  10. 2021Australia
  11. 2024Non-cooperation movement (2024)

Also in 1888

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  • December 9Argosy (magazine)The first edition of the Argosy magazine was published under the title The Golden Argosy.
  • May 12North BorneoNorth Borneo was established as a British protectorate.
  • October 9Washington MonumentThe Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., at the time the world's tallest building, officially opened to the general public.
  • March 11Great Blizzard of 1888The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States, producing snowdrifts in excess of 50 ft (15 m) and confining some peopl…
  • November 9Mary Jane KellyMary Jane Kelly, widely believed to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, was murder…
  • October 30LobengulaLobengula, King of Matabeleland, granted the Rudd Concession (pictured) to agents of Cecil Rhodes, leading to the creation of the British…
  • April 11Concertgebouw, AmsterdamThe Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, considered one of the world's finest concert halls, was inaugurated.

Everything we record for 1888 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Bertha Benz”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/bertha-benz-1888-august-5, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Bertha Benz happen?

August 5 1888 — 138 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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