Historical eventJune 21878

Karl Nobiling

Anarchist Karl Nobiling attempted to assassinate German Emperor Wilhelm I.

Everything on June 2Original source

In context

When
Sunday, June 2 1878148 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 1878.

What came beforeAI-assisted

Germany in the 1870s faced rising socialist and anarchist movements, partly fueled by rapid industrialization and labor unrest. Emperor Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck had begun implementing repressive policies against radical political organizations.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

Karl Nobiling, a German anarchist, decided to assassinate Wilhelm I as a political act against the imperial state. He obtained a revolver and positioned himself along the emperor's route in Berlin.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

Karl Nobiling was a 33-year-old anarchist and former student from a middle-class background. Emperor Wilhelm I was the 81-year-old German emperor and King of Prussia, riding in an open carriage in Berlin.

TimelineAI-assisted

On June 2, 1878, Nobiling fired multiple shots at Wilhelm I's carriage on Unter den Linden in Berlin. The emperor was wounded but survived; Nobiling was arrested and died in prison in 1884, officially ruled a suicide.

What happened

Anarchist Karl Nobiling attempted to assassinate German Emperor Wilhelm I.

June 2 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1878Karl Nobiling
  2. 1995Bosnian War
  3. 1997Denver
  4. 1998Space Shuttle Discovery
  5. 2003Mars
  6. 2008Tim Buckley (comics)
  7. 2010Cumbria shootings
  8. 2012President of Egypt
  9. 2014Telangana
  10. 2022Ankara
  11. 20232023 Odisha train collision

Also in 1878

  • September 17Natal–Zululand border incidentA British surveyor was detained by the Zulu on the border with the Colony of Natal; a demand for reparations for the incident formed part…
  • May 25Gilbert and SullivanGilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (poster featured) premiered at the Opera Comique in London.
  • September 3Sinking of SS Princess AliceThe passenger steamship SS Princess Alice sank in the River Thames after colliding (pictured) with the collier Bywell Castle, killing mor…
  • October 7Death and state funeral of Mindon MinThe state funeral of Mindon Min (pictured), who ruled Myanmar for 25 years, took place; his death was reportedly preceded by strange omen…
  • June 15Eadweard MuybridgeEadweard Muybridge took a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it gallops (animation pictur…
  • May 2Great Mill DisasterA dust explosion (depicted) at the world's largest flour mill in Minneapolis resulted in 18 deaths.
  • September 1Emma NuttEmma Nutt becomes the world's first female telephone operator when she is recruited by Alexander Graham Bell to the Boston Telephone Disp…
  • February 18Lincoln County, New MexicoCompetition between two American merchants in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, turned into a range war when a member of one faction…

Everything we record for 1878 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Karl Nobiling”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/karl-nobiling-1878-june-2, accessed October 29, 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 Karl Nobiling happen?

June 2 1878 — 148 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. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.