Creatures of Impulse
Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert (pictured), premiered at the Court Theatre in London.
In context
- When
- Sunday, April 2 1871155 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 19th century · 1870s
- 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 1871.
Type: literary work.
What came before
Background Writer and composer See also: W. S. Gilbert and Alberto Randegger W. S. Gilbert , c. 1870 From the mid-1860s to the early 1870s, W. S. Gilbert was extremely productive, writing a large quantity of comic verse, theatre reviews and other journalistic pieces, short stories, and dozens of plays and comic operas . His output in 1870 included dozens of his popular comic Bab Ballads ; two blank verse comedies, The Princess and The Palace of Truth ; two comic operas, Our Island Home and The Gentleman in Black ;
What happened
Creatures of Impulse is a stage play by the English dramatist W. S. Gilbert, with music by the composer-conductor Alberto Randegger, which Gilbert adapted from his own short story. Both the play and the short story concern an unwanted and ill-tempered old fairy who enchants people to behave in a manner opposite to their natures, with farcical results.
April 2 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1871Creatures of Impulse
- 2012UTair Flight 120
- 20122012 Oikos University shooting
- 20142014 Fort Hood shootings
- 2015Garissa University College attack
- 2015Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary
- 2020COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021United States Capitol Police
- 20212021 Hualien train derailment
- 20242024 Viertola school shooting
- 2025Liberation Day tariffs
Also in 1871
- January 18German EmpireThe German Empire was formed by the unification of previously independent German states, under the rule of Kaiser Wilhelm I.
- December 26Thespis (opera)Thespis, the first comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in London.
- October 26Edward James RoyeLiberian president Edward James Roye was overthrown in modern Africa's first coup d'état.
- December 24AidaAida, one of Giuseppe Verdi's most popular operas, made its debut in Cairo, Egypt.
- November 10Henry Morton StanleyJournalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley (pictured) located missing missionary and explorer David Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in…
- March 22William Woods HoldenWilliam Woods Holden, Governor of North Carolina, became the first U.S. state governor to be removed from office through impeachment.
- July 30Staten Island FerryThe boiler of the Staten Island Ferry Westfield II exploded at South Ferry in New York City, killing at least 45 people.
- October 8Great Chicago FireThe Great Chicago Fire (pictured), began and proceeded to destroy much of the city's central business district, killing 300 people and le…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Creatures of Impulse”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/creatures-of-impulse-1871-april-2, 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 Creatures of Impulse happen?
April 2 1871 — 155 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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